Merwin on a "Proper" Fly Rod Grip

It is often said that 10 percent of fly fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish. One of the keys to the success of these ten-percenters is that they are able to put their fly where the fish are feeding with an accurate cast. It’s for this reason that fly fishermen are always on the lookout for simple ways to better their casting abilities. One of the easiest ways to make casting improvements is to ensure you have a proper grasp on your fly rod’s grip during the casting stroke. In Field & Stream, John Merwin discusses several grip options that anglers can experiment with. Examples include the default “thumb on top-fingers below,” to an “index finger on top-thumb to the side” grip which the late Lee Wulff was fond of for the way it allowed him to aim his casts by simply pointing his finger.