I learned from my dad, so don't know what resources are out there. But one tip that I found very useful was to practice your casting in the back yard. Don't even put a leader on, just practice in the grass, put some targets around to aim for, etc. It will help get those motions down before getting on the water where there's a lot of other things to consider.

Can't beat a hands on class. Trout Unlimited in local areas often put on classes for free, but there is a wealth of info on the internet if you want to be a student of the game, and that is exactly what it takes. Just google up. Casting is the essence. You have to become a good caster, and learn a number of the casts not just the basic lay the fly on the water cast. You have to learn to cope with the condition you are confronted with. On the water experience is very valuable. You always need to think of how can I add as aspect to my game..working on the total package, not just entirely focusing on did I catch a fish, or didn't I. I know of a guy that took the right approach, and learned a tremendous amount in less than a year, and I know a guy I fish with once in awhile, but am getting very frustrated with him who has learned very little in about 5 yrs. He bought a pontoon boat, and trolls around in a lake, and can catch a fish, but is a very poor caster, and can do little else but kick around in a lake.

Should be some instructional videos online. Watch a few, then practice practice practice.

I learned from dvd's and just doing it...another good source is a casting instructor...one tip if you keep getting tangled up from your loops smacking into each other you are moving back and forth too fast...if you can't get any distance and your loops look more like straight lines you are moving too far with your rod tip

Best to start with an instructor. Hard to unlearn bad habits once they are ingrained. Check with local TU chapters, trout clubs, and fly shops. Some have free or low cost classes. I splurged for a 3-day Orvis class in Manchester - was a lot of fun and met some nice people ... and got lessons from a couple of legends.

If lessons aren't going to happen then go with the videos or DVDs you find on the Internet. In any case just get out on the water and enjoy. If you are catching fish and not getting wind knots you are doing something right.

I bought a flyrod when I was a kid. I fished for sunfish in what we called the ice pond right in town. Since then I've caught quite a few fish all over N America. I'm not a pretty flyfisherman, but I love it and I catch my fair share. I have thrown dries for cuts and grayling, and steamers and clousers for silvers, and many a bass on poppers in between. Just go for it and have fun. Don't spend money on stuff you don't understand, just do it.

fliphunter...scares me to think "I picked up a flyrod at a rummage sale" There are inexpensive, MED-FAST action rods out there that are of good enough design that you can learn to cast with. And then there are rods that an expert couldn't cast well with. When I moved, I put a bundle of those poor performing rods in a barrel, and asked 50 cents a piece for them. If someone said, "I'll give you a quarter for one," I said sold! Fly rods are not like spin fishing rods...they need to be a proper taper because the rod casts the line. With a spinning rod the wt. of the lure pulls the line off the reel, and design of the rod isn't critical to casting.

The internet is the hopping on point. And it's not just for learning to cast. The world of bugs you will be trying to imitate is out there for you to see. Videos of the different mayfly types and how they surface. Stonefly evolution by seasons. Rod stiffness dialogue and charts. Reel arbor sizes for your particular fishery. Start here. Then watch Jack Dennis and Mel Krieger instructional DVDs. Join your local flyfishers club. There are free casting demos almost anywhere in the spring and early summer. You can't possibly learn it all in one season. I'm an old hand and I still learn something new with each new outing and stream side situation. Get comfortable, then use the books as a resource and you'll find out,
"hey, I tried that on the river and it works!"