IMPORTANT
SITE UPDATE:

Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com

Jason Borger’s Nature of Fly Casting, a modular approach by Jason Borger

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

Jason Borger’s Nature of Fly Casting, a modular approach is quite a technical book on fly casting and it takes a very different approach to the subject from most books. There is a hint in the sub-title ‘a modular approach’. In many respects this book is best described as a text book on fly casting.

Jason Borger sets out his approach in the first chapter, The Secret of Fly Casting, ‘I have designed this book as an integrated skill system. One thing leads to the next, and each skill in some way builds upon previous skills or discussions.’ This is a book to read sitting at a table or desk as the landscape, paperback format does not lend itself to reading in bed! Also, although it is quite technical – indeed very technical at times, the technical ‘talk’ is lightened with stories and anecdotes. You need a good memory for there are lots of sets of phrases and initials – the modules - to remember, for example Vertical Wrist-Flip (SM) and ITA Reach Up (SM). SM stands for simple module and when two simple modules are combined you get a compound module. Confusing to begin with but you do get used to the idea

Also in the first chapter, The Secret of Fly Casting, is another good quote: ‘Control is the key word in all of fly casting. If you want success, stay in control.’ And another: ‘I consider the fly line to be the single most important piece of fly fishing equipment.’ Quite a forceful statement! It’s worth repeating, the fly line and not the rod. I would think that most anglers who are having trouble casting would blame their rod and not their line. A new line is a lot cheaper than a new rod.

The book covers much more than simply how to cast a fly and all the different casts available to include, for example, on-the-water line control or mending. Jason Borger refers quite often to many US casting authorities including Joan Wulff, Mel Krieger, Lefty Kreh and Steve Rajeff so you will be in good company.

The book is clearly and well illustrated by Jason who did the design and layout along with his mother and father Gary contributed some photographs. It runs to some 297 pages. It is a book that should be read through, as Jason Borger recommends, and can then be referred to when you want to learn a new cast or find out how to solve a particular casting problem. The technical, text book approach will have greatest appeal to the serious student of fly casting and to competent fly casters who want to go to the next stage of fly casting. Once you have learnt the foundation casting stroke, you can then go onto learn all the other skills presented in the book and end up a champion fly caster, all being well.

Jason Borger’s Nature of Fly Casting, a modular approach, was first published in 2001 by Shadow Caster Press.