Stupid question about casting distance.....

[dudemanspecial]

The first one. Feel better?

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I cast fly rods to catch fish. So, in a fishing context, these matter to me 1. How far I am from the fish; 2. Can I get closer without spooking it? In other words, do I have to cast 60' from where I am standing or can I quietly get to within 40' of the fish?

Context is key here for sure. I rarely, if ever, fish more than 30' out on a trout stream. I do like to chuck it out there on bass ponds but accuracy is not important there. My 50' number is more about practicing in the yard, which I do just about daily.

 

[JeffK]

The answer above is the right one in my mind. It all depends on how far away the fish or the bank/cover is.

 

[wgmiller]

I'd go with #1 as well. At least that's what competition casting seems to follow: https://www.icsf-castingsport.com/uploads/Flycasting_Competitionrules.pdf I believe they utilized the line of the stand because everyone has a different point at which they stop the rod on the forward "power stroke". So the most practical means to measure distance is from the front line of the casting box (or in the real world where your feet are).

 

[Nocktavius]

For my money, it’s the distance from where you are standing to the fish that matters. However you break down that distance to accurately deliver the fly is mostly academic, it’s the eat that matters. Just to further complicate matters, let’s bring the Pythagorean theorem in to remind everyone that side a is you and your rod, side b is the river and the line is the hypotenuse 😂

 

[Bamboozle]

It only matters to me when I am casting 40 feet via numbers 1, 2 or 3 to feeding fish and they decide to move 3 feet further away without telling me.

I hate when that happens...

Maybe fish have their own system of measurement?

 

[troutbert]

It only matters to me when I am casting 40 feet via numbers 1, 2 or 3 to feeding fish and they decide to move 3 feet further away without telling me.

I hate when that happens...

Delaware River, right?

 

[Bamboozle]

Delaware River, right?

There and I've had it happen more than a few times on Big Pine...