Adapted from Cathy Beck's Fly-Fishing Handbook by Cathy Beck

The backcast starts with the rod in front and sweeps to the stopping position behind us. The backcast is the setup for the forward cast, and it must be good in order for the forward cast to be good.

In our starting position, the thumb is on top of the rod handle. The hand and wrist should be turned outward about 45 degrees from the body.

You should be able to see your fingernails and the palm of your hand  not flat, as you would if you were going to show someone a bug trapped in your hand, but at a tilt so that the rod is away from your body but still pointed upward.

This outward position allows your arm to move through a longer arc than it would by staying close. It also keeps the fly and fly line away from you during casting.

Side view of the progression of the backcast. Notice that the rod never drops below waist level.

The cast is made using the forearm. It's critical that the wrist remain straight  don't let it hinge or break at the end of the cast. This is a very common mistake because you can get away with it on short casts. But later on, when you need to make a nice long cast, you'll have developed a terrible habit that's almost impossible to correct. Watch your wrist as you cast and make sure it's behaving.

The elbow should never be above the shoulder. There is no need to reach up with the rod. Your arm may often be extended out in front of your shoulder or behind it, but it should never be higher than your shoulder. This is another easy mistake that will result in stressed, tired shoulders and a backache.

The elbow and the upper arm will move back and forth with the forearm, but the forearm does the work. The upper arm will supply muscle power to the forearm with the elbow acting like a pivot point from which the forearm moves. Keep the elbow down at your side where it's comfortable but not rigid. There should be space between your ribs and elbow.

We are now ready to cast. Look behind you to make sure you have plenty of room for the backcast. Then look ahead about thirty feet and pick an imaginary target and face it squarely, with your feet in the proper position. Placing a hat or a paper plate on the grass will give you a visible target. Later on, use several for target practice.

View of the 180-degree plane of the backcast.

If one end or the other kicks out of plane, the cast will not be accurate. You can move the rod tip out of plane to change the direction of the cast, but only after you complete the cast.

The cast itself is a slow, progressive sweep speeding up to a real quick, short stop. If you start too fast, you'll rip the line off the grass. When you're fishing, this kind of action will scare the fish.

Start the cast by slowly pulling the rod back, and as soon as you see the end of the fly line start to move (in most casts this is about the time your rod is passing by your head), speed up quickly, lifting the rest of the line into the air, and bring the rod tip to a quick, sharp stop in the back.

Once you start a cast, don't change your mind for anything short of an emergency. You'll only pull the line back on top of you, and it will be difficult to get started again.

How a quick stop makes a tight loop in a normal forward cast.

The rod tip should always be above parallel to the ground at the end of the backcast. If the rod tip goes too far back or dips down, you'll lose power, the cast will open up, and the line will sag. It's then hard to keep it from hitting the grass  and the water when you're fishing.

This will cause your forward cast to look bogged down and sloppy (because it is). This will also happen if there is no quick speed-up and stop at the end of the cast.

Remember, you should feel the quick, short stop in the rod tip as you complete the cast. If the rod stops too short, it gets in the way of the line coming back and the two will often collide. Turn around and watch the cast: every time it stops at the correct position, a nice loop results.

How a longer stop makes a wider loop in a normal cast.

With practice, you'll develop a habit, and soon your arm will be stopping without being watched. Check your wrist here, too. The thumb should be in line with your forearm, not perpendicular to it.

A short acceleration (speed-up) at the end combined with a quick stop will give you a narrow loop. Narrow (or tight) loops are preferred for most casts.

A wide loop is made by a longer acceleration and a slower stop. This is true at either end of the cast. This acceleration and quick stop are critical to a good cast. The rod speeds up at the end and then stops dead in its tracks.

It's a combination of this speed-up and dead stop (without any wrist action) that programs the loop. You'll want a narrow loop when fishing weightless dry flies. But when you're fishing weighted nymphs, streamers, or saltwater flies, you'll want a wider loop.

It's important that you understand and know how to tighten and widen (or open up) the loop. This is one of the most important casting exercises you can practice.