I am (relatively) new to fly fishing as well at the ripe old age of 39. I have used the LL bean book and fly fishing bible and just practiced out back in front of the sliding glass door to act as a psudo mirror. The most important thing I have learned from boooks and other fly casters is 1) do not overpower your cast. More force does not mean tighter loop and more distance. 2) Concentrate on how the rod "feels" for timing your cast. It took me a few months of practice to actually feel when the line was streight on my back cast.
BTW- If you are trying to roll cast on the yard it will not work. You do need the water tention (I propably looked pretty foolish trying to roll cast on my yard)
I agree and disagree on the instruction. If you are a diciplined individual I think you can effectivly "teach" yourself even though you are not actually teaching yourself. I always say I do have a lot of instructors, I just have not met any of them.
I am in my 2nd year fly fishing and I do have a good roll cast, great foward cast an ok false cast but my dubble haul absolutely sucks. I can occasionally shoot line well or single haul but I might just seek instruction because of the dubble haul. I have been getting better but it still needs work. Part of my issue is the cost of some of these clinics. I have seen single day lessons in the hundreds of dollars. If that was my only avenue into fly fishing I personally would not have started myself.
I think you are on the right track just by asking on this forum.
