Practice line shoots / Distance casting practice

Walter & Group...

Tips on shooting line when practicing distance casting by Gary Eaton.  My comments in bold blue italics in his text     G:

Gordy,

 

My long standing foundation task for distance (and to establish readiness for double-haul) is one hand shoot. With Scientific Angler's Expert Distance I can routinely shoot 80% of the amount of fly line I am carrying when the carry is 25 to 45 feet. It really gives distance oriented students pause to see consistent casts over 75-feet with one hand. With ideal conditions, or if I am having a good casting day, I will shoot 120% or more of amount carried beyond the rod tip. This applies to shoot only on the delivery cast, not back cast shoot.

 

As you probably know, Gary, Convensional "wisdom" in fly casting circles has been that one can't shoot much more than an additional 50% of the line carried outside the rod tip when false casting.   As you have done, many have proved that dictum to be incorrect.  Better casting techniques with tighter loops and higher line speeds along with modern fly line designs with either textured surfaces (sharkskin lines and the "Ridge" lines) as well as those with super slick surfaces as well as new types of fly rod guides have combined to make this possible.  Another thing which helps change the formula, is the technique of shooting lots of line on the last back cast allowing the momentum of the rapidly traveling and unrolling back cast loop to add an element of "pre-load..... Your # 2, below.)  Other techniques such as the "thrust" in the direction of the cast can help, too.     G.

 

Performing this demonstration has helped me realize a few things that I try to get my accomplished casters to hone -

 

1) Light SW 7-weight performs much better for loop consistency over 50-feet than most freshwater designed rods.

 

2) High, tight back casts are the key to developing loop momentum that carries line into the shoot.

 

3) Clean line gives about a 10% advantage; Sharkskin about 5%; but these percentages decrease dramatically as one approaches their individual performance limits.

 

4) As one approaches their individual single-handed performance limits, percentage of shoot compared to amount carried becomes inverse. In other words, carrying 30 feet  you can get to 70 pretty easily compared to carrying 60 feet and trying to turn that into 120. feet.

 

The principle of diminishing returns.    G.

 

5) The view from the rod handle makes the back cast appear to be at a more upward angle than it is from the side. Canadian Lou Steven alluded to this in his book Improving Your Fly Casting. Seek the most upward back cast you can generate without losing your loop- then drift to a reaching start point for your forward drag to forward cast.

 

I wasn't aware of this !   G.

 

6) Tom White used to tell me not to throw every distance cast I could. He expected me to know when I had a winner in the air and be disciplined enough to appreciate that letting it fly was for my gratification, not my development.

 

 

7) One hand shooting makes the line to-be-shot management less of an issue than when double hauling. Still needs to be managed, just a little different.

 

8) The most valid feed back one can generate for self-study is video imaging as long as you get the loop included in your video.

 

That isn't easy to do when you're carrying over 60' of line.    G.

 

9) Casting in an alley or lane helps produce good 180-degree acquisition. This relationship reduces mis-spent energy.

 

Yes.  This forces one to track more accurately.   G.

 

10) When rod leg, fly leg, and the rod movement plane are most closely aligned, the longest shoots become possible. High line speed, tight loops, and good timing remain essential.

 

I may have more later,

 

 Gary Eaton, MCCI

 

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From Jim Valle:

Hi Gordy and Group,

 

Great string of answers from the group on distance casting.

Couple things I would mention as more basic stuff that is often overlooked.

 

Stance, getting the proper balance and stretch from the body is a function of the basic starting stance.  Leaning back and stretching forward requires a broader stance …this is really  extension of the stroke length… Long Line…Long Stroke…!

While stance ranges from style to survival, with distance casting most elite casters find that an open stance works best.  G.

 

Drift,  …. Extend that stroke length for the next stroke

 

Layback … some stroke and drift combined

Yes.  Drift, Layback or Lefty's technique of simply bring the rod tip way back in the first place.  (Technically, both Drift and Layback are really performed after RSP, when the loop has formed. Layback done too early, during the stroke, can have the effect of an out of control wrist. )  Layback and Drift can be combined.    G.

 

Tracking…. If you are drifting off the perfect 180 degrees on your backcast you are throwing an inefficient curve and loosing energy.

 True, indeed.  This is one fault which may not be picked up on video taken from the side, because this yields a loop which is wide or open in the horizontal loop plane.  (Check the drawing on p. 30 of Joan Wulff's FLY CASTING TECHNIQUES.)   G.

Wrist… if your wrist or arm is rotating during the cast you are putting a curve in there somewhere

 

This next one is my favorite….which everyone forgets to consider!

 

Grip…. If you are trying to cast in a vertical or near vertical plane you either are breaking your thumb or wrist or twisting something…. Try a grip that will allow more rod angle change, like a 3 point grip (Gary or Jason Borger)  

 Or Lefty Style…(Note: this is a real advantage of the Lefty style … you don’t fight your physiology, long extensions without inefficient twisting … stay on the shelf)

For me, the use of Lefty's style with thumb on top has worked best.  Some elite super distance casters as the Rajeff's, use a modified V-grip.    G.

 

And quit false casting so much ….!

I can't quarrel, however, with making that one more perfect back cast before going with the delivery cast.  If you keep trying and not getting it, however, simply continuing with the false casting will lead to fatigue.   G.

 

 

I know this helps!

Jim V

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COMMENT:  I'll never be a Steve Rajeff or a Rick Hartman, but I do have a little self made "rule" which I use when I'm alone practicing to increase or maintain my distance casting ability:

As I gradually increase line carried, I use Bill Gammel's method of making my loops ever faster.  Once my cadence is as fast as I can make it and my loops have not deteriorated, I make my distance cast to a target.

I do not go to the next line length, however, until I can duplicate this 5 times in succession !

Gordy

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