05-05-2011, 12:11 PM
Casting into the wind isn't easy and, unless you are a real pro, impossible if the wind is above a certain speed. You can, however, cast into a moderate wind. What I do is shorten the leader, use heavier flies or bugs with a less wind resistant profile and accept that casting distance is more limited. Then there are basically two techniques I use.
One is simply a sidearm cast keeping the line very low and parallel to the water surface (which is ideal when wading open water or in a boat/tube as opposed to on or close to shore where obstructions often prevent it).
The other is to change the angle of an overhead cast so the plane is skewed with the backcast high (which uses the wind to generate power) and the forward cast low which brings the line through the wind at a downward angle rather than directly into it.
I can't toss 60 foot casts into even a light wind but in many situations I only need to cast 30-40 feet (even less in trout streams).
The toughest situation is when the wind is constantly varying in speed and direction. When the wind is steady you can get a feel for it and compensate for how it will alter the trajectoty and keep some semblance of accuracy. Some days it chuck and duck.
Of course, when possible, it is indeed always better to reposition so the wind is either on your line arm side or behind you. There are situations though when you will miss out on prime fish if you don't stuggle against the wind.
[signature]
One is simply a sidearm cast keeping the line very low and parallel to the water surface (which is ideal when wading open water or in a boat/tube as opposed to on or close to shore where obstructions often prevent it).
The other is to change the angle of an overhead cast so the plane is skewed with the backcast high (which uses the wind to generate power) and the forward cast low which brings the line through the wind at a downward angle rather than directly into it.
I can't toss 60 foot casts into even a light wind but in many situations I only need to cast 30-40 feet (even less in trout streams).
The toughest situation is when the wind is constantly varying in speed and direction. When the wind is steady you can get a feel for it and compensate for how it will alter the trajectoty and keep some semblance of accuracy. Some days it chuck and duck.
Of course, when possible, it is indeed always better to reposition so the wind is either on your line arm side or behind you. There are situations though when you will miss out on prime fish if you don't stuggle against the wind.
[signature]