A casting lesson with John is the fastest way to put yourself on the road to success. It's common for a raw beginner to be casting over 100m during the first lesson. Owing to demand and limited time, John has changed the teaching format this year. All lessons now take place on the beach, usually somewhere on the Essex or lower Suffolk coast by arrangement. Casters of every level are welcome, including total beginners.
Lessons are for up to three anglers in a 2-3hr session. Mixed ability groups are fine. Off-ground and pendulum styles are fully covered. The session fee for autumn/winter 2009/10 is £75.00 payable in advance. If you can't find two more anglers to come with you, put your name on the waiting list and John will let you know when there is a space available in another group. Casters under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Clubs and larger groups (minimum 10) catered for, in which case John may be able to travel to you - please enquire.
To book, or for further details, please get in touch via the Contact Page.
Lessons are for up to three anglers in a 2-3hr session. Mixed ability groups are fine. Off-ground and pendulum styles are fully covered. The session fee for autumn/winter 2009/10 is £75.00 payable in advance. If you can't find two more anglers to come with you, put your name on the waiting list and John will let you know when there is a space available in another group. Casters under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Clubs and larger groups (minimum 10) catered for, in which case John may be able to travel to you - please enquire.
To book, or for further details, please get in touch via the Contact Page.
Cod are the Number One target species for UK beach fishermen. And good casting is the key to catching them. On the East and South-east coasts, especially on marks such as Dungeness and Orford, chances of catching cod are directly related to how far you can cast a bait. The serious cod angler should aim to develop a casting style that delivers baits at least 125m, which equates to about 150m in practice sessions using just the sinker.
The further you can cast the wider your choice of good fishing spots becomes. Modest distance will certainly produce fish on a lot of beaches. Elsewhere, nothing but long range fishing will do; without plenty of distance you might not catch a single fish. The same thing often applies to surfcasting around the world. Long distance casting is a great way to catch more fish. And sometimes it is the only way to catch any fish.
The further you can cast the wider your choice of good fishing spots becomes. Modest distance will certainly produce fish on a lot of beaches. Elsewhere, nothing but long range fishing will do; without plenty of distance you might not catch a single fish. The same thing often applies to surfcasting around the world. Long distance casting is a great way to catch more fish. And sometimes it is the only way to catch any fish.
Three steps to excellent casting
1) Have a clear understanding about the underlying mechanics of good casting. These principles are the same for all styles including Easy Cast, South African and Pendulum. If the way you cast doesn't include them, you won't ever do well.
2) Forget your old ways and learn a step-by-step system which makes your body and the tackle work properly. This is the "engine" of good casting, where power and control come from.
3) With the foundations solidly in place, develop your own personal style. Most fishermen would like to become pendulum casters, and there is no reason why they shouldn't do so provided they have the time to master the style. Even so, off-ground casting can be just as powerful, and in many cases will be the better choice. The great advantage of learning to cast with a progressive step-by-step method is that once you have mastered these basics you can master any style you like. Expert beach fishermen switch between styles depending on circumstances and conditions.
All the information and guidance you need to teach yourself to cast is in John Holden's Long Distance Casting which is widely regarded as the standard reference work on the subject. The book explains every aspect of casting in great detail. Since its first publication in 1982, this guide has never been out of print. It has helped tens of thousands of fishermen worldwide to cast better, and it can help you as well.
The current edition Long Distance Casting-2 is published as an ebook (Acrobat pdf format) on CD. Movie clips show the key steps and exercises in action. You can read the book and watch the clips on any Windows PC, Apple Mac and on most Linux computers. Order your copy now. The order page also has details of John's other publications.
1) Have a clear understanding about the underlying mechanics of good casting. These principles are the same for all styles including Easy Cast, South African and Pendulum. If the way you cast doesn't include them, you won't ever do well.
2) Forget your old ways and learn a step-by-step system which makes your body and the tackle work properly. This is the "engine" of good casting, where power and control come from.
3) With the foundations solidly in place, develop your own personal style. Most fishermen would like to become pendulum casters, and there is no reason why they shouldn't do so provided they have the time to master the style. Even so, off-ground casting can be just as powerful, and in many cases will be the better choice. The great advantage of learning to cast with a progressive step-by-step method is that once you have mastered these basics you can master any style you like. Expert beach fishermen switch between styles depending on circumstances and conditions.
All the information and guidance you need to teach yourself to cast is in John Holden's Long Distance Casting which is widely regarded as the standard reference work on the subject. The book explains every aspect of casting in great detail. Since its first publication in 1982, this guide has never been out of print. It has helped tens of thousands of fishermen worldwide to cast better, and it can help you as well.
The current edition Long Distance Casting-2 is published as an ebook (Acrobat pdf format) on CD. Movie clips show the key steps and exercises in action. You can read the book and watch the clips on any Windows PC, Apple Mac and on most Linux computers. Order your copy now. The order page also has details of John's other publications.