One Step Forward? Or One Step Back?

I'm taking a stand on stance.

Simply put, stance is how you position your feet when casting, and the conventional wisdom on the "proper" stance has become rather doctrinal over the years. Pick up most any casting book, and sooner or later, you will find a section where the author discusses the topic.

Typically, these books offer two options:

• Forward stance. This means standing with your dominant foot slightly forward. For right-handers, that's the right foot forward (the reverse for southpaws).
• Open stance. The dominant foot is slightly to the rear.

I'll throw in a third:

• Square stance. Both feet are square and even with the shoulders..

Which option is best?

None of the above, at least not in my mind. Though I might alter a student's stance to achieve certain things in practice, those reasons are largely irrelevant when you're actually fishing. The terrain tends to dictate how you will position your feet. River bottoms, for example, are rarely uniform, so you stand any way you can. I've used positions you'll never find in any book.

When you practice, choose a stance that simply makes you comfortable. Then be prepared to adapt to the prevailing conditions when you're on the water.

If somebody suggests you do otherwise, just put your foot down ... wherever you see fit.