In a recent session report on my blog, I mentioned briefly that, to reach the fish, in this case dogfish lurking beyond the surf, I had to cast a bait around a hundred yards or so. A few days afterwards, someone who had read the blog post contacted me to ask about how I actually cast. That blog entry, pretty standard fishing fare in itself, talked of the tackle I used, the changing weather conditions, and how I was fortunate enough to catch a few different species, and the point about distance took up a very small percentage of the entry, so I couldn’t help but find the focus on casting a very interesting and, in truth, telling, point.
The idea of casting either a baited rig or a plain lead a long way is not unusual in itself; this country has produced, and still produces some of the finest competitive casters in the history of the sport. I myself can remember being entranced the first time I watched Neil Mackellow’s Mastercast video, and wanting nothing more out of life than someday being able to cast exactly like him.
As a teenager I took lessons with a local instructor, saved up and bought the best multiplier rods and reels I could afford and became obsessed with learning how to cast them as far as I possibly could (not particularly far in the grand scheme of things), and yes, it was a wonderful feeling when I managed to catch one ‘on the button’
