For those of you who can cast a fly line...

[Skook]

I suggest if you are looking to do some saltwater fishing as described above, practice casting longer distances with a SW outfit and learn to double haul before you hire a guide to fish. The trip will be a lot more fun, I guarantee. Videos can help learning technique and form, but it may be best to seek out a casting instructor to get you started on the right track.

I am mostly self-taught, but I have spent several hours over a few days working with a certified casting instructor in the past. At that time, I was (am) a relatively proficient fly caster, but the instructor was able to point out several weak spots in my form that needed improvement (e.g., a little too much wrist and a bit of creep on my back cast).

I can and do cast using a double haul when the opportunity presents itself; but, I must admit that I don't use a double haul often in most fishing situations, hence my original question seeking advice. One weak spot in my ability to haul and execute long casts is managing excess line prior to shooting it. So, I am wondering whether others who are proficient with long casts could offer insight into how much line I should strive to carry in the air vs. how much I should be shooting on longer casts. I know the correct answer is probably that "it depends", but it doesn't hurt to have some sort of rule of thumb to shoot for (no pun intended).

 

[krayfish2]

It depends 🤣. I'll try to carry line as my first option. I'd that doesn't work, get the head out, haul and shoot. When shooting, I'll go high with the cast and pinch my line off before it all gets taken up. I feel doing that overpowers the fly / leader causing it to forcefully straighten and recoil with slack. It affords you time to stack mend without removing the slack leader or moving the fly.

**Disclaimer**
I'm not saying it's the correct way... it's just how I do it.

**Secondary Disclaimer**
Remember that the more line you have out, the longer the casting stroke AND the longer the pause.