The Hatchet Cast by Bob Bolton

Many fishermen have experienced different types of stream fishing. Spring fishing is predominantly done in redds, or spawning sites, generally found in gravel areas of small streams or rivers. One of the common methods of fishing redds is the chuck and duck technique.

Bob Bolton shares his hatchet casting technique called ‘chuck and duck’, which is accomplished with a .029 inch shooting line with a sliding weight on a 6 foot 20 pound leader attached to a swivel.

The hatchet cast starts with 5-6 coils of line (or anything it takes to go the accurate distance one want to cast) in the hand and the weight in front and about 1 foot of line away from the tip of the fishing pole. Tip the fishing rod slightly towards the back, and when the weight changes, bring the arm and sharply rod down, keeping your wrist straight. Sharply means sharply, not a mild progressive cast. This is the kind of cast one would use in mepps casting with a bullet type throw a short spinning fishing rod.

If released properly, its weight will shoot straight to the target weighing down the flies and as well as the leader at the back of it. Be cautious not to throw upstream more than the necessary or else the weight will go under and spring back right throughout the nesting female spooking her. One should stand straight cross stream from the redd. This technique works for engendering fish located on shallow gravel runs.