Answer: no. A fly leg that dips towards the rod leg but never crosses it does not meet the definition. A tailing loop needs both: a concave fly leg — not straight, and dipping towards the rod leg — and a crossing of that rod leg. Until the legs cross, what you are watching is a concave fly leg, not a tailing loop.

That distinction matters when you describe a cast. “The fly leg dipped towards the rod leg” is a fact anyone can check. “That is a tailing loop” is a conclusion, and the definition only supports it once the crossing has happened.

The definitions keep the two parts separate. A loop whose fly leg crosses the rod leg without being concave has its own name — the trailing loop — so the shape of the fly leg is doing part of the work, not just the crossing.

On the water or in a lesson, the habit is the same: name what is in front of you and stop there. A dip is a dip. Watch the rest of the unroll, and if the fly leg stays on its own side, say so plainly. Only the crossing earns the name.

Source

From the FFI Fly Casting Definitions (August 2025); terms follow the FFI Fly Casting Definitions; exam details are in the CI Study Guide (2025).