How far can you cast

[Fish For Life 0]

Just a random curious question. How far can you cast out a fly line. I dont just want the pros responds. I want everyone's voice from first time with a fly rod, to the crazy pros who can really whip it out.

Thanks

[Bryon Anderson 0]

No idea. Probably 60, maybe 70 feet without making a huge mess. As the vast majority of casts made while actually fishing are to points less (usually MUCH less where I usually fish) than 40 feet, I've always focused on maximizing finesse and accuracy within that range.

[mikechell 0]

Since I practice in my front yard ... and my front yard is exactly 75 feet from drive to property line .. I know I can cast my 5 weight 75 feet. That's fly line, leader and fly. I can place a fly fairly accurately to points on the property line ... but once I start reaching for distances beyond that, my accuracy falls off fast.

With the 4 weight, 75 feet is about the maximum, usually a little less than that and I am still accurate.

I have a 6 weight ... and it's good to about 85 before accuracy drops off.

 

I use the different rods not for distances, but with different flies. When I am in my boat, I've got four fly rods ready to go ... one with a foam popper, one with a sub-surface panfish charlie type lure, one with a bead head or other sinking fly, and one, the 6 weight, with a larger bass fly.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Far enough to catch a few fish!

 

Really have no idea what's the maximum distance I can cast. Have never tried measuring it. Like Bryon, most of the time my casting is less than 50 ft, and often in the 30 to 40 ft range maximum for fishing.

 

If I had to give a distance, I'll say in the 70 to 80 ft range most likely. My front yard is 100 ft across, and I can cast across most of it. Tree's get in the way otherwise.

[williamhj 0]

About two feet short of where the beautiful brown is rising

 

Depends on the rod for me. My 2wt doesn't get much distance but my 6wt and 8wt can put out more line. Never officially measured.

[Fish For Life 0]

The best i can do with my 5 weight is 50 feet. With my 10 weight i can get around 40 feet. But when it comes to accuracy i have very little. I can get my line in the general direction but am normally off my target by 7-8 feet. At least i have lots of time to practice in my back yard until the ice melts.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

2 wt 65-75 feet

7 wt 100 feet

10 wt 100 ft

acurate to about 5 ft of intended target

[salty fly 0]

I SUCK at casting, surf fishing I get a lot of fish in close rips and holes,. But the outer sand bar or more "fishey water" always lay just out of my casting range. With a 330 grain shooting head, a good cast for me is around 60-70 feet?. most of the time 50',some times I need to be 75+ feet out to be in the fish.I want to be able to clear the line,the whole running line 100'. I want to get some casting lessons.I saw Lefty on youtube, he zips the whole line, hadrly moving.If one man can do I can do...maybe.

[Fish For Life 0]

2 wt 65-75 feet

7 wt 100 feet

10 wt 100 ft

acurate to about 5 ft of intended target

100 ft thats crazy. i can only wish, i get half of what you get.

[Crackaig 0]

My best ever cast that I know a distance for is around 114 feet (paced off at 38 yds). Done while playing with rods over grass. My furthest while fishing around 100 Those are both with 5 wts.

 

To be serious in casting competitions you need to be looking at over 130 feet. I'm no competition caster.

 

For accuracy practice I used to pick off daises in the range 40 to 60 feet. Again over grass, obviously.

 

These days I fish more still waters (Lochs) so my casting is often done while sitting in a drifting boat. That is in the range up to 60 feet. though I can get further if needed (rarely). Even fishing from the bank there is almost no need to cast more than 60 feet. In fact I'd say I've caught more fish within 2 yards of the bank than in the range 18 to 20 yards from the bank.

 

There was one spot on a river I used to fish that was totally enclosed in trees. There was a bend in the tunnel of about 20 degrees. The only access point was at the apex of the bend. There was a good fish that fed about 5 yards upstream of the access point. It was way to narrow for a roll cast, so the only option was to make the back cast in one plane and the forward cast in another. That was the most difficult cast I've ever come across in a fishing situation. Though I tried for it often, and lost a lot of flies in the process, I only raised that fish once.

 

From another discussion elsewhere.

• "How far should a competent fly fisher be able to cast?"
• "All the way to the fish."
• "Doesn't matter how far you can cast... The fish will always be just a bit further"

Cheers,

C.

[Piker20 0]

A good wind my 7 weight has shot the full line and a bit of backing but normally I am in the cast accurately camp and 30/40 ft normally all I need. Practicing in the yard or field landing your fly in a hoop or bucket is much more worthwhile than trying to land in it the next state. (if you do practice, don't use a fly, use some wool tied to a tippet and chuck that.)

[JSzymczyk 0]

I've measured (with a tape) between 90 and 95 ft a few times with my 7 wt, just a regular WF line. I'm not a good caster but I can hold my own usually. I rarely have the NEED to cast that far while fishing.

 

When you consider how stretchy most fly lines and leaders are, getting a good hook set every time that far out becomes problematic.

[sandflyx 0]

2 wt---80 feet

5-7 wt---100-110

8-10 wt--110-140

10 wt spey --150+

8 wt through 12 wts are shooting head setups.

12 wt---100+

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

When i hit the water everyone puts their gear down to witness some of the finest casting known to this universe, they all just pack their stuff up and gather around me uttering words like 'it is like watching 4 champoinship fly casters at once' and 'that man seems a fusion of fly rod and flesh, artistic yet functional'. Sometimes i just cast left handed to give everyone else some sort of chance, i even cast with my foot once over 110ft and landed the fly on a dime, blindfolded, on my hands, upside down....with a 40knot wind coming straight into it.

 

LOL

[Piker20 0]

Jam! Jam! Jam! Jam!