Homemade Fly Casting Practice Rods

Casting a fly line takes lots of practice. This is because in fly fishing, the fisherman is casting the weight of the fly line instead of the weight of the bait at the end of the line. A simple homemade fly rod can be made out of some spare fishing equipment providing a small, safer alternative to a full-sized fly rod.

  1. Rod

    • A cheap alternative to a full-length fly rod is an ice-fishing rod. The ice-fishing rod is much shorter, typically between 24 and 32 inches in length. The longer the ice-fishing rod, the more realistic the practice will be. Another advantage of using this type of rod is you are able to practice indoors, which is almost impossible with a fly rod.

    Line

    • The fly line is what provides the weight and provides the distance of the cast. For the most realistic practice, use real fly line with the ice-fishing rod. This can cause problems indoors since the tip of the line moves quickly and may cause damage if used indoors. An alternative is to use heavy-duty yarn. The yarn simulates the weight and feel of fly line but will not cause injury or damage if the yard strikes anything.

    Setup

    • To attach the yarn to an ice-fishing rod is simple. Take 12 feet of yarn and string it through the eyelets of the ice-fishing pole. If the eyelets on the pole are too small, purchase larger eyelets at a sporting goods store to accommodate the larger line size of the yarn. Attach the yarn to the rod where the handle and rod meet with electrical tape. The electrical tape will hold the yarn in place and can be remove easily without damaging the rod.

    Practice

    • Casting the homemade fly rod is the same as using a full-sized rod. Hold the rod in your dominant hand. The line should be held in your off hand. As the line is drawn back behind you, the off hand draws in line, making it shorter. Wait until you are able to feel the slight pull of the line once it reaches full distance behind you before moving forward to cast the line.