By Kirk Deeter

Hows this for a fly fisherman's life goal? Be able to cast your age well after you turn 70 years old.

For all of you golfers, you know that shooting a score that matches your age is an objective that not many old duffers can achieve. I can shoot my age now... on the front nine. I'm not holding out hope that I can break chronological par over 18 holes unless I live to be 123, and medical and golf technologies really improve in the next 80 years.

Granted, most of us fly fishers under 50 can cast our age in feet. At least we should be able to. Maybe we should make the challenge being able to cast your age in yards, at least for the AARP- ineligible crowd.

Here are a couple of my casting heroes... Frank Moore, age 86, whom I watched easily boom 90-and 100-foot casts with a sinking tip line off a 9-weight a few weeks ago on the North Umpqua in Oregon... and Tyler Palmerton, who can cast his age (early 30s) in yards, with a 5-weight rod.

There is, of course, a lesson in all of this. Your brain is what powers that cast. It's all about, timing, tempo, and feel. It's never about muscle. Practice enough... watch your loops... always focus on form before you attempt distance... and you'll make the physics of great casting second nature. And that, my friends, is the foundation that can carry you through a lifetime of great fly fishing.

Deeter

Comments (10)

from MLH wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

If I make it to 80 I hope to be able to just lift a 9-weight off the water. Must be that good North Umpqua country air and living. Any videos?

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from Alex Pernice th... wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

When I was in Florida my guide was bragging about how I was throwing a 9wt line 100+ feet (It was a 120 foot line) for reds using his Helios. It is one heck of a feat though, past 50 feet you get the weight of the line and it gets hard to cast.

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from Woodstock wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

The hard part for me would be measuring my cast.

I’m told I tend to over-estimate sometimes, especially concerning things like the distance of my cast, the length of fish that got away, or the girth of my man-root.

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from buckhunter wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

Don't you just love the fly rod. Powerful enough to cut 90 feet of line through the air yet delicate enough to softly land a #16 Adams so softly on the water Mother Nature herself would think it was a natural.

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from tbogg10 wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

well seeing as im 18 i sure hope i can cast my age, although ive only flyfished twice, lookin to get into it. any good places in ohio for trout?

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from buckhunter wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

tbogg.

Ohio has 3 trout streams. Clear Creek, Mad River and the Clear Fork. Also the Lake Erie tribs In the North East part of the state support a good steelhead run.

However there is no harm with honing your fly rod skills on the bass and bluegill found in you local pond.

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from Ozarktroutfisher wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

I'm a bad caster. If I can make a 35 cast with any accuracy I'm doing good. But I usually fish small water, so it doesn't matter too much.

tbogg10, you have several good places to fly fish for trout in Ohio. The Clear Fork, and the Mad River are both year-round trout streams, and there are quite a few Lake Erie tribs that fish well for Steelhead as well, in season.

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from tbogg10 wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

buckhunter and ozark, thanks ill try these places this spring, do you guys have any recomendations on a good beginners fly rod, what length, weight, brand, should i buy an assortment box of flies, ive only borrowed other peoples stuff before, but going to buy my own soon

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from buckhunter wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

tbogg,

A 9 foot 5wt should handle nearly everything from a small dry fly for trout to a large popper for bass. It's a good average rod.

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from jchark202007 wrote 2 years 16 weeks ago

well if i could score a 21 i'd be in business. might have to start a new profession. as to fly fishing man i'd love to know how to fly the right way, i have two rods now but i guess like golf you focus on it long enough it'll come second nature.

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from Alex Pernice th... wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

When I was in Florida my guide was bragging about how I was throwing a 9wt line 100+ feet (It was a 120 foot line) for reds using his Helios. It is one heck of a feat though, past 50 feet you get the weight of the line and it gets hard to cast.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Woodstock wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

The hard part for me would be measuring my cast.

I’m told I tend to over-estimate sometimes, especially concerning things like the distance of my cast, the length of fish that got away, or the girth of my man-root.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MLH wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

If I make it to 80 I hope to be able to just lift a 9-weight off the water. Must be that good North Umpqua country air and living. Any videos?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

tbogg.

Ohio has 3 trout streams. Clear Creek, Mad River and the Clear Fork. Also the Lake Erie tribs In the North East part of the state support a good steelhead run.

However there is no harm with honing your fly rod skills on the bass and bluegill found in you local pond.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ozarktroutfisher wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

I'm a bad caster. If I can make a 35 cast with any accuracy I'm doing good. But I usually fish small water, so it doesn't matter too much.

tbogg10, you have several good places to fly fish for trout in Ohio. The Clear Fork, and the Mad River are both year-round trout streams, and there are quite a few Lake Erie tribs that fish well for Steelhead as well, in season.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

tbogg,

A 9 foot 5wt should handle nearly everything from a small dry fly for trout to a large popper for bass. It's a good average rod.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jchark202007 wrote 2 years 16 weeks ago

well if i could score a 21 i'd be in business. might have to start a new profession. as to fly fishing man i'd love to know how to fly the right way, i have two rods now but i guess like golf you focus on it long enough it'll come second nature.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

Don't you just love the fly rod. Powerful enough to cut 90 feet of line through the air yet delicate enough to softly land a #16 Adams so softly on the water Mother Nature herself would think it was a natural.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tbogg10 wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

well seeing as im 18 i sure hope i can cast my age, although ive only flyfished twice, lookin to get into it. any good places in ohio for trout?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tbogg10 wrote 2 years 18 weeks ago

buckhunter and ozark, thanks ill try these places this spring, do you guys have any recomendations on a good beginners fly rod, what length, weight, brand, should i buy an assortment box of flies, ive only borrowed other peoples stuff before, but going to buy my own soon

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.