Casting and Fishing Instruction
Whether you are getting ready for that once in a lifetime trip to jump tarpon or just workin' over the bass in your favorite stock pond, casting instruction with a Certified Casting Instructor can make your fly fishing experience more enjoyable. Harry Crofton, a International Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor and a Texas Parks and Wildlife licensed freshwater guide, has put together a program of classes and casting clinics that provide something for everyone. Casting instruction is based on the five essential elements of fly casting that make up all casts as identified by Bill Gammell and his late father Jay. Individual and group instruction can be provided.
Equipment
If you don't have any fly fishing gear don't rush out to make a purchase for your class. All equipment is provided. Echo and Redington equipment are used for all classes. A loaner program is also available, enabling you to practice while you decide on a purchase.
Learning Progression
Fly casting and fishing instruction, like many things, has a series of different levels of proficiency. Classes are structured to provide the basics of a simple cast with the goal of casting 30 feet with good, efficient form. A typical request is from someone that has been invited to go fly fishing with friends using guides and drift boats. For them the key is to get a good, serviceable 20-to-30-foot pick-up-and-lay-down cast with a 5 or 6 wt that will work from a drift boat so that they can have an enjoyable experience. This sparks a level of interest that requires additional casting skills for fishing drys, nymphs, tandem rigs, mending to get the 'drift' just right, adding length to the cast, learning to 'haul', casting in the wind, casting from technical poling skiffs, and more. Intermediate and advanced instruction are structured to develop a better understanding of the casting fundamentals so that those additional skills can be added easily.
Recent Client Request
This father and son client team had their first flyfishing experience during a vaction trip to Honduras and as you can see from the photo bones' were landed. Both father and son landed fish.
To prepare for the trip Eric reached out to get casting and fishing instruction. The instruction was covered over three sessions totalling four hours. The typical beginner instruction plan was modified to focus on developing a competent 40 foot cast, the ability to load the rod quickly, and to work from the front of a poling skiff. Let me know if I can hlep you prepare for that dream trip that you have planned for later this year.