# Long cast training with tommy farmer



## Skip1494 (Sep 19, 2015)

So I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Tommy Farmer a couple of weeks ago. I was interested in learning to cast farther. Like a lot of people I see on the beach I thought that I cast about 300 feet. Just ask anyone you see fishing in Virginia Beach and they will tell you that they can cast 8 and bait about 100 yards. Since I threw about the same distance that they did I thought I was in the ballpark. I was wrong. My first cast with Tommy went 222 feet measured by Tommy’s laser. Wow what a letdown, more on that later. 
Tommy is a great guy. I liked him as soon as I met him. Even with all of his accomplishments he is still humble. He wasn’t there to tell me how great he was, but rather to help me reach my goals. Since I didn’t know what I was capable of, my goals were unclear even to me. I asked him to start out with the basics. After some instruction on the mechanics we started casting first with my spinning gear. Before I knew it I was throwing farther than I ever have. Then I started working with Tommy’s casting reel. I had never in my life thrown a conventional reel before so I had some minor blow ups but I started to get the hang of it. Tommy kept asking if I had any questions, but he explained things so well that I couldn’t think of any. I just did what he told me to do and I came just a few feet of doubling my distance in just one lesson. My last cast was 429 feet. I will tell you that such an improvement was more than I had hoped for. I might have gone farther but I’m old and was getting tired.
The bottom line is. If you want to improve your casting and be able to put it where the fish are then go take a lesson with Tommy Farmer. You won’t regret it. Skip


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Thanks Skip.

You were a pleasure to teach. You listened and quickly applied the fundamentals we covered to your cast. I've taught quite a few people to throw a casting reel but I can honestly say I've never seen an absolute newbie learn so quickly. I honestly thought the rest of our session (once we started on the casting rod/reel) would be spent slowly covering the basic operation of the reel. You had 3-4 errant casts and I think one over-run and then you started banging out some big casts!! 429 is a big cast any way you slice it, but to do it having just picked up a casting reel for the first time was awesome to watch... 

Very well done.

Tommy


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## boswhale (Mar 14, 2011)

Not to sound like a smart ass but who is Tommy and does he give sceduled classes or work at a tackle shop? Is this in Va. Bach? Details please.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Bos,

I'm easy to find... 

6 time USA National Casting Champion and winner of many regional casting tournaments with SCUSA, the CSCA and SFCCI. I have held all of the USA distance records (100g, 125g, 150g, 175g) with a longest competitive cast of 859.52 feet. I guess my greatest achievement was finishing second to Danny Moeskops in the Primo challenge main event back in 2006 in England. I have 3 top 5 finishes in International invitational tournaments (Primo in 06, Big Danny in 09 and the Wales International in '10). At 54, I'm slowing a bit but still bang it out there pretty good. I don't work at a tackle shop but am the President and chief bottle washer of Carolina Cast Pro LLC and sponsor the distance casting forum here on P&S.

I will do seminars but do more private one on one lessons down in Wilmington NC. 

Tommy


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