Learning From A Legend       Few of us in life ever get an opportunity to meet our idols let alone have a chance to sit down and learn from them. I consider myself to be a fortunate individual, not only do I know Stu Apte but he has been gracious enough to share some of his vast knowledge of Fly Fishing with me.       In a recent conversation, Stu and I discussed what he felt were the most important aspects to becoming a successful Fly Fisherman. Of course being accurate goes without saying, if you can't put the food on the table you're never going to get the fish to eat. But accuracy alone won't cut it; you have to be able to deliver the Fly quickly.       Life on the Flats is sudden, a Redfish tail will pop-up here, a Tarpon will roll there, and you never know when a Snook will be traveling down a shoreline. These fish don't normally give you a lot of time to feed them, and seldom give a second chance, so you have to make every shot count.       The only way to achieve the ability to take advantage of these opportunities is by practicing. The problem is most of us practice the wrong way, we'll go out in the front yard and try to pitch the Fly line 100 feet. This is impressive but using 17 false casts and not aiming at a specific target will not make us faster or more precise. The only way to do that is by practicing the right way.       Start by stripping out whatever amount of line you're comfortable casting. Next, you need to form two loops. The first loop should be 15 to 18 feet long. It's created by holding the Fly with thumb and forefinger of your non-casting hand and placing the Fly line between the ring and little finger of that same hand. The second loop consists of the Fly line from your non-casting hand to the rod tip and should be between 12 and 15 feet long.       These lengths are guidelines; the loops are going to vary depending on your height and if you're casting from a platform. Just remember, the more line you carry out of the rod tip, the fewer false cast you'll need to make which equates to a faster delivery. Also, when you're creating these loops, make sure that the first one hangs lower than the second one, if it's not you're going to increase your chances of the loops getting tangled by ten fold.       To start the casting process, begin by making an aggressive forward Roll cast letting the energy from the line pull the Fly out of your fingers. Once the line straightens out ahead of you, come back with your normal back cast shooting some line using a double haul. After the rod loads up from your back cast, simply make a forward cast, once again utilizing a double haul, and let it fly.       This is going to feel odd at first and you're not going to get the distance you think you need. But keep working on it, in a matter of days you'll be casting at least 70 feet, which is plenty since most fish caught on Fly are within 60 feet of the boat.       Once you're comfortable with the speedy delivery start working on your accuracy. Use the same casting method trying to hit different targets at varying distances. Don't cast to the same target ten times in a row, hit the one at 35 feet first, then the one at 70 feet, and so on. You're trying to duplicate real life situations and as you know fish have tails and they rarely stay in the same spot for any length of time.       You also need to practice in every conceivable wind condition. The wind dramatically affects the way your Fly line travels, and if you don't know how to compensate for it, you're going to be humbled very quickly.       Fly Fishing and Golf have a lot in common, you try to build muscle memory and create rhythm and timing through repetitive practice. The physical aspect of both sports is important, but probably pales in comparison to the mental aspect. Be positive when you're practicing, convince yourself you're a good caster and build your confidence.       Confidence is the one trait that every successful Fly Fisherman has and with the proper practice you will gain it too. Back