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Ten and Two Casting is Not an Accurate Fly Casting Description; Here’s Why.

Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through it is a film that boosted fly fishing popularity after its release in 1992. The mental image of Paul Maclean(played by brad Pitt) standing in a Montana river false casting to rising trout is ingrained in the memory of thousands. Paul’s father described fly casting as “an art that is performed on a four-count rhythm between ten and two o’clock.”

Matt Heron demonstrating fly casting at a fly fishing expo
Photo courtesy of Stefan McCleod

Earlier this month, Hatch Magazine published an article arguing for the discontinuation of this analogy due to its inaccuracy. There is a different range of motion for different casts. For example, a twenty foot cast requires less rod movement than a fifty foot cast. Fly casting is not accurately described by this saying; it’s time to stop using it.

Check out Hatch Magazine’s article for the article and full explanation.

-Ryan Rintala | Social Media @mattheronflyfishing

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