How to Reduce Drag - Part 2 (61 of 61)
Video Transcript:
We've covered some really promising water, but it just hasn't produced for us.
We moved up here, and I worked this section, then tried the water over there with a parachute cast—nothing. Then he said, "Tom, can you put one over by that log?" I did, and there was a nice brown trout.
There are a number of ways to avoid drag. One way is to use specialty casts like the reach cast, parachute cast, or pile cast. Don’t be intimidated by them—they’re not entirely different casts, just variations of your standard overhead cast.
For example, I’m going to use a reach cast here. There’s a pocket of slower water along the far bank, with a nice foam line. It’s a bit deeper, and I’m standing right here.
If I cast directly across, my fly will start to drag immediately.
So instead, I’m going to make a reach cast. This is essentially a mend in the air, right before your line lands on the water.
You reach your rod—usually upstream, sometimes downstream—depending on how the currents are flowing.
As you make the cast, you extend your rod to reposition the line, allowing that upstream loop to land in a way that reduces drag.