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[cool][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]During the off season or what ever, do you take time out to practice and hone your casting skills? If not consider this: Pro golfers may hit a 1000 balls during a given practice session. Baseball, football, basketball, soccer players and the like go through a training period. Do the ball players forget how to throw a ball or swing a bat? No not likely for it is all about timing and tempo. Are the fly people the only individuals that once they learn a skill never lose any aspect of their casting abilities due to a lay off period? I usually go out to a regional park to practice. However, don't always feel like packing my stuff and driving to the park. The last time I had my spools relined I kept a few of the old lines and backing. Yesterday I bought a spare reel and loaded it with the old line. Now I can go out into my yard and practice for a few minutes or what ever. Don't have to worry about ruining a good line hitting the concrete. The length of my yard includes concrete and grass which is my target area. Another objective is to rebuild my injured shoulder. Will start out for 5 to 10 minutes and gradually increase my sessions. So do you practice? [/size][/green][/font]
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[black][size 3]I do practice. I have a very long driveway and I practice curve cast and accuracy casts. Plus I try different lines on different rods like WF or DT or TT.[/size][/black]
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Once I get started, i'm sure I will be practicing quite often with my new flyrod. I'll spend alot of time at small ponds perfecting my cast, until I get more skilled.
Even with my regular casting and spinning equipment, I practice in the off season. My son and I will pick a tree in the yard and toss lures or light lead weights to the base. The goal is to bounce the lure off the base of the tree, which means I can get a lure with in a foot or two of my target area. I also like to practice to see what kind of distance I get with each reel w/ different weight rigs and friction settings on my baitcasters. This is probably the most important thing I accomplish with practicing. It's really important to know if i'm in range of a school of topwater feeding fish. Spanish, bonito, etc..... If you get too close, they'll scatter, dive, or just get shy up all together. Some lures work better than others, and some of them you have to be a little closer to use, and some you can get away with more distance. The more distance, the better because you don't disrupt the natural feeding habits of the target fish. When you drift the boat in too close, you add another variable that could end all the fun. It's important to know the limitations of your equipment AND your skill. When you do, you'll definately catch more fish.
I would say, Dryrod, rather your tossing a baitcaster to a bass or a fly to a trout, practicing is a great tool for any serious angler. LOL, unless your name is Steve. I think he'd use his trout tackle to fish for anything. Plus, he doesn't have to worry about getting too close, he'll just paddle his tube right in the middle of them, hook a fish, and let him tire out from pulling the tube around. LOL, I think he caught his last Yellowtail like that. [  ]
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Id say that now that I have a new rod/reel I will be practicing more.. right now.. just anxious to get to the water and wet a line.. but I know that once I do that I will be out trying to improve so I have a better chance the next time I go out to wet a line...
MacFly
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Thanks Bryan. I do more than just paddle my bass all over the lakes and ponds. I also have a broken trout rod that a Yellowtail did a number on about 2 months ago. I'm waiting for the replacement to get to the store. It has a lifetime warranty and it's rated for 2-6lb line.
Silly me. I was fishing for another species (again) when it got hit. If landed, could have been a new line class record for the California yellowtail with 4lb line.
In answer to the thread question, I really don't get much time to practice. I am usually fishing at some time during the day for 2 to 3 hours minimum. (Whatever it takes for the particular test per trip) Sometimes with the flyswatter, sometimes with the flipping stick or whatever I need at the time.
I always keep 2 flyrods, 2 ultra light spinning rods, 1 med and 1 med/hvy bass rod, 1 surf rod and 1 rod that will suffice for anything anywhere, on any Boat, bank, pier, jetty, dock or shoreline.
I swear, I do have a few tools on my truck too.[cool]
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[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3] [cool]Hey there tubeN2 - forgot to say that you were excluded from answering my post. Any body that fishes 24/7/52 doesn't have time to practice. Besides why bother as you probably need some shut eye every once in a while.[ ][/size][/green][/font]
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I do practice the with the "Shutter Fly" or eye lids as we call them. You guess that one right. It sure beats sleeping on the road while driving.[cool]
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What's an off season?
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[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3] [cool]Well EvilAsh it is kind of difficult to cast a fly to a hole in the ice. Then again when I lived in the north I would go out fishing even while it was snowing. But then again not everyone is a few yards short of a full reel.[ ][/size][/green][/font]
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Technically it is a dismount![blush]
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[size 1]What's an off season? [/size]
Turkey day till 1st of march
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LOL, you should've expected that one. I remember you telling me about the one that broke your rod, I was waiting for that one to surface. [ ] I'm picking on you because it always seems you take a beating in one way or the other when you get the tube in the saltwater. [ ]
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I don't count a broken rod as down time especially if I can get a beast to at least deep color before it spools me.
"IF" I only have 1 rod with me while tubing(rarely happens) I can only get down time if I get spooled and have to kick to shore to put more line on.
The Pocket Fisherman sure makes a good back up though.[cool]
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