How to cast a fly rod?

Here’s a video by Steve Rajeff on how to cast a fly rod.

I like that video linked by @Tropical_Willie.

Notice that Steve Rajeff is in a wide river. It’s a lot easier to practice away from trees and foliage that might catch your fly.

It’s very frustrating to spend your time on the river untangling your line from the bushes and losing flies in the trees.

When you have more practice, you learn to avoid snags and it’s easier to fish in narrow streams.

I live in Spokane right now. A few years back I wanted to learn so I bought a cheap rig and went to the river. Our river is crazy narrow and very overgrown. I wanted, being my bookish self, to read up on casting, but went another way. I just worked with the feel of the line. Toss it out. Feel the weight of the line. Realize that you need that weight to reach the end of the rod and pull on it a bit before pulling the other way. This loads the rod and is the magic that makes casting happen. Pause. Feel the line weigh on the rod. Then gently go the other way. Remember to stop! Sharply. Then wait for the weight. Do the ten to two motion. The stop is the thing that seems to matter most to my casting. I can cast an entire line length out in the open, repeatedly with no tangles. Also, casting time is wasted time. Cast as little as possible. If your line is in the air, no fish will bite it. Good luck.