Casting Courses With Ian Gordon

Learn to cast with confidence, clarity, and effortless efficiency.

Whether you’re completely new to fly casting or looking to refine decades of experience, my casting courses are designed to give you a deeper understanding of the fundamentals that make great casters — and great anglers. With more than forty years of ghillying, guiding, teaching, and designing rods and lines, I teach casting in a way that is simple, logical, and easy to repeat on the river.

Come to me and you will learn the following.

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• Spey casting fundamentals - The Basics

• Single‑handed fly casting - The Similarities and differences

• Double‑handed fly casting - Both Hands on the Rod

• Compact haul technique - Double Haul with a Double Handed Rod

• Fly casting mechanics - Simplistic Explinations

• Fly casting timing and tempo - The Difference between Timing and Tempo

• Line speed and loop control - It all comes from a key understanding of the basics

• Anchor placement - The main ingredient 

• D‑loop formation - With and without space behind the caster

• Forward stroke efficiency - Correct Loading of the Rod

• Back cast structure - Understanding the importance of the back cast

• Casting stroke alignment - Tracking of the rod during the cast

• Rod load and unload - Using video to increase your understanding

• Energy transfer in fly casting - Feeling this and making it happen

• Casting efficiency and economy of movement - Using video to increase your understanding of the Fundamentals 

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Master the Fundamentals of Fly Casting

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• The fundamentals of fly casting never change — whether you’re using a single‑handed rod or a double‑handed Spey rod. You will learn how to create clean, efficient loops, how to control line speed, how to load and unload the rod properly, and how to build a casting stroke that is smooth, repeatable, and effortless. These core principles underpin every cast you will ever make, and once you understand them, your casting becomes consistent, powerful, and enjoyable.

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Specific Casts Covered 

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From the roll cast and switch cast to the Single Spey, Double Spey, Snap‑T, Snake Roll, and all sustained‑anchor and touch‑and‑go casts. You will learn how to form a proper D‑loop, how to place an anchor, how to control the line path, and how to generate effortless power with minimal effort. You will also understand why the haul becomes more compact with both hands on the rod, and how that affects timing, tempo, and energy transfer. Specific casts we can work on are listed below 

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• Roll cast technique

• Switch cast technique

• Snap‑T cast

• Double Spey cast

• Single Spey cast

• Snake roll cast

• Touch‑and‑go casts

• Waterborne anchor casts

• Long‑line Spey casting

• Short‑head Spey casting

• Scandinavian casting style

• Skagit casting style

• Traditional Spey casting

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Line Control & Rivercraft

The importance of "fishing" — the skill that separates good casters from good anglers. You will learn mending techniques, slack‑line control, aerial mends, reach casts, curve casts, and how to control the swing of the fly. We will cover reading water, understanding salmon lies, choosing the right angle, and positioning yourself safely and effectively in the river. Listed below are the skills that, not only help you enjoy casting, but help you catch fish 

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• Line management skills

• Mending techniques

• Controlling swing speed

• Reading water

• Fishing the fly correctly

• Angle of attack

• Wading position and safety

• River positioning for effective casting

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Fault‑Fixing & Improvement

Identify and fix the casting faults that have held you back for years. Whether it’s tailing loops, tracking errors, poor timing, creeping, collapsing D‑loops, open loops, or lack of distance, we will break down the problem and rebuild your cast from the ground up. You will leave with a clear understanding of why the fault happens and how to prevent it — giving you a cast that is reliable, efficient, and enjoyable and learning more about - 

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• Casting fault diagnosis

• Tracking errors

• Creep and drift correction

• Tailing loop correction

• Open loop correction

• Improving timing

• Improving accuracy

• Increasing distance

• Eliminating fatigue in casting

• Building muscle memory

• Casting confidence

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Equipment & Setup

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Choose and balance your tackle properly. We will look at rod selection, line profiles, shooting heads, running lines, leader design, and how to match your equipment to the water you’re fishing. You will understand the differences between Scandi, Skagit, and traditional Spey lines, and how each one affects your casting stroke. When your tackle is balanced, everything becomes easier — and you will feel it instantly. Learn more about -

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• Fly rod selection

• Single‑hand vs double‑hand rod choice

• Matching rod, line and leader

• Shooting head systems

• Running line management

• Spey line profiles

• Skagit vs Scandi lines

• Balanced tackle setup

• Leaders for salmon and trout

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Become a More Confident, Capable Angler

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• You will learn how to bring all these skills together on the water. You will learn how to fish different water heights, how to control depth and speed, how to fish sunk lines and floating lines, and how to adapt your casting to real‑world conditions. My goal is simple: to give you the confidence to walk onto any river, anywhere in the world, and know you can cast well, fish well, and enjoy every moment.