Fishing sinking lines / Line "carried"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When fishing sinking lines I'm very wary of just
dumping slack line with any kind of mend. I think its more important
to be in touch with the fly AS IT SINKS through the water column as it
is to be in touch on the deep swing as its straightens and then the
retrieve. The SINK PHASE is critical for a lot of my success with
sinking lines, its why I want that fly sinking first. Many fish, from
the fastest to the slowest, feed on the remnants of what's sinking
from above. I like to control the sink through my fingers so I can
detect and set the hook on a take. If I need to get deeper I'll cast
the fly up current or up wind, let it sink until its under the boat
and then tighten on the line just enough get back in touch with the
fly and then control the sink rate from there.

Peter Morse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes when we have a strong current, wind, or both, we cannot achieve the needed depth if we afford the luxury of staying in touch with the line. Otherwise, I agree that it is a good idea.

Some of our species will take the fly on the way down despite the lack of staying in touch even when we use repeated stack mends. When that happens, we don't always feel the take until everything comes tight, but we still get the fish. When fishing for Wahoo or tuna, the strike is usually so fast that we know it instantly as the last stack mend made straightens out lightning fast.

One could argue the point that we may be losing fish which take without us knowing. Probably true..... but we have to feed line as fast as we can... stacks and all if we cannot get to the feeding depth by other means.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

I was hoping you may be able to help with a definition or explanation of what would be acceptable in describing the length of the line carried while casting. I have seen it referred to as the length of line as measured from the rod tip to the line end and it has also been referred to as the length of line as measured from where it is held by the line hand to the end of the line.

I guess my question is this. The general accepted rule is that one should be able to shoot the equivilant of 50 % of the line that is being carried. Am I correct in assuming that this would be a formula that is based on line carry outside the rod tip (due to the rod being loaded by that line).

Distance casters (I,m thinking of Paul Arden) refer to "line carry" as the length of line held as measured from the line hand to the line end.

I,m making an attempt at the Masters level at the FFFconclave at the end of the month and I,m just trying to clear up a few things that are going through my head right now.

To avoid confusion, you may have noted that when I discuss this, I refer to it this way: "...... the line carried out of the rod tip."

If I wished to describe it the other way, I'd say: "The line carried from the line hand." This way, there can be no confusion, because you have clarified the term at the outset.

The statement that one should be able to shoot approximately 50% of the line carried usually refers to the line out of the rod tip. Some casters under some conditions can shoot more than that .... even more than 50% of the line carried from the line hand.

Point is that this is a very approximate estimation because the length of line shot relative to that carried depends upon so many factors. It also will vary with the length of line out of the rod tip in the first place.

Go out and try it. If you carry only 20' of line out of the rod tip your percentage of line shot will be a great deal different than if you cast while carrying 70'. (If you can carry a full 70' of line out of the tip and shoot 50% of that it means that you will have made a cast of 70 + 35 = 105' ... not easy !

I've seen better casters than I'll ever be actually carry 90' of line out of the rod tip. If they shot 50% of that, they'd have made a a cast of 90 + 45 = 135'. Problem is they can't do that. Most are doing fine to make 120'.

Now, if you carry 20' of line out of the tip and shoot 50% of it, you have made a cast of 20 + 10 = 30'.... No problem.

Let's take it one step further: False cast with 10' of line out of the tip. You can make a cast of 10' + 5' = 15'.....easy !

If you carry 45' feet of line out of the tip and are using a 40' sinking head, your percentage of line shot will be much greater than it will if you carry 45' of a forward taper floating line.

One of the most common problems I have seen when coaching MCCI candidates is the distance cast which has a poor layout and doesn't make the 85' distance for the reason that the caster has false casted until he has more line out of the rod tip than he can handle well. We, then, work together to determine the length of line he can carry and still have nice tight loops and high loop speed. I mark the line with a piece of 4 lb. mono tied at that point around the line with a nail knot. The candidate can feel this and refrain from releasing any more line than that while false casting.

The next cast usually has a nice layout and makes the mark. When measured, it usually is true that the length of line shot is a higher percentage of that carried out of the rod tip, too.