Introducing “Ask a Casting Instructor”

 

Peter Kutzer casting
Peter Kutzer strutting his stuff on the Orvis casting ponds.

 

Our Tuesday Tips on casting have been so popular that we’ve decided to add a new feature to OrvisNews.com: “Ask a Casting Instructor”! If you’re having a problem with casting in general, casting in specific angling situations, or progressing to the next level of distance or accuracy, post a question in the comments here.

We’ll choose one question a week to be answered by instructor Peter Kutzer, who has worked at the Orvis Manchester Fly-Fishing School since 2002. A native of southern Vermont, Peter has been a fisherman all his life, and he has a degree in outdoor education from Johnson State College. He’s also a seriously good caster, and during his years working for Orvis he has seen it all.

So let us help you become a better caster. Ask away!

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Peter Kutzer with a nice striper.

Peter with a nice Rhode Island striper.

 

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6 thoughts on “Introducing “Ask a Casting Instructor””

  1. Why do small knots sometimes form just above my DRY fly but not with heavier wet flies? I know something us technically wrong in my cast. I am self taught so that’s probably 90% of it but this seems to occur more when I get fatigued.

  2. Slack line presentations are somewhat difficult for me to grasp based on various definitions I have found from FFF to various web sites. I am studying for the CCI exam. Please help me with the definition and explanation of the following terms—–
    Slack line presentations? Is there one with a mend and one without a mend?
    What is the definition of a mend.?
    Can slack line presentations be divided into aerial mends and on the water mends?
    What are examples of aerial mends and on the water mends?
    How would you define a wiggle cast or tuck cast since it is not an aerial mend?
    Appecaite your help.

  3. Hi, I am right hand dominant and left eye dominant.
    I realized that I cast much more better with left hand at top using the double hand rod. Do you think that I can learn to cast using the left hand also with a single hand rod?

  4. Iy, Im right hand dominant and left eye dominant. Which tips do you have for better casting?
    Best regards
    Dario Manfroi

  5. What rigging set up would you suggest to get a streamer or nymphs down in very deep (15-20ft), fast moving water? I’m currently trying to use a 7ft sink tip off of a 15ft shooting head (200gr OPST set up), using a weighted woolybugger with a fair amount of tunsten putty a few feet above the streamer. I’m fishing tailwater below a dam. Tons of very, very deep, fast water. I’m barely able to lift the set up enough with my 9ft, 5wt to make a decent snap t and get the streamer quartered downstream and starting to swing. As it swings, I’m able to see the shooting head just below the surface so I know the sinktip and short 4ft piece of 10lb Maxima are not getting the streamer anywhere near the bottom. Possibly, I should ditch the shooting head set up and put on regular fly line with leader butt section and then super long small tippet with heavy weighted drop shot nymph set up. But I’m thinking the 20ft piece of tippet would be impossible to cast. Haven’t tried this yet but wanted to get your feedback or experience in getting flies to the bottom in very, very deep fast water. Thank you!

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