Casting: The back cast
The novice caster should first assume a natural, easy position, and not a stiff pose. The rod, with thumb extended, should be pointed straight ahead, being held a little above parallel with the water and about fifteen feet of line should be lying stretched out straight in front. With the left hand pull a little line from the reel, between the reel and the first guide and this should be held in the left hand at all times so that the cast can be lengthened when desired and to give the angler instant control over a hooked fish. Now take in the slack of the extended line by pulling a little of it back through the guides and then start the back cast.
The back cast is made by lifting the rod smartly and forcefully. This movement is executed by the wrist and forearm only, the upper arm and elbow being held close to the body. This is important and some instructors place a book under the arm of the young caster to make him keep his elbow in, the object being to teach the novice to use his wrist and forearm only which makes the spring of the rod do most of the work and gives the line an upward, as well as a backward, direction thus helping to produce the much-desired high back cast.
In making the back cast the rod can be brought straight back toward the right shoulder or it can be directed toward the left shoulder to throw the line over the left shoulder in the back cast and over the right in the forward cast. This is a very pretty and very smooth cast much used by fly fishermen of the old school. Tournament casters use the straight backward and forward cast.
The back cast ends when the rod reaches the perpendicular or when the thumb lying along the rod is pointing straight up. This brings the active rod tip slightly behind the perpendicular, which is correct.
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