flycasting either hand?

[northcountryman]

I was wondering how many of you guys can cast proficiently w/ either hand or, perhaps have at least tried to? I guess i'm not talking about ambidetxtrous dudes because for them, wouldn't be as much of a big deal. But, since most of us have a true dominant hand, and again, the majority happen to be righties, how many can cast left-handed? The reason I'm asking, are 2 fold: first, developed a wicked case of tennis elbow in my right forearm from practicing casting so much this summer! aqnd second, I noticed on a float trip for bass 3- weeks ago or so that when you're in a drift boat w/ other dudes, sometimes you have a better angle casting from the left than the right in certain situations. That day, because I happened to have most of my casting room and a better angle to my left, I started messin' around, casting w/ my left hand. It was a little ugly at first but I found after several casts, I actually could get it out there 30-40ft fairly consistently. Figured maybe I'd practice a little, to take a little pressure off my right arm and well, maybe open up a few oppurtunities in a fishing situation that weren't there previously!

Northcountryman

[WildTigerTrout]

:Are you kidding? I have enough problems casting with my right arm.! LOL. Now you put the idea in my head I guess I'll have to try it. Casting left handed could open up some new casting/fishing opportunities. Now if I can just keep from hooking myself HA!

[VTflyfishing]

I can and do cast with both hands. One reason like you said when you are in a drift boat.

[El Diablo]

I practice casting with my opposite hand often. Not only helps on drift boat..but also in some of the smaller covered streams.

[Silver Creek]

The only reason to cast off hand is IF you can cast better with the off hand than the dominant hand. I've found that there is nearly always a way to make the cast with the dominant hand by changing the mechanics of the cast to what would be an nontraditional cast. Since I am right handed, I've found I am more accurate and can cast farther in unconventional situations by changing my casting motion with my right hand rather than making a more traditional cast with my left hand.

I am of the opinion that if you practice these unusual casting motions with your dominant hand vs the same amount of practice with a traditional off hand cast, you would do better with the dominant hand.

Can you describe the situation exactly that caused you to cast off handed? You may have hit a situation which really requires and off handed cast. This assumes you don't have a disability with your dominant hand of course. That was not true in your case.

[wwelz]

I mostly euro nymph I think it is very helpful to be able to cast with both hands for two reasons. One- to rest your shoulder and arm. Two - I change hands when I change sides of the river to get better angles.

[northcountryman]

Silver Creek;

The nly reason why I started casting w/ my left was to take some of the pressure off of my right; the tennis elbowthing I developed and occasional sore shoulder. So, in that regard, I think it's been helpful. If I had ABSOLUTLEy no aches and pains from casting my ass off in my right arm this summer, would I still be casting w/ my left? Probably not, even w/ the drift boat scenarion I described. Normally, like you said, I would have found some way to still cast w/ my right even if i had a better angle w/ the left. Kinda glad i started doing it though because, once again, i think obtaining proficiency (at least enough to get by) w/ either hand increases my fishing oppurtunities in the long run.

[Davyfly]

My view about this is.
If you are able to cast reasonably well with your off hand you will certainly benefit from that at times, no doubt of that.
What is more difficult is to have your right hand control line in the same manner as you would for your left when right is the master rod hand.
As already posted there are some techniques that will fatigue you if you are fishing for long periods of time with that means.
Secondly l have many times been in a situation fishing many times streams and creeks that overhanging brush makes it almost impossible to cast with my right in a upstream direction, accurately, being able to cast with the left allowed me well do do that. It also allows for the rod to be held way further out to start with.
Also when stillwater fishing with adverse winds drift fishing left hand casting deals with those issues, side arm and roll casts are not always the answer when fishing with long leader systems.

The way l teach my students to learn is this.
Ideally two fly rods of same length and line weight.

Strip off say 30 ft of line for both. Pick up both rods one left hand the other right.
Simply start to make regular overhead casts. You should be able to do this with exactly the same motion for both.
Now drop the master hand rod, as you are casting both, and continue with the other, soon enough you will develop the sense of feel and cast control.
Move onto roll casts, false casts, shooting line.

To do this you will need to begin to incorporate use of the other hand. Both for the skills of casting and fishing techniques.
Its not as difficult as you might believe and well worth the effort, as you cannot duplicate all same with the master hand.

Injury and accident may well be other reasons to be able to cast off hand.
One of my way back regular fishing buddies while working in his shop whacked off his 1/2/3 fingers
with a bench saw. He was never able to cast again with this right hand. But he did have the most amazing means of line recovery fig 8 style l have ever seen with his stumps.


DW

[afishinado]

I'm right handed and have a rotator cuff injury to my right shoulder from playing sports a long time ago. At times it really is painful, so in order to fish, I practiced casting with my left arm. Talk about humbling. If you shake your head in disbelief when you see a nooby trying to fly cast for the first time, try casting with your "off" hand. You are starting from "square one" and it takes a lot of practice to become proficient. Anyway, I learned to cast lefty reasonably well, but I agree with Silvercreek that casting with your dominant hand should be plan A. But with an injury, it great to have a Plan B, rather than sit a home.

[Silver Creek]

I've heard about the two rod, one in each hand method of learning to cast with the off hand. I think that if you DO NOT have a rotator cuff or other injury of the dominant hand, the two handed method you describe is an excellent method of learning to cast with the off hand.

However, if you HAVE a dominant arm or hand injury, you can cast with both hands on a single rod. It allows the injured dominant extremity to guide the off hand for timing and stroke while the off hand provides the power. You start practicing by casting directly over your head and then gradually moving the casting stroke over the off shoulder and side as the injured dominant extremity allows.