The Gull Wing Cast / Casting weighted flies / Tom White's tapes

Walter & Group...

A new experience for me..............

This morning, as I started breakfast, Bruce Chard called me from his flats skiff and told me of a King Kong shrimp hatch with lots of tarpon at a place we both know well .  I leaped up, dashed down to my dock and fired up the iron on my skiff, hightailing it out there.

He was right on. Small tarpon stuffing themselves with shrimp which were popping under a flock of gulls.  Being alone in my skiff, I poled toward the morass, then got down off the push-pole tower and allowed the weather to drift my skiff in its direction, quietly.  I staked out, but the fish were out of my range.   I readied my 7 wt.

As usual, I made my first "clear cast" for distance judgement with lots of line on my deck. 

 A gull flew directly into my forward line loop which became strung briefly over the bird's wing.  This carried my line way beyond any cast I might have made.  As the loop unfurled, I feared the bird would get hooked (happens once in a while)  but the leader came neatly off the wing and the fly settled softly right in front of the tarpon school.  Two strips and I was hooked up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll immortalize this in my memory as my first GULL WING CAST.

Gordy

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                                                       Casting Heavily Weighted Flies

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From Dan Pangaldi :

Hi Gordy,
 
When casting a heavily weighted fly safety is our first concern.  I like to use an oval cast.  We're looking for an open loop on the back cast and forward cast and don't try aerialize too much line.  Reduce false casts and make your haul match your casting stroke intensity. 
 
Dan Pangaldi 
 
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Dan...   You're right about safety!  Getting hit by a heavily weighted fly can be a real problem.   Having experienced just that, my buddy, Dave Sylvester calls it "The Nine Millimeter Slug".

Good comment on the haul.

Gordy

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From Pat Blackwell :

Hi Gordy,
 
When casting heavy flies I like to shorten the leader and make sure there is enough mass to turn the fly over.
 
Cast with an open loop off vertical, or with a continuous tension cast such as a Belgian cast. 
 
If the fly were heavy enough to warrant a short cast I may go up one line weight to help carry the fly and slow the action of the rod down. 
 
If the wind is blowing hard into my casting hand I'll turn and make my back cast the presentation cast.
 
Always keeping in mind that safety is my most important concern.
 
Regards,

Pat Blackwell

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Comment:  By "mass", I assume that Pat is referring to that of the leader and fly line.  (I don't think we'd be able to cast a 1/16th oz. weighted fly with a 3 wt. outfit.)

Since he mentioned the use of the so-called "Belgian cast" I've included in an attachment a piece on that subject done a couple of years ago by Rick Whorwood.  Also, a piece on the subject by MaCauley Lord.

When permit fishing I'll sometimes I'll use an elliptical cast as defined by a significant change of rod planes (casting planes) between the back cast and the forward cast yet without continuous tension.  I make my back cast with the rod in an off-horizontal plane, using sufficient convexity of my rod tip path near the end of that back cast to form a controlled wide loop.  I don't start my forward cast until the back cast loop has unfurled completely, though I don't wait for the heavy fly to fall very far.  This allows me to make a forward cast with a smaller loop by virtue of a much more straight line path of the rod tip.  That way I can get the distance I need even into a wind. I aim for a point a bit ahead of where I want the fly to land, then make a slow check haul to ensure a straight leader turnover.  A straight line and leader layout is essential, because the permit will usually take the fly and almost immediately drop it unless the system can come tight to engage the hook point.

Gordy

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From Jim Bass..

Gordy,  I like to explain to the students a cast which will keep the hook away from their ear.  The continuous tension cast starts with a sidearm back cast and the forward cast moving to more upright cast. With a continues tension on the line until the presentation of the fly. I think this is called the Belgian cast.

 

 

Jim Bass

FFF Certified fly Casting Instructor

E-mail:  jbass3223@xxxxxxx

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Jim .....  Essentially, yes.  I should point out that there have been many different descriptions of the so-called "Belgian cast" over the years.   I've been told that most fly fishers in Belgian never really heard of it by that name.   G.

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From Craig Buckbee:

gordy,

how heavy is this fly? do i need a 9 wgt? 

 

- short leader. stout. keep the energy in the cast from hinging on a weak link.

- constant tension. no sharp change of direction. 'belgium' style (as dan mentioned)

- double spey. good for nymph fishing... (whatever that is... ha ha)

- snap C into a roll cast. similar to the reason for the double spey. big slowish moves.

- false casting is a no no. more chance for error... fly catching line, caster. as well as drying off the fly. 

 

craig

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Comment:     One may well require a 9 wt. outfit if the fly is heavy enough. ... say, 1/24th oz to 1/8th oz.  ( I use a 9 wt. or a 10 wt. when fishing with heavily weighted Clousers or crab flies in the salt.)   If fishing small weighted nymphs for trout, a 4 wt. will likely do just fine.

Re. false casting:   The question was also asked about false casting heavily weighted flies.  I do that regularly when fishing heavy Clouser flies for striped bass, for example.  While false casting, the trick is to open up the loop and use good timing (just enough pause time for the loop to unroll).  I avoid carrying more line than I can handle this way and minimize overhang; adding line on the final back cast shoot prior to my presentation cast.

Gordy

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                                                         Tom White's Teaching Tapes

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Tom's way of teaching fly casting was timeless.  His patience as an instructor unmatched.  A taste of this lives beyond him in his teaching tapes which I look at as a piece of fly casting history.

Sam Doyle enters with this generous offer to lend them to interested members of our Group who may never have seen them :-

Conclave

I was fortunate enough to participate in a number of workshops at this year's Conclave in Loveland, Colorado.  All the workshops were incredibly well done and educational.  The highlight, though, was the Master Casting Instructor Preparation Workshop led by Gordy, Dusty Sprague and Bruce Richards.  I believe I can speak for all the class when I say that it was incredibly informative.  It was evident to all of us how much time Gordy, Dusty and Bruce devoted to class preparation.  If any of you have the opportunity, I really encourageyou to attend future Conclaves. It's very rewarding.

 

As we all know, Gordy is the consummate instructor.  His knowledge and his enthusiasm stand out.  I don't know if we say it enough, but Gordy you are the best.

 

 

Tom White

There were a couple folks in the Master Class interested in the VHS tapes Tom White produced:

 

    Successful Fly Fishing Techniques with Tom White

        Part 1 - Beginner to Intermediate Casting Techniques

        Part 2 - Advanced Casting Techniques with the Double Haul

 

I have a copy of each and would be happy to  lend them to anyone who would like to watch them.  Email me your address at sdoylekpsp@xxxxxxxxxxx.  When you are finished, either send them back to me or I'll have you send them on to someone else who's interested in them.

 

Get together with Colorado casters

A number of us from Colorado discussed getting together periodically to mentor one another with casting and questions.  If any of you are interested, please email me at sdoylekpsp@xxxxxxxxxxx and I will try to arrange a good central location and time that will hopefully work for all.  I would encourage everyone to invite other enthusiasts - novice to advanced.

 

Sam

 

 

 

Samuel C. Doyle

President, Fixed Income Capital Markets

D.A. Davidson & Co.

1600 Broadway, Suite 1100

Denver, CO 80202

303-764-6036

303-764-6052 (fax)

sdoyle@xxxxxxxxx

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