With so many articles and books about casting why did I write this short book? Part of the answer is that I never set out to write a book or even an article. Instead, I set out to become a better fly, surf, spin and spey caster. To do so, I always took my first step by studying casting techniques. Why did I do this? Because relatively late in life I came to believe in the power of technique; so when I became interested in fly casting, for example, I immersed myself in articles, books and videos, but surprisingly I still couldn’t cast more than seventy-feet. Frustrated, I experimented with fly casting on my own, but with every casting discovery I made, a new casting symptom, like hitting myself with the fly, came out of hiding.More and more I wished I had a casting coach, but not having a coach forced me to experiment on my own, and to find and understand the causes of my casting defects. And while I did, I took notes, notes that soon became a sort of casting journal, and then became articles that were published in many magazines. Does my journal answer every casting question or describe the only ways to cast? No. But even though I believe all casters are different and should learn from many sources, I believe this book will help you cast farther and with less effort.The chapters in this book are: The Power of Casting Technique, The Fundamentals of All Casts, Long Distance Fly Casting Techniques, The Double Haul, A Modern, Spey-Like Approach to Long Distance Surf Casting, Long Distance Spin (and Bait) Casting, Getting Started with Spey Casting, Getting Started with Scandinavian Casting, and a memoir, Fly Casting with the Man of La Mancha.Earlier versions of these chapters have appeared in many magazines, including: The Fisherman, Fishing and Hunting News, On The Water, Gaff Life, and Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide.