AWAY / Finger line cuts / "creepy" drifts ?/ Roll cast

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Gordy--Just took a quick look through the slice-and-dice part of the e-mail (nice one, Ally!). It's interesting, the two worst line cuts I ever got came from 20-lb dacron backing. One when I was casting a full 10-weight line (holding the backing below the knot in my line hand. I hauled hard, the backing slipped suddenly, and WOW). I still have remnants of that scar 15 years later. The other was this last summer when I was working on a film project. We had a life-size (and weight) "dummy" steelhead that I was supposed to fight across a river. That thing took off like a cannonball and the sizzling backing sliced me line-hand like it meant it. At least the on-set nurse was gentle!

Hope we get the chance to get a few cuts from big 'poon some day! Too bad we have yet to fish together...

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Jason.... Hurts to think about it. Those things take a long time to heal even if no infection sets in ! G.

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In reference to Soon Lee's question about fig. 8-2 in Al's book: The diagram makes much more sense when you realize there are two kinds of drift; translational and rotational. (it follows that there must be two analogous forms of creep) It is hard to tell, but when Lefty is going from position 2 to 3, it looks like he is "laying the rod flat" and the tip goes down, thereby increasing rod arc via rotational drift.

I think Al is making this point on page 87 when he writes " Drifting the tip down in back widens the angle for the rod to rotate through, making it easier to put more bend in the rod..."

In fact, it looks like he is translationally creeping and rotationally drifting!!! More arc, less stroke. The rotational drift could mask the translational creep, with an overall positive net effect?

Irregardless of whether position 1 or 2 is where he stopped, by the time he gets to position 3 his hand has crept forward and the rod tip has drifted downward.

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Steve... I'm bound not to release any of the decisions made by the Glossary Committee until ratified by the CBOG and made "official", for obvious reasons.

Whether the term DRIFT should apply to any movement of the rod tip other that in the direction of an unfurling loop is open to discussion. One author uses the term ROD FADE. to describe the gradual descent of the rod tip. The rod can drift in any direction without this movement being DRIFT as we all see fit to accept it as the definition of a specified event.

I have no quarrel with your description of what we see. It is a matter of what we choose to call these movements and their effects on the cast as we teach, so we can some day all be on the same page.

Having said that, I can point out that we have considered making a distinction between Translation and Creep. We recognize that pure translation can and does occur and that it certainly can be mixed with rotation. Basically, we'd prefer not to use the term Creep unless it has the effect on the cast of diminishing available rod arc. This can happen with a mixture of translational and rotational movements or with pure rotation.

Your second paragraph on Al's notation is important to note, because it calls attention to a movement of the rod which can increase rod arc, not decrease it. Exactly the opposite of what I feel creep accomplishes.

One might even say, "his hand sneaks forward a bit and his rod tip drops a bit, but it isn't CREEP"............

I like Soon's wording.... "creepy maneuvers" ... all this shows how complicated this stuff can get.

No matter what we call these things or how we dissect them, it remains that Lefty is one heck of a caster !!!

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If we make a completely vertical cast off of a D loop that is laying in line with the rod and target,

we will have to dramatically change the trajectory of the cast or it will collide with the on coming line from behind and below.

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I'll be back in a few days. Great if you could be specific in your description of exactly how you would change the trajectory of that cast to prevent the collision in the event you stick with the vertical orientation of the rod.

Fun to discuss ... best to go out and actually do all these things we talk about ! (I'll go out and try this one this afternoon.)

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