One easy trick is to keep your thumb in line with the rod handle. This will enable you to be more sensitive to the feel of the rod loading. Occasionally stop on the backcast and look at your thumb. This will give you a good indication of how far back the rod is tilted.

Secondly, there is nothing wrong with turning your head and watching your backcast, just don't make it a habit. A better way would be to videotape your cast, if you have that option. Concentrate on a smooth, but deliberate stop as you end your back cast. This gives the cast an extra "kick" to finish its turnover. Keeping your elbow tucked in, do not allow your rod hand to go back past your shoulder. Even by following this rule, you may still go too far back. Imagine your rod tip drawing a line in the air above you. The farther forward or backward you bring the rod, the more arc this imaginary line will exhibit. Try to minimize this arc while allowing enough movement to throw the line. Since your hand will be almost at shoulder height at the end of your backcast, your forward cast should allow your hand to follow a level path. This requires that you make a pushing motion directly out in front of you. This simple exercise will also allow you to conserve energy and have more success with line control.

Not Giving Up On Steelhead
When out for a day steelhead fishing there are many factors that can have influence over ones ability to catch quality fish time an time again. One important factor to becoming a better steelhead fisherman is to understanding their feeding behavior. When presenting flies to steelhead I have seen countless people cast above a good hole and drift the fly till it just passes over the hole then pick it up and cast it to the beginning or the run all over again. Steelhead are a species of fish that like to follow flies for great lengths before viciously taking them. Many strikes come right at the very end of the swing so by stopping swings early to put the fly back over what looks to be the prime spot you could be missing fish that were trailing you fly.

Lost Opportunities While Stillwater Fishing
A quick tip to help fisherman catch more fish while fishing still water is to always remember to keep there rod tip low near the waters surface when retrieving one’s fly. By keeping the rod tip low you are eliminating substantial slack line from being created. Keeping slack line from forming is important to fly fisherman because it retards presentation of flies (during stripping) and causes missed strikes due to decreased sensitivity.

Easy Does It
When fishing leech patterns it is best to use a slow retrieve to produce vicious strikes from feeding fish. Try using long slow pulls of line (about 2 feet at a time or as much as you can mange comfortably) followed up by a slight pause or directional change. This should produce a life-like swimming motion to your fly that will be irresistible to large hungry trout.