I agree with Todd, side casting should be a cast of last resort, especially here in the NW where it's generally not needed to make an adequate centerpin cast. The reason its taught is because its one of the easiest to learn and like a spinning reel it's quite effective when casting off the rod tip or when using light floats. Side casting doesn't require as much casting control (like a baitcaster) but also doesn't provide as much accuracy or line control either. Not to mention it causes line twist, which should be avoided whenever possible. But whether you use it or not, you should still have it in your bag of tricks.

The Modified Wallis cast is actually more of a "across the body pull cast". The benefit of either type of Wallis cast is that they come directly off the reel without twist. However you can also "open" your Wallis cast (by changing orientation of reel) during the cast to get additional distance if needed, but this does introduce some line twist too. Another trick to increase distance with a Modified Wallis is to introduce a double haul into the cast where a short pull before loading the rod with the second pull gets reel accelerating even faster.

These types of casts are the most commonly discussed or demonstrated centerpin casts, mainly because they are promoted in the GL are where they use much smaller floats and lighter gear. A centerpin cast you don't hear much about on the web or out of the GL area is the BC or swing cast, which actually works better for our waters because of the rods and terminal tackle we typically employ. It's a very simple cast that offers distance rivaling the side cast with zero line twist. It also offers line control equal to the Wallis cast and is far more accurate than either. It does require a bit more room than either the Wallis or the Side cast to properly load the rod, but that's generally not a problem especially when fishing from a boat or a bar.

Before float fishing moved out to the GL with our Skamania steel, the BC cast was the method steelheaders used out here for years. Now that joys of center pin fishing are being discovered out here, we are having to rediscover our roots and the techniques that work best here as well. It's unfortunate for those in the NW that are wanting to learn centerpin casting that there aren't more resources, like videos, that are tailored or directed to our area, such as the BC ("swing" or "across the body") cast. FWIW, here's my feeble attempt to show a comparison of the Wallis and the BC cast side by side. Hopefully others will contribute better resources for our area as this highly effective technique gains resurgence in the NW.


For those wanting to get started with a centerpin, casting can definitely take some getting used to coming from a baitcaster or spinning reel. But with a littel practice you can easily become proficient in a fairly short time. Whether you use every type of cast or not, it's still best to learn as many as you can because each have their particular advantages and disadvantages. You can also use combinations too. For some folks the learning curve is short, some longer, but once it becomes second nature it sure is a lot of fun.

Enjoy!