Master the Cast - Hardcover

Roberts, George

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 007137972X ISBN 13: 9780071379724

Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2002

Synopsis

If you can't cast, you can't fish. The cast is the most important and challenging skill in fly-fishing. Because the angler is casting virtually weightless flies made from bits of hair and feather, line, fly, and rod must be worked in a complicated ballet that even experienced anglers have trouble mastering. The level of casting skill possessed by the average angler is poor. George V. Roberts Jr., a lifelong fly-fisher and a sought-after teacher, has developed a program that will have readers casting and catching fish with a fly rod after only a few hours' practice. By mastering the handful of fundamentals presented in this book, the reader will become an efficient, accurate, and consistent fly-caster, and will have laid a solid foundation upon which he or she can build all advanced fly-casting techniques. There is no book available like it. Master the Cast is a comprehensive but concise treatment of the most important element of fly-casting: building a solid fly-casting stroke. With detailed illustrations and photographs capturing all the elements of the cast, it is written for each of the five million Americans who fly-fish regularly in both fresh water and salt water, and for the many people (perhaps another five million) who attempt to take up the sport each year. Roberts has based his program on noted golfer Ben Hogan's book, Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf (Simon & Schuster). In print continuously since 1957, Hogan's book deals not with the game of golf itself, but only with what Hogan considered the most important element of golf: building a repeating swing. Similarly, Master the Cast focuses only on building a solid basic fly-cast. To become a good fly-caster, there is simply no way to bypass the fundamentals. As such, Master the Cast is an excellent resource for the beginning fly-fisher as well as the experienced fly-fisher hoping to become a better fly-caster. It is also an excellent reference for the serious student of fly-casting, as well as any fly-casting instructor. Master the Cast first draws a comprehensive picture of fly-casting mechanics--both fly-rod mechanics (how the rod and line operate to deliver the fly), as well as rod-arm mechanics (how the hand, wrist, forearm, and upper arm function to make the rod operate). Once that's established it presents seven individual lessons readers can use to teach themselves to build a solid basic fly-casting stroke. Each lesson offers the most common problems students have with that particular aspect of fly-casting, as well as their solutions. Lesson One details the roll cast, which is not only a highly functional fishing cast, but also an excellent tool for learning basic rod-arm mechanics. Lesson Two details the pick-up-and-lay-down cast, which forms the foundation of all straight-line fly-casting. Each subsequent lesson builds on material learned in the previous lesson, and takes the reader through a basic fly-casting discipline in the most logical possible order (that is, the order in which a good fly-casting instructor would take a student through the material). Subsequent lessons detail false casting and line-hand functions, shooting line, casting in all planes, rod drift and follow-through, and off-vertical casting from an open stance. Master the Cast introduces the reader to the language and concepts of fly-casting, explaining each of the terms and concepts fully. It's an excellent primer for the beginning fly-fisher. It will also explain the difficulties the fly-fisher will encounter in understanding and mastering these fundamental concepts and actions.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Fly casting is central to the fly-fisher's art. With good casting technique you can place the fly where you want it, effortlessly and with precision and grace, even when wind or obstructions conspire against you. Without good technique, all your efforts will be frustrated. If you can't cast, you can't truly enjoy fly-fishing.

In Master the Cast, George V. Roberts Jr., a lifelong fly-fisher and sought-after instructor, walks you through a course that will have you casting and catching fish with a fly rod after only a few hours' practice. With the help of more than 140 photos and illustrations, Roberts details the fundamentals that will help you become an efficient, accurate, and consistent fly caster, and lays the foundation on which you will build all advanced fly-casting techniques.

Master the Cast first provides a comprehensive picture of fly-casting mechanics both fly-rod mechanics (how the rod and line operate to deliver the fly) and rod-arm mechanics (how the hand, wrist, forearm, and upper arm function to make the rod work). Then, over the course of seven concise lessons, you learn how to build a solid fly-casting repertoire. Each lesson focuses on specific problems novices commonly encounter and offers proven solutions to them.

Lesson 1 teaches the roll cast, which builds your intuitive sense of rod-arm mechanics. Lesson 2 details the pick-up-and-lay-down cast, which forms the foundation of all straight-line casting. Each subsequent lesson builds upon skills acquired in the preceding ones, so that you rapidly develop the complete fly-casting skill set, from false-casting and line-hand functions and shooting line, to casting in all planes and rod drift and follow-through, to off-vertical casting from an open stance. A section on hauling is also included.

Master the Cast is an indispensable resource for all beginning fly-fishers, freshwater and saltwater alike, as well as for experienced fly-fishers who want to hone their skills.

"Most fly-fishers cast mechanically without understanding the mechanics of the cast. But understanding precisely what is going on and why is what makes a good caster into an excellent caster. George Roberts understands casting mechanics inside and out, and his Master the Cast will help you do just that." James R. Babb, editor, Gray's Sporting Journal

Hone your fly-casting skills in just a few hours!

Written by a lifelong fly-fisher, Master the Cast will have you fly casting with confidence, precision, and consistency after only a few hours' practice.

With the help of hundreds of detailed illustrations and photographs that capture all the key elements of the cast, George Roberts breaks the complicated mechanics into a few simple components. He then shows you how to master these in seven concise lessons, each of which adds another skill to your repertoire. You'll quickly master the roll cast, the pick-up-and-lay-down cast, the false cast, and much more.

Praise for George Roberts' A Fly-Fisher's Guide to Saltwater Naturals and Their Imitation

"A book in a class by itself." Fly Fishing Saltwater

"Thanks to George Roberts, the world of saltwater fly-fishing now has a bible." Hal Janssen

"It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this book." The Fly-Tyer's Catalog

"Absolutely essential." California Fly Fisher

"This is a book to be read and savored." Islands

"Fascinating . . . a very useful guide." Salt Water Sportsman

About the Author:

A fly-fisher since age seven, George V. Roberts, Jr. is the author of A Fly-Fishers Guide to Saltwater Naturals and Their Imitation (Ragged Mountain Press/McGraw-Hill), which won the United Fly Tyers Book of the Year Award for 1994. Roberts, who studied with Joan Wulff, arguably the most accomplished fly-casting instructor in the world, teaches fly-casting throughout the country to fly-fishers of all levels of experience. Editor of a number of angling books, Robertss articles appear regularly in such magazines as Saltwater Fly Fishing, Fly Tyer, and On the Water. HOMETOWN:Whitman, MA

About this edition

• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 007137972X
• ISBN 13: 9780071379724
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 142