If you want to fly cast try this

[jigtosser]

http://www.royalwulff.com/educational.html

I used to make and sell these all time when I had my fly shop. If you are having trouble getting the cast down I highly recommend this. You can do them indoors and if you don't want to buy one they are easy to make.

[deathb4disco]

I have Tim Rajeff's version. I cast it for a few minutes almost every night. :D

[jigtosser]

That is what it takes. I do not know how many of those I sold but it was a bunch. Man I cannot believe the names you came up with on the short rods. I have the books that all those guys wrote. I was wrapping 4 1/2 ft rods when they were not even heard of. I had one blank of every one of Lee Wulff's Scott 6 ft rods. Best short rod I ever use. That low modulus graphite was the best. Even back then I had over 150.00 in material before I started wrapping.

[deathb4disco]

Yeah, short rods were all the rage for awhile. Their "golden age" was before my time, but I've read about them. Wulff and Arnold Gingrich were big proponents of the short rod. Ed Shenk is another.

[jigtosser]

lets face it they are unbeatable in close tight quarters. Ed fished on some really small streams that were brush lined and you could not get a long rod to perform because of the space. Like you said you have to be perfect in you timing. People get all bent out of shape when talking about short rods, they say you have to have the longer rods to cast further. I am going to really open Pandora's box. I used to cast 30 plus feet with my hands only. I did it in my casting classes to kill sacred cows.