You don’t need to be an expert fly caster to successfully catch fish, but you’re not going to catch a lot of them unless you sharpen your skills. Obviously, getting good requires a lot of practice. Unless you have a river in your backyard, though, you probably aren’t getting enough casting practice to perfect your moves with those once-a-month weekend outings. That’s where the Orvis Practicaster comes in.
While it looks no more than a silly stick with a handle and some threads hanging off it, the compact fly rod is actually a practice rig that lets you work on your casting game anywhere you are. That way, you can work on your fly fishing skills whether you’re chilling in the porch, watching TV in the living room or slacking at work.
The Orvis Practicaster is a scaled-down fly casting rod that measures 3.9 inches long. Designed to perfectly imitate the weight and feel of actual casts, it lets you work on the exact stroke and timing you need, committing the whole sequence to your muscle memory. You know, just like you do when practicing your golf swing with a Swingtrainer (well, minus the feedback, anyway). Features include a two-piece rod, a cork grip, and colorful line and fly combination for easy visibility. It comes with its own storage tube, so you can easily bring it to work if you need even more ways to kill time in the office.
If you want to work on your casts at home but don’t have the space to use a real rod and line, the Orvis Practicaster is your best shot at putting some practice time in. It’s available now, priced at $39.