# Fly Fishing Tip # 114. Casting Across Wind.



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

Guys, this may be something you have used on a regular basis but the old "Light Bulb" came on yesterday for me after more than 60 years of fly fishing. I discovered something that works for me.



This is particularly important when fly casting from a yak.





Fly Fishing Tip # 114. Casting across wind.



When casting across wind, I prefer to have the wind off my left side since I am right handed. Unfortunately I don?t always have this luxury. When the wind is strong off my casting side, I sometimes get hooked or at least get popped with my fly. Poppers, Clousers, Bead heads, and other heavy or bulky flies are the worst offenders.



There are at least 3 methods of countering wind from your casting side. My long time favorite has been downsizing flies and using un-weighted flies but it is only marginally effective. Another ?Sometimes it works? solution is to switch to a full sinking line. Sinking lines have much smaller diameter than floating lines and are less wind resistant.



Yesterday, (3/10/10) I discovered a technique that works every time at least for me. My normal casting stroke varies from almost horizontal off the right side to perfectly vertical. Angle your rod tip to the left on the forward cast and line and fly passes over your left shoulder. I can still make easy 60? casts with decent accuracy and little danger of getting the hook. I need to work on this a little because my loops seem go be a little large which, in this case may not be a totally bad thing because these loops catch a little more wind so the fly passes even further off my left side. 



_Fly casting ain?t always pretty._


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## CaptHarry (Oct 13, 2007)

I mostly just turn around and make a back cast withthe rod on the downwind side.

L8, Harry


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## FlyLipps (Oct 3, 2007)

I do what Harry does!! Harry's the man.


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## CaptHarry (Oct 13, 2007)

Nah brotha!!! You da man!! (Except when I'm at work, thenanother guy is the man, and hejust gives me the beat down,I not like him so much)

I did recently watch a bud casting on the upwind side catch a fly right to the dead back of his head. Lucky for him, his hair helmet kept the hook away from flesh, because I was already getting excited to perform the 100lb piece of mono snatch out trick :shedevil 

L8, Harry


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

I do what Harry and Greg do cause i one day want to be the man......


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