GETTING STARTED – YOUR PRELIMINARY CASTING EXERCISE
Imagine that in front of you there is a tree with an apple hanging high in the branches, slightly to your right. Stand at an angle that lets you swing the rod comfortably as if it were a big stick. Whack the apple with the rod tip, making your left hand do most of the work.
Casting is equally simple. Hang the lead weight on a drop of about one metre (this may need adjusting, depending on your rod). Stand so that you can swing the rod easily towards a target high in the sky, slightly to the right of where you want the sinker to go. Now do this… 1 Turn slightly away from the water and lay the lead weight on the beach under the rod tip. The tip is low to the ground, while your left elbow and rod butt are at eye level or slightly higher. 2 Look up towards the aiming spot, pull down smoothly with your left hand and, at the same time, push quite gently upwards and forwards with the right hand. 3 The pull should feel at least twice as powerful as the push. Within reason, the more pull the better.
4 The rod flicks over smoothly, line release takes place automatically, just before the tip ring hits the apple. Stay focused on the target for a moment to produce a clean follow-through. This cast is capable of reaching beyond 100 yards, but we’re not interested in distance now, nor in using full force. Cast at half your usual speed or less and make the left hand do the work. Get that pushpull correct and you will feel a powerful springing sensation between your hands. Your right arm and shoulder stay quiet, avoiding that ugly thrash that plagues many casters and sends a cast low and left.
Your checklist
Look up to where you want the lead to go.
Pull down with left hand and push with the right hand.
Feel the pressure building.
Sense the powerful catapult action when the rod flicks straight to launch the lead weight.
Set up the cast in the same way every time.
Pay no attention to distance for now. Be slow and smooth.