Fly Casting Like A Golf Swing?

I've had this crazy notion for a while now.

Fly casting is quite a bit like a golf swing.

If you've ever played the game then I think you'd understand what I'm getting at. No matter how good you are, there are always things to remember and learn. Even the best golfers on earth have swing coaches....But enough about golf.

Fly fishing ninja/author and marine biologist Aaron Adams tends to agree...

"It doesn't matter how many times you've watched or listened to Lefty Kreh talk about fly fishing, there is always something new to learn. Even if you have all of his books and videos, there always seems to be something not yet revealed in those books that comes out during a presentation. For example, during a recent lunch with Lefty, he said to me "I've seen you cast, I bet I can add 10 or 15 feet to your cast in 10 minutes." I said "You're on", and damn if he didn't add 10-15 feet to my cast after lunch. And it was just a simple adjustment to my stroke. Nice. Lefty recently gave a presentation to a group in Sarasota, FL, so I drove up to see Lefty, and to sit in the back of the room to pick up some more tidbits. I did, of course, pick up a couple more fishing tips. I think part of the reason that Lefty always has new tips to provide is that he's always thinking about ways to improve fly fishing. In any case, it's a good thing for the rest of us."

For those of you who don't know...Lefty Kreh and Joan Wulff are probably THE best fly casting instructors on the planet. If you're trying to improve your casting skills, look up their instructional DVD's

Now...you don't need to cast 100 yards to be a good fly caster. In most cases (and this can be debated) you only really need to cast ACCURATELY 30-40 yards. This is just my opinion of course....

I've found that when I'm trying too hard and the fly rod, line and reel feels like it weighs 100 lbs, I just need to relax...breathe....don't try to overpower the forward cast....that things usually tend to feel a bit lighter.