Dead drifting -nymphing / Sllide loading

Rick Whorwood clarifies a point on DEAD DRIFTING vs. SWING and reintroduces the topic of nymphing techniques :-

On the subject of nymph/dread drifting a fly. Because most of us here in Southern Ontario spent time using float/drift rods and center pin reels (starting in the late 60's early 70's) it was only natural that when we started nymph fishing with a fly rod, we adapted the style of keeping the rod high. The idea was to keep as much line off the water as possible to eliminate any drag on the line and fly.

The rods we used for float fishing were 13 ft long (lamiglass, then eventually Loomis), today they use rods of 15 ft and longer . The idea is to dead drift your bait more less in a straight line downstream using a float, allowing as little line as possible from the float to the rod tip to touch the water.

The fly rods that are most common here for this technique, are 10ft in length. Most often guys will use a small indicator. The weight is kept to a minimum to allow the nymph to drift close to the bottom in a natural presentation. One point I would make is that we keep the rod more horizontal then vertical.

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I'll bet that most in our Group don't know what you mean by the term, "CENTER PIN". I recall a while back when you introduced me to a fly fisherman who's family included the inventer of the center pin reel.

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On Walters note about the Czech nymphing technique and casting. While I would agree that it may not be traditional casting, you must still control the fly to the target. Those that are very skilled at casting heavy weighted nymphs without a tapered leader (usually straight tippet from the fly line) and little flyline out of the rod, catch more fish. It is difficult to control a heavy weighted nymph without the taper and deliver it accurately to a target. For this I usually rely on some form of a continuos tension cast (without a defined stop in the backcast) and more often with a short cast use a lob cast (modified roll technique) and have learned to aim the trajectory of the fly in the forward stroke at the target. The key is how much power you use to get the fly to the target. It is essential to have the power run out before it gets to the target. This reduces the splash upon entry and overshooting the target. Contact with the fly is not only essential to these tight line nymphing technque but really defines them. So overshooting the target or using to much power that may cause the fly to bounce back and cause slack will reduce your ability to stay in contact with the fly.

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Jeff: This is sometimes facetiously referred to as, "chuck-and-duck" casting. While some may do it this way, as you have pointed out it is not so easy to do it properly ..... when done efficiently, it is a technique all its own. This can be very effective especially for steelhead fishing. (I must admit, the best steely I ever caught was by using that method !)

One needs well controlled wide loop, good timing and careful application of power in order to have an accurate presentation.

Your point about the continuous tension cast is a good one. This entails the use of different rod planes between that of the back cast and that of the forward cast.

I found that a different form of "tension cast" can be effective while standing in the river presenting to a seam .... that is to allow the back cast to hit the water behind you and immediately use a well controlled water haul for the forward cast.

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To understand "slide" it should be compared to "drag", slide is the component of the cast where the rod hand travels toward the hauling hand, drag is the component where the rod hand and hauling hand travel forward together - both are translation. You can eliminate slide by turning it into drag, or you can just forget about it and get yourself into the best position for the power application/effective stroke.

Looking upon it in this light, it's possible to drift [widen available casting arc] while sliding, I definitely lower the rod tip as I come forward when throwing distance. Depending on your definitions model, slide is either part of the stroke or not. I consider it part of the overall stroke but not the effective stroke. It also fits with several definitions of creep :-)

Howdy Gordy and Gang

I Feel a little different about "Slide Loading"

I do not think that the movement of the rod forward or the hand up hs anything to do with rod load. BUT rather BODY LOAD. By this I mean that I make a Back Cast then let my hand reposistion to MY POWER SET.

This where MY body can exert a Good Forward Loading movement. I feel that this movement is what thoes that use the Slide load are doing.

Lefty's new book "Casting With Lefty Kreh"

ISBN 13: 978-0-8117-0369-7

Chapter #3 page 63 -68

Goes into just what causes Shoulder injury. I noted that most that use the Slide Load are "High Elbow or Forward Elbow casters" mostly the High. If they applied all the power that they could with the shoulder it would soon be Rotator-Cuff Problems.

Resetting to a better Body posistion is better way of looking at it.

ol Al

--
Allen Crise
FFF Master Casting Instructor
Hawk Ridge Flycasting School
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As you know, one of the things accomplished by a back drift is that it increases the available stroke length and rod arc for the next forward cast. Another thing it does is to give what some term as "hang time" for repositioning the hand/arm/and (often) the body for this next cast.

Since you quoted Lefty, I'll comment that when you avoid back drift altogether and use his style of casting, you position the rod tip way back at the stop so that the tip has travelled back and up a bit. If you do it the way he teaches with the "elbow-on-the-shelf" and the thumb nail pointing directly opposite your target, and you have relpositioned your body in doing that, you have no need for additional time to reposition anything. You are ready for the presentation cast.

Even we orthopaedic surgeons are not in full agreement on the atheletic movements which can cause rotator cuff injury. Most do agree that it is a combination of repetative motion and musculotendonous strain. Among experienced instructors, some (such as Guy Manning) found the lowest incidence of rotator cuff injuries among elbow forward-vertical-to-off-vertical-rod-plane casters. Some others have found the opposite. My own experience with this is that I see it most often in folks who are using the vertical rod plane-elbow-forward style..... but I think that is because I'm usually dealing with folks who have used this style for fresh water fishing and then try to use it with heavy salt water tackle while trying to pound out casts against strong winds on the flats.

Wow, great stuff. I will be trying to process this for weeks.

HNY to you.

John