Off Season Casting Training (indoors)?

[skip_scratch]

What can you do to improve your spey casting when the water, air and ground are frozen and you cannot cast at the water/river?

I was thinking about possibly working on the shoulders with weights?

Is there such a thing as an in home pratice spey rod?

[SSPey]

If you don't yet know how to cast a two-handed rod with both hands up, then overhead casting is a good way to get started on it. This can be done on frozen ground w/o water. Just 20 minutes a few times weekly, alternating between left and right hand up, practicing how to control loop shape, and you'll be chomping at the bit to expand your spey casting skills when things thaw.

[spencesbridge]

Great advice Steve.


Gene

[t_richerzhagen]

I do not know if Poppy at Red Shed still carries them, but the practice rod can be useful in learning loop shape with both hands overhead. You can also practice spey casts. Understandably, it is not as good as the real 2h rod on water, but a pleasant way to spend some time. It is also helpful in helping someone learn how to cast.

[kweetech]

you can get a 2 hand extension for the echo rod too....

[Randyflycaster]

Strange as it might sound, I like to practice throwing with a ball with my left hand. (I'm right-handed.) This helps me cast with with my left hand on top. I also trying doing household chores, like washing dishes, with my left hand.

In addition to helping my spey cast with either hand on top, it also helps my double hauling when casting a traditional fly rod.

Randy

[Steel Will]

Sometimes I practice the casting motions indoors with just the lower handle section of my rod. This works well for me by keeping the muscle memory intact. Just make sure that the room you're in has ample clearance for the rod section.

[SLSS]

Originally Posted by Steel Will

Sometimes I practice the casting motions indoors with just the lower handle section of my rod. This works well for me by keeping the muscle memory intact. Just make sure that the room you're in has ample clearance for the rod section.

I'm an awesome caster while doing this- consistently throwing laser beams 120 ft out.

When I return to the river.........well, lets just say I'm better in the confines of my imagination, er...... the living room.

I find the cardboard tubes from wrapping paper work well too, if there are any left over from Christmas Kendo (a tradition with my son), and they keep me from damaging the butt section of my rod when my sane roll gets a little too vigorous.

[raspberry-patch]

I like the idea of throwing the ball with the left hand.

Myself, I do weights (to prevent the obvious arm fatigue that results from being a senditary computer jockie), and practice with a metal monopod, simulating the motions.

Trying to start learning to juggle - trying!

[ramcatt]

(if you cast scandis)
try working on underhand OH casts with your single hander
getting the feel of the forward cast and the stop will translate with you add the bottom hand to do the work and turn everything over

[SpeySpaz]

I know this may draw some flak, but I have to say it--
visualize casting with very focused intent.
It works for Olympic athletes, why not you?
...as an adjunct to previous suggestions, not in lieu of.

[BalticFlyFisher]

Echo MPR (micro practice rod) with Spey Adapter

[Grampa Spey]

If your ceilings are high enough, and you can do practice casts/swings without hitting your wife's furniture, that can help.

I can't remember where I got this other suggestion, but I use my Oregon 5'+ wading/walking and pit bull repellent solid wood stick* to practice casts on my walks. At first, you will want to stop walking before practicing. Or you might hurt yourself while amusing your neighbors.

I also practice two handed kayak paddling with the stick in between practicing casting. Other Kayakers have started doing this on their walks after watching me. One yakker uses an old kayak paddle while walking. He makes me look a sane since I just use a stick instead of a kayak paddle when I walk.

If my wife walks with me, the stick is just used as a walking stick and critter repellent stick. She still remembers Bob Meiser and I dry casting his switch rods in a busy parking lot in Medford. Bob and I got weird looks and comments even in the fly fishing Meca, aka Medford. She said the good thing about the experience with Meise, was no one knew her or I.

*The top part of the stick has thick cord wrapped around the top 10-12 inches, and that keeps the stick from becoming airborne due to slippage.

[fishNphysician]

Originally Posted by Steel Will

Sometimes I practice the casting motions indoors with just the lower handle section of my rod. This works well for me by keeping the muscle memory intact. Just make sure that the room you're in has ample clearance for the rod section.

This is similar to what I do.

When I work out in the weight room of my local YMCA, there is a wooden rod about 3.5-4 ft long tucked in one corner. I grip it with hands spread as wide apart as if they were on the corks of my favorite rod. I practice casting strokes just like air guitar. The mirrors all over the place help to visually maintain consistent planes while making sweeps for Skagit casting. Really helps to get the opposing yet complementary mirror-image hand movements coordinated while keeping all of the motions "in the box" as Riveraddict advocates.

Everyone in the joint thinks I'm practicing martial arts maneuvers and they tend to keep a wary distance just in case the crazy Ornamental dude goes postal on 'em.

[Grampa Spey]

When I practice casting with my Oregon walking stick, I also practice a few karate whirls with the stick. The speed/control has gotten better over the years for casting and for self protection situations.

Unfortunately, in our area we have idiots, who let their dogs run loose inspite of supposedly strick lease laws. If I'm walking and the dog/dogs come close I start whirling and twirling the stick with rapid and noisy movements from the air being disturbed.

Most people grab their dogs and control them. I inform the idiots, who don't, that I will not allow their dog to bite me or who ever is with me, and they will be next after their dog gets a trip to their vet or dog pound.

Originally Posted by fishNphysician

This is similar to what I do.

When I work out in the weight room of my local YMCA, there is a wooden rod about 3.5-4 ft long tucked in one corner. I grip it with hands spread as wide apart as if they were on the corks of my favorite rod. I practice casting strokes just like air guitar. The mirrors all over the place help to visually maintain consistent planes while making sweeps for Skagit casting. Really helps to get the opposing yet complementary mirror-image hand movements coordinated while keeping all of the motions "in the box" as Riveraddict advocates.

Everyone in the joint thinks I'm practicing martial arts maneuvers and they tend to keep a wary distance just in case the crazy Ornamental dude goes postal on 'em.