I saw this post on an English fishing board and thought I would share it:


After a lifetime of coarse and more recently match fishing I too had always wanted to try fly fishing but was too tight to pay for casting lessons and didn't know anyone who actually did it. An acquaintance finally took me and showed me the basics. After catching a few I was hooked, it really is addictive. The instant a trout pulls your line is electric, much different to a coarse fish take.
After several outings with my very limited and clumsy casting (I still managed to catch a few) a guy who was fishing the next swim to me and had been watching me for about 5 minutes actually said to me, "you haven't been doing this long have you?" I had to admit my ignorance and he then spent about 20 minutes with me showing me a few subtle but massive (if that makes sense) differences to my technique. The suggestions and advice he gave me was like someone waving a magic wand, it really was. My casting became smooth with my line rolling over and the fly landing delicately (more or less where I wanted it to land). The distance I was casting almost doubled with the physical effort I was putting in almost halved.
Anyway what I'm trying to say is there is absolutely no substitute for going with someone who can show you how to cast correctly or shelling out a few quid for 1/2 a days instruction. Eventually it becomes instinctive and you do it without thinking about it. A couple of years down the line and I am now 'double hauling' (youtube it...it's easier than trying to explain)