flyandfloatfishing.com - Fly Fishing Casting

Getting More From Your Cast

Lesson one – The Micro Second Wrist - by Corey Bockhoff

Fishing primarily small trout streams in my youth, I was always looking for a way to get my cast into locations in which a traditional cast was not effective, whether by controlling my back cast or casting under low hanging branches. In my early teens I read an article in a fly-fishing magazine which would change my casting forever.

This article covered Doug Swisher’s Micro Second Wrist technique. The basic principle of the Micro Second Wrist technique, in contrast to the traditional style of teaching the overhead cast with a stiff wrist, this method features a flick of the wrist. Energy transfers from the elbow (the fulcrum) to the forearm thru the wrist to the rod. Think of the micro second wrist technique as a spring or a way to funnel power into the graphite.

Using a normal casting stroke swing the forearm back to the 1 o’clock position,

and simultaneously flick the wrist back so the rod is at the 2 o’clock position

For the forward cast, move the elbow forward a few inches, then swing the

forearm to the 11 o’clock position and flick the wrist to the 10 o’clock position.

The micro-second wrist is a flick, only a slight movement. The wrist should not be broken on

the back cast. If your thumb is at a 90 degree angle to the forearm, you have broken the wrist.

A key to learning and mastering the Micro Second Wrist technique is to practice! If you can not get outside to practice an indoor practice rod can be created with the tip section of a fly rod and 6 to 8 foot of yarn from your local craft store. Tie the yarn to the end of your fly rod and its time to practice your casting indoors.

Like most anglers with years of fly-fishing experience, I've have migrated away from traditional casting techniques and developed my own personalized style of casting. Even though I don't consider my casting to be what it was in my youth, I've been recently described as "being able to thread a needle on my forward and back cast". My casting technique has developed over time and varies from the traditional or even micro second wrist technique. Modern graphite fly rods do an excellent job of transferring power to the line, making casting almost effortless. At times I will reduce my casting motion and limit it to the wrist only. I use this method in confined casting conditions were the utmost control is required. The micro second wrist castings technique along with the quality graphite of new rods allow for good line speed with the use of only the wrist.

To practice the basics of the micro second wrist reduce break down the casting motion and limit the motion to the wrist.

The greatest benefit to Swisher’s techniques is the reduction of body motion and allowing the cast to be confined to the lower arm. Mastering Swisher’s Micro Second Wrist technique with the overhead cast will allow you to be able to make sidearm or even cross bodied casts with no effort.

Coming Soon: Lesson 2 - Know Your Casting Lane

~Corey Bockhoff

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