Late Summer Off-Season Part I: Reflections on Casting

Article by Devin McPhillips

In Southern California, the off-season for trout is August and September, when the local mountain streams become too warm. It’s a good time to target carp in the LA River or surf perch at the beach. But I tend to fish less frequently. I haven’t yet learned how to catch these other species reliably. When I don’t go fishing, I might tie flies, practice casting, and catch up on tenkara YouTube.

Revisiting Dr. Ishigaki’s Casting Lessons

The algorithm recently suggested an old favorite, “Master Tenkara basic casting techniques” from @tenkarafromjapan. It shows Dr. Ishigaki demonstrating his technique. This video helped me develop a functional tenkara cast when I first started, about two years ago. If you stand close enough, you still might hear me muttering “iiiiiichi, ni”.

Revisiting this early influence got me thinking about the state of my casting today, and what good casting is, after a few years of practice.

My tenkara creed goes like this: (1) read the water; (2) position your body; (3) cast and drift. Intellectually I rate casting below these other skills. I’ve got to figure out where the fish are and get close to them before good casting makes a difference. But the aesthetics of good casting are alluring: a tight loop, the fly-first landing, and a seamless presentation.

Along with Dr. Ishigaki, I’ve found two other essential casting videos. One is Rob Worthing presenting a slideshow, and the other is included in the Mastering Line & Fly Control with Go Ishii Masterclass created by Discover Tenkara. Watching all three anglers, I’m reminded of the few martial arts masters I’ve met as a student. Above the waist, they were relaxed and fluid, arms and neck moving gently, but below the waist they were solid and still. Younger experts excelled at moving forward, closing the distance to their opponents in the blink of an eye. But the old masters stood still, and the younger experts broke.

Lessons from the Masters

I take a few lessons from the masters. First, stance and balance are the foundation for a good cast. I learned this watching Go Ishii, who actually sits comfortably on the bank at Itoshiro before beginning his casting lesson. (Evidently, a solid foundation can be relaxing, too.) I often fish under tree cover, and the branches force me to crouch. When I tried really sitting, I found that my cast was more accurate and—crucially—the line wobbled less. When the line makes a single loop, without higher frequency oscillations, the presentation can start immediately as the fly enters the water. I also detect takes more quickly with a wobble-free line. The key is to stabilize my lower body before I begin the cast.

The second lesson is to limit the range of my cast. It’s always tempting to stretch my arm away from my body, reaching out and adding a foot or two more distance. I find that trading accuracy and delicacy for distance is usually a mistake. The best casting motion includes a “chop”, down from the shoulder, like Dr. Ishigaki uses, not a “push”, out from the elbow. If I need more distance, I can move closer or use a longer line. I’ve had to relearn this lesson a few times after I’ve bought nice rods that respond to a flick of the wrist.

I’m still working on aerial mending, courtesy of Rob Worthing’s video and articles. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at mending around a paint can in the back yard. I can cast a long level line with the tippet oriented more or less however I like and often plonk the can, but this skill hasn’t fully translated to more success on stream. I lose a lot of flies trying to make fancy casts through the trees. I also waste a lot of time trying to get a perfect cast into marginal water. I’ve learned the skill in the abstract, but I’m not yet using it reliably in practice. First, I need to get better at reading the water and positioning my body.

Casting may never be the most important part of tenkara, but it’s still one of the most rewarding skills to refine. Each lesson from the masters—whether it’s balance, accuracy, or restraint—reminds me that improvement comes less from chasing perfection and more from paying attention to the fundamentals. As I keep practicing, I know my cast will continue to evolve, but so will the way I approach the water, the fish, and the quiet rhythm of the off-season.

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Devin McPhillips and his son, Owen, are tenkara anglers and fly tiers in Southern California. 

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