• Effective Saltwater Casting
• Fish Close First
• Line Management for Big Trout
• Casting in the Wind
• Extra Layers
• Maximize Fishing Opportunity
• Playing Fish
• Durable, High-performance Gear
• Layering for Winter Fishing
• Knots
• Flats Fishing
• Protect the Resource
• First Cast Quick Flick
• Trout Nymphing Tip
• Approaching the Stream

Casting in the Wind

One of the most frustrating fishing situations is when there are rising trout and the wind is so strong that it won’t allow for a good cast. Yet this type of situation happens all the time, especially on our big, western rivers. There are days when the wind seems relentless and persists throughout the day, forcing an angler to overpower the cast just to get the fly beyond the boat. The most common mistake is to overpower the rod and try to hammer the line hard into the wind.

There is a simple adjustment an angler can make that will drive the fly line into the wind and even turn over large patterns such as hoppers. Most fly casters are familiar with the 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock casting stroke. So without getting into the intricacies of fly casting, we are just going to look at simple angle change for casting into the wind. Start the back cast with the rod tip low, at about 8 o’clock. Begin raising the rod tip slowly, and with a slight acceleration at the end of the stroke, stop the rod tip at 12 o’clock. It is important to understand that little power is applied to the back cast because, in effect, the wind will aid in turning over the back cast. The pause on the back cast needs to be slightly longer, allowing the wind to carry the line behind you and begin loading the rod for the forward cast. To make the forward cast, the angler will simply turn over the tip and cast back to the 8 o’clock position. This will drive the fly line downward toward the target as opposed to sailing it high, only to be driven back by the wind.

This is not intended to be a long distance cast. What it will do is allow you to make more accurate casts in windy situations and reduce stress on muscles and joints. Try this technique the next time you find yourself in a windy fishing situation. I think it will make the experience a more enjoyable.

Drew Miller is the Outfitter for the Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop in Missoula, MT. He was born in southwestern Pennsylvania where he grew up fishing the technical streams of the East. Drew eventually followed his dream and moved to Montana where he has been guiding for ten years. He also has experience guiding in South America on the infamous Rio Grande for sea run brown trout. He prides himself on teaching clients and others about fishing and fly tying techniques for trout, salmon, steelhead and saltwater species. If you would like to ask Drew about other tips and techniques you can email him at flyfishmontana@earthlink.net.