Walter & Group....
Bruce Richards comments on Mark Milkovitch's answers to the fly line quiz :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Lou Bruno:
Gordy,
In
regard to the answer you gave for question 42. How can a long taper have earlier
reduction in mass in compared to a short taper? Wouldn?t it be just the
opposite?
Lou
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lou...
Does seem counter intuitive !
Here's how I see it:
Consider the length of the forward tapers of these heads first. NOT THE LENGTH OF THE ENTIRE HEAD.
The length of the forward taper of the short head is usually less than that of the forward taper of the long head. The mass only begins to reduce as the unfurling loop reaches the back part of that forward taper no matter the length of the entire head.
Now let's assume that the length of the two heads are the same, though the tapers differ:
The long taper starts the reduction in mass sooner thus yielding earlier energy dissipation which is the reason that its presentation is more delicate compared with the short taper where mass reduction doesn't start until the loop unrolls to the rear of its forward taper..... then reduces very quickly resulting in a more forceful splash-down.
This is well described in Bruce Richards' MODERN FLY LINES on pp. 68 - 70. Look closely at the forward taper lengths in the drawings on p. 69.
Another way to put it is that with the longer forward taper the mass reduction and therefore the conversion of mass to velocity is more gradual resulting in more efficient dissipation of energy as the loop unrolls.
With the shorter taper, this whole process occurs later and in a shorter time period resulting in less efficient and less complete dissipation of energy and a less delicate presentation.
Short answer: With the long taper, mass reduction starts earlier and is more gradual. With the short taper, mass reduction starts later and is quicker. This is due to the length and steepness of the forward tapers of these heads.
Now it is true that the longer the HEAD the later it is that this energy dissipation will start because it takes longer for the longer head to unroll to the point that the forward taper begins to unroll at which point mass reduction can begin .
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comment on answers to Question 30 :
30.) Is
there any advantage to using a density compensated fly line over one of the
older standard sinking fly lines of the
same rating
and sink rate?
Yes
two important ones: 1. the sink rate refers to the fastest sinking part of the
line and in the density compensated line that is
the
tip
rather than the belly and 2. the straighter line enhances strike
detection.
There is another distinct advantage to the density compensated (uniform sink) fly line. As this line is retrieved, the fly gets down into a deep strike zone and stays there much longer.
With an uncompensated sinking fly line, the fly may never get down into the strike zone even if the belly of the line does ......
Even if it eventually gets down to this level, it won't be there nearly as long, so the likelihood of a strike is markedly reduced.
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Jim Bass:
Gordy,
In about 1960, give or take a
year, I attended a Southwest Casting Association Tournament (NAACC) now ACA and
we cast a game called Skish Fly Distance. We used a led core line covered with
Dacron. The running line was a monofilament of 12 lb test. It would
go. We took the average of three casts. This was my only experience
with a lead core line.
The test was great and I learned
much.
Thanks
Jim Bass
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~