The clock-face cast
Imagine you're standing sideways next to a huge clock, with the rod as the clock's hand. Straight up above your head is 12 o'clock. Pointing out in front of you, slightly upwards, is about 10 o'clock. Tipped just behind your shoulder is about 1 o'clock.
A basic overhead cast simply moves the rod from 10 back to 1, pauses for a heartbeat, then swings it smoothly forward again. Around 10 o'clock on the way forward, you let the line go. The bend in the rod springs straight and carries your float and bait out over the water.
Here's the bit nobody tells you: power comes from the rod's bend, not your muscles. If you whip the rod hard, the line tends to slap down close by or fly straight up. A calm, even swing, like flicking paint off a brush, sends it much further.
Your first cast, one move at a time
Read these through once, then try them slowly. Saying each step out loud really helps.
Look behind you
Check for trees, bushes, people and dogs. The hook travels behind you before it goes forward.
Let a little line hang
Wind in until about 20 to 30 cm of line hangs from the rod tip. Anglers call this the "drop".
Pin the line, open the bail
Hook the line over the pad of your index finger against the rod handle, then flip the bail open. Your finger is now the only thing holding the line.
Swing back to 1 o'clock
Bring the rod up and back in one easy motion, and pause for a heartbeat so the rod can load, or bend.
Forward, and let go at 10
Swing smoothly forward and straighten your finger as the rod passes 10 o'clock. The line will peel off the spool.
Close the bail and tidy up
When the float lands, flip the bail closed by hand and wind gently until the line is straight but not tight.
Watching your float
Once your bait is in the water, the float becomes your little messenger. First, set the depth: slide the float up or down the line so your bait hangs just off the bottom or somewhere in the middle of the water. If the float lies flat on its side, you're probably too deep; if it sits upright, you're about right.
Now watch. A fish nibbling makes the float tremble or bob. A proper bite usually drags it under or makes it slide away sideways. Sometimes it pops up and lies flat, which happens when a fish lifts the bait and its weights. That's called a "lift bite".
When the float goes under and moves off, lift the rod firmly upwards. Anglers call this "striking", which sounds dramatic, but it's really just a confident lift, not a yank. You'll miss plenty of bites at first. Everyone does. Each miss teaches your timing a little more.
About tangles
Sooner or later you'll get a "bird's nest": loops of line spilling off the reel in a tangle. It usually happens when the line goes slack while winding. Keep a little tension by letting the line run lightly between your fingers, and don't overfill the spool. When it happens, sit down, smile and untangle it slowly.
Lesson 3 recap
One lesson to go. Tick what you've got, and practise the rest on the grass.