In 1974, when Jason was four and a half years old, I gave him a 6-foot, 5-weight, glass rod that I had built for him. But because his hands were so small, he had trouble using the standard Thumb on Top Grip or Trigger Finger Grip employed by most fly anglers of the day (including me). He would try to make the backcast, and the rod would drop back too far, no matter how hard he tried to stop it at the correct point. His little hand just wasn’t strong enough to stop the rod in its rearward travel. Frank Gray, Director of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Fenwick Fly Fishing Schools showed me the grip that Lee Wullf used for his big glass tarpon rods, and said that Lee told him it was the strongest grip that one can use to hold the fly rod. As Director of the Midwest Fenwick Fly Fishing Schools, I didn’t really give it too much thought because we taught the Thumb on Top Grip—the grip that Jim Green used. Jim was the rod designer at Fenwick, and a long time tournament caster. He was, in fact, the first person to cast over 200 feet, and as the National Director of the Schools, he set the curriculum, and we followed.

The grip Lee used on those heavy rods has the thumb on the top and the forefinger up on the side of the rod. The forefinger is then slid back until it bends inward. This is a slightly stressful grip for the index finger, but Lee would only hold the rod like that for the cast, immediately relaxing the finger after the last forward stroke. Jason tried Lee’s grip and noted “That sorta hurts, dad.” “Try it, anyway,” I encouraged him. And try he did. It worked like a charm. He was happy, casting like a wild fiend all over the back yard. The dog loved it, too, jumping for the line and generally being as helpful as he could be. I was happy because Jason, at such a young age, was casting like he’d done it for many years. I went on teaching the Thumb on Top Grip and Trigger Finger Grip at the Fenwick Schools.

With Lee’s Tarpon Rod Grip, even small hands can hold the rod firmly.

Many have used this grip, including tournament casters, but perhaps the greatest proponent of the Finger on Top Grip was Hans Gebitsroither, the highly renown Austrian guide and casting instructor that promoted the Elliptical Casting Stroke. Others, of course, have used the Elliptical Stroke, but Hans developed an entire school of casting built on it. It is often called the European casting style. Truth is, it’s just another great tool in a rather large kit that the fly fisher should have available for use when needed. None-the-less, Hans preferred to use the Finger on Top Grip, and many have followed his lead. It works just fine for the Elliptical Stroke.

Because it positions the hand palm down over the top of the handle, the rod does not fall as far back as with the Thumb on Top and related grips when the wrist is bent full back. This makes it a good grip for Arm casting, and it works for wrist casting out to the side just a bit. It is not the strongest grip, and so while it works just fine for light trout rods and short casts, it gets to be a bit of a burden to use this grip when heaving long lines with a big tarpon stick, even when using an Elliptical Stroke.

The Finger on Top Grip has been used by anglers for many years.

Start with standard V Grip and then pinch the thumb and rear part of the forefinger tightly together on the top of the handle. This movement simply brings the position of the thumb and lower bone of the forefinger closer to the top centerline of the handle., making the grip just a bit more secure. However, unlike the standard V Grip, which is a very relaxing way to hold the rod, the Compressed V requires that the angler exert a bit of muscle tension to keep the thumb and forefinger tightly together. The slight bit of muscle contraction can make the hand rather tired after a few hours of fishing.

Casters of all styles can use this grip, but apply the usual caution of not bending the wrist too far rearward on the backstroke.

The Compressed V Grip brings the thumb and forefinger together on the top of the handle

When one stands relaxed with hands at the sides, it is not the thumb that is pointing directly forward, nor is it the forefinger. Rather it is the space (the V) between the thumb and forefinger that points directly ahead. The V Grip is built on this anatomical feature. The rod is held as for the Trigger Finger Grip, and then the thumb is slid a bit to the inside of the handle (to the left for a right-hand caster). This positioning allows the V between the thumb and forefinger to rest directly on top of the rod handle. In this position, the first bone of the forefinger and the end of the thumb rest on the upper, outer edges of the handle. Again, a very strong way to hold the rod, allowing the angler to apply plenty of pressure against the top of the handle to stop the rod dead on the backcast, and again to push against the handle with authority on the forward stroke.

This grip is used by both Wrist Casters and Arm casters, with the usual caveat for the Arm casters about not bending the wrist too much on the backstroke.

With this grip, the ‘”V” between thumb and forefinger lies directly on top of the handle.

This is the Thumb on Top Grip modified by sliding the index finger forward along the lower side of the handle as if reaching for a trigger. This is also a superb grip for Wrist Casting and Arm Assisted Wrist Casting. Because the forefinger is more forward than with the standard Thumb on Top grip, the caster pinches the handle between the thumb on top and both the middle and forefinger on the bottom of the handle, giving an even more secure grip than the classic Thumb on Top. In addition, the middle bone of the forefinger rests against the side of the handle, giving the caster another touch point to which pressure can be applied to the handle. This is a very secure grip, and the one I use the most when Wrist Casting

The Trigger Finger Grip works well with full arm casting, too, but as with the Thumb on Top Grip, one must learn to control the wrist on the backstroke or the rod will arc too far back and produce an arcing cast rather than a cast with a loop.

In the trigger Finger Grip, the forefinger is reached forward as if touching a trigger.

Similar to the Free Wrist Grip, it varies in one important aspect. Rather than wrapping the thumb around the rod in the classic “suitcase handle” style, the thumb is shifted onto the top of the grip. The four fingers still wrap around the handle in a relaxed way.

This grip is a very positive one because it allows the angler to pinch the rod between the end of the thumb on top of the handle and the curved index finger wrapped around the bottom of the handle. The other three fingers help support the rod, but it is the pinch of the thumb and forefinger that give this grip its effectiveness.

The rearward and forward flicks of the wrist during the casting stroke are much more positive than with the Free Wrist Grip—especially the stop of the rod at the end of each flick. With the thumb on the top of the handle, the rod stops very positively when the wrist achieves it maximum rearward range of motion. Likewise, on the forward stroke, the rod stops very positively when the wrist reaches it maximum forward range of motion. This positive stop is an essential component of the “flick” movement of the rod.

Many anglers use the Thumb on Top Grip for Arm Casting, which is OK, but the caster must take exceptional care to make certain the wrist does not bend back too far at the end of the backstroke, otherwise, the line will be thrown in a huge arc behind the angler rather than being cast back in a line loop.

The Classic Thumb on Top Grip is an excellent choice for Wrist Casting. Care must be used when Arm Casting, however, so that the wrist is not bent back too far.

With the Thumb on Top Grip, the wrist cannot be bent fully rearward or the rod will fall too far back, throwing the line in a huge arc rather than casting it in a good line loop.

This grip was promoted as a very relaxing, easy-to-use way to hold the rod. It is used for wrist casting or arm-assisted wrist casting. One merely grasps the fly rod like a suitcase handle. The fingers and thumb wrap around the rod in the most comfortable position for the caster.

While this really is a comfortable way to hold the rod it is also mechanically the least effective for any type of casting. Wrist casting and arm assisted wrist casting are both “flick,” “flick” casting. That is, the rod is not waved back and forth. The wrist snaps the rod rearward, flicking the line into the backcast. Likewise, it snaps forward, flicking the line into the forward cast. These snaps/flicks require a very positive connection between the hand and rod handle, and the Free Wrist Grip creates the least positive connection of any of the grips.

The Free Wrist Grip–comfortable, but that’s about it.

Arm Assisted Wrist Cast is the one I use when making the “Flick,” “Flick” style cast. This style developed after fixed rings were added to our rods. Because the line slides up and down easily in fixed rings (guides), stopping the rod in the vertical position with the simple Wrist Cast allows line to slide back down through the guides. When this happens, the loose line in the guides makes it impossible to keep constant tension on the line, and power application to the line is greatly hindered. So, anglers would lift their arm until it was about 30 degrees above the horizontal, and then make the standard Wrist Cast.

It is still a “Flick,” “Flick” cast. With the arm held firmly 30 degrees above the horizontal, the rod flicked into the backcast and then flicked into the forward cast. In so doing, the rod is flicked back 30 degrees behind the vertical. This is a simple matter of geometry. Since the rod is at right angles to the forearm at the completion of the backcast, and the forearm is lifted to 30 degrees above the horizontal, the rod must, therefore, be shifted to 30 degrees behind the vertical. This position helps prevent the line from sliding downward in the guides when the rod is stopped on the backstroke.

Arm Assisted Wrist Casting was the next step in the evolution of casting. In this style, the forearm is not held fixed at 30 degrees above the horizontal before the Wrist Cast is made. Rather the forearm starts in the horizontal position, and as the wrist is flicked back, the forearm is simultaneously lifted until it is 30 degrees above the horizontal. This arm movement is so integrated into the rearward flick that the lift and wrist flick end at precisely the same moment.  Again, this is “Flick,” “Flick” casting, not rod waving. Done with the “Flick,” “Flick” movement, it will toss even a very short line (I do this when casting just the leader, for example) in very tight loops, fast and accurately.

Arm Assisted Wrist Casting is the style of most anglers who have not had some formal training. This style has one great disadvantage and several other attendant disadvantages. The primary disadvantage is that the rod cannot be lifted more than 30 degrees above the horizontal. If it is, the rod tip sweeps much too far back, tossing the line in a huge arc that crashes into the ground behind the angler. The second major disadvantage that occurs during Wrist Casting or Arm Assisted Wrist Casting is the inability to shoot line to lengths much beyond 50 feet. In the early days of fly fishing, this was not a problem. But with our current equipment, 50 feet is only “normal” casting distance.

So, very quickly, anglers began to develop “Arm Casting,” in which the arm is employed as the major generator of force during the casting stroke. This new development lead to distance casting tournaments, and a heave, in 1899, of 133 feet by the president of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Casting Club, Walter Mansfield. He also made an astonishing cast of 129 1/2 feet with a 5 oz. fly rod during a 1902 tournament (this would be equivalent to a 6-weight system). Both were quite amazing feats for the day. Coming next in several parts—Arm Casting.

On the backstroke the arm is stopped sharply 30 degrees above the horizontal.

Lifting the rod more than 30 degrees above the horizontal throws the tip much too far back.

Fly casting did not begin as we know it today. It has gradually evolved, each step in its development firmly linked to concurrent developments in tackle. Fly fishing started as a “pole and string” sport, and only developed into a “rod and line” sport within the last 150 years or so. Certainly the progenitor motions of modern casting began in the “pole and string” era, when fly fishers would flick their flies onto the water with the 15 to 21 foot, two-handed sticks that they employed. But casting, as we know it didn’t begin until about 1850. In his remarkable book, “The Practical Angler,” (1857) F.C. Stewart notes:

“Rings are indispensable to a rod in order to convey the line from the reel to the point. A difference of opinion exists as to whether they should be fixed or movable. For our part, if they could be fixed so as not to move, we would prefer them that way, as they let off the line much more easily.”

At that point in its development, casting was basically a matter of the wrist. That is, the wrist was used as the principle, moving, anatomical component that cast the line. The arm was not used or used only to assist the wrist. Two styles, “Wrist Casting,” and “Arm-Assisted Wrist Casting” evolved in the early days of actual casting. These styles of casting developed when the “rings” that Stewart mentions were first added to rods (probably in the early 1700s). These first “rings” (guides) were literally rings of metal that flopped around. They worked great for their original purpose: they allowed the angler to use a line of any length. However, they did not allow the angler to “shoot” line. The needed line was worked out through the rings to the length need, and then this fixed length was cast. A reel or “winch” held the line, but was not used to fight the fish because the line could not be reeled in through the flopping guides.

Current teachers of fly casting push their students to avoid both of these early casting styles, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, if they are used for the purposes for which they have the greatest advantage. I use them frequently because they are so good at casting a very short line with a very tight loop. For example, I’m kneeling at the edge of a lake watching for big browns cruising in a few inches of water only a few feet from shore. If, when I spot a fish, I were to lift the rod in an overhead, full arm cast, the fish would spook instantaneously. So, I sidearm cast or cross body cast. And since the fish is so close, I want to move the rod the least amount possible and still generate fast line speed and a tight loop that delivers the fly accurately and softly.

This is where Wrist Casting, or better yet, Arm-Assisted Wrist Casting comes in. They work perfectly under these circumstances. These casting styles allow me to flick the fly to target with the barest of rod movements, while still generating the line speed and accuracy that are necessary.

These two casting styles are so easy to learn that anyone can grasp them and employ them after only a few minutes of practice. When I give casting demonstration at shows, clubs, schools, and other venues, I always show these casting styles. On reason is so that casters can develop and use them under the circumstances where these casts excel: basically when one is casting a very short line.

At the International Fly Tying Symposium, held November 17, 18 this year in Somerset, NJ, I asked Cathy Mainardi, a friend of my old pal Rod Rohrbach, to shoot a few photos of me during my casting demo, so that I could use them on this blog. These nicely illustrate both “Wrist Casting” and “Arm Assisted Wrist Casting.”

When Wrist Casting or Arm Assisted Wrist Casting, I find the Trigger Finger Grip to be the best. It’s a thumb on top grip with the forefinger reaching forward as if gripping a trigger.

Wrist Casting uses a Thumb on Top Grip (Trigger Finger or otherwise), and begins with the forearm horizontal. With the arm held firmly in this position (remember the old “bible under the arm trick?”), the rod is merely “flicked” back and forth with the wrist. Now NOTE: The rod is not merely waved back and forth. This is a “Flick,” “Flick” cast. Since only the wrist is used, the rod stops vertically on the backcast—simply because that’s as far as the wrist can bend, as I’m demonstrating above. On the forward stroke the rod stops about 45 degrees above the horizontal. Make certain when you practice this that you make it a “Flick,” “Flick” cast, not a rod waving exercise.