Casting mechanics, Cont'd

Walter & Group....

From Bill Keister.  My brief comments in his text in italics.     G.:

Gordy,

 

A few anecdotes about loop formation relative to Soon Lee's remarks and the response they have provoked.  But, first I have to thank Soon Lee for the article in The Loop on "Teaching Beginners Fly-Casting" it is my bible.   I am still firmly convinced that loop formation is the result of line trajectory and the position of the rod tip when it becomes an effective anchor point for the rod leg.  

 

All of us should dig out Soon's article out and read it. 

 

Intersting comment about the rod leg "anchor point".  Not to be confused with the term "anchor" as applied to the fly, leader and a bit of fly line on the water when roll casting.  Ths is a point of attachment at the point where the fly line overtakes the rod tip at RSP.  It is a moving attachment due to friction between the line and the rod tip when releasing or shooting line. That point is needed in order for the loop to unroll.  A point of resistance.  G.

 

1.  When I lawn cast most days I spend at least some time whining to see how fare and chuck the fly.  On occasion I dramatically over power the end of the cast and windup with a great deal of counter flex.  This pulls the rod leg of the loop way down (open).  But, if I raise the rod tip back up immediately  I can, as I think of it, "repair" the loop.  It is done in real time, but it is a couscous effort.  I think it works because the size of the loop has already been established and there is a great deal of tension in the rod leg so the the line is stretched between the bottom of the loop and the rod leg. 

 

In your first sentence, do you mean, "winding up to see how far I can chuck the fly " ? 

 

Yes.  In a way, you have partly "countered the counterflex".   G.

 

2. I have already described the first conterflex wave that follows the loop on a cast that has a very powerful stop.  I finally found that the counterflex could be mitigated or eliminated by using a "softer" stop.  Counter flex can be contolled by the way the stop is performed.  The video really showed it well. 

 

We have pointed out previously that a true "brick wall stop" defined by sudden complete cessation of motion produces terribly deformed loops and lots of waves in the line leading to a mess of a layout.  I like to look at it in terms of a controlled stop.... usually the best we can achieve as human beings.  That control can include a way that affects counterflex.     G.

 

3. Nine or ten years ago I build a fly rod out of an 10 1/2 foot fly rod out of a noodle rod blank built to be used with 2 pound test line.  The rod works with a 4 weight line (thought it would use a much lighter linen).  I found that by being very careful with the rod I could through very tight loops, 6 to 12 inches.  I can only do this out to 30 or 40 feet, but it works.  What this says to me is that as long as you can throw a reasonable straight line and bring the rod tip to rest close to the trajectory of the oncoming line tight loops can be thrown.  You certainly can not do a hard speedup and stop with this rod.

 

Agree.  That "hard speed-up-and-stop" dramatically increases counterflex and following rebound.  G.

 

4. I use to throw an interesting tailing loop while I was lawn casting.  Where I cast I have about 100 feet of clear ground in front of me.  Behind me was some high brush.  On long casts I had to lift my backcast 20 to 25 feet up over the brush.  On long cast the line trajectory would be down but the rod leg was horizontal to stay above the ground.  The loop would get continually smaller until the loop size went negative and the oncoming line collided with the rod leg.  After several years I cured the problem with a saw and brush hook.

 

Also...  If you make a high back cast followed by a horizontal forward trajectory cast you have less than 180 degrees between the two trajectories.  Provided you don't change casting planes between the two, a tailing loop is likely to result anyway.   G.

 

5.  Same place I have a drive way beside the high brush.  If I throw the backcast down the driveway I could keep it low, but it was 20 degrees off to the right. The loops would kick off the the left on the forward cast.  Both of these faults (4 & 5) illustrate the necessity of a straight line with front and back cast at 180 degree to each other.  

 

Necessity with straight line overhead casting, yes.  Not so with elliptical or "continuous tension" (oval) casting.  G.

 

Bill

 

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Lou Bruno asks a question about my comment on Juergen Freisenhahn's picture and note on the differences in outcome when casting a tailing loop in the vertical as opposed to the more horizontal plane:

 

Gordy,

I would appreciate further clarification on your statement,

 

?We must also remember that when casting in an off vertical plane, gravity on the loop plays a different roll and may help prevent the actual tail..... or at least the collision.?

 

and how this might pertain to task 18 on the master exam.

 

Task 18. Explain and demonstrate how to cast loops with parallel legs, explaining why loop legs get out of parallel and why this is bad.

 

Thanks,

Lou

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Lou...

 

One of several reasons for loop legs getting out of parallel is the effect of gravity.  This can magnify the out of plane loop legs produced by alterations in rod tip path.   A sagging loop leg due to inappropriate application of power can do that as line speed becomes insufficient to maintain the loop with parallel legs when casting in the vertical plane.

 

When casting in a more horizontal rod plane, gravity can pull the fly leg farther out of parallel, too ... though in a different direction with respect to the rod leg.

 

When casting in one of the ways to produce a concave rod tip path in the vertical plane, that can yield a tailing loop with a collision and a "wind knot".

 

That very same maneuver when done with a more horizontal casting plane, will still yield the tailing loop, but a collision and knot may not occur due to the fact that gravity can open up that tailing loop to the point that it is reduced to an "almost tail" as gravity drops the fly leg far enough from the rod leg to prevent an actual crossover collision.

 

That is how the so-called, "Maloney cast" is made to flip an "almost tail" beneath overhead brush by Michael Maloney.*

 

When taking a Master's exam, the candidate must avoid a tailing loop no matter the casting plane in any event except when actually demonstrating the tail.

 

Also, when performing the tasks, particularly the ones on loop control, he needs to do these in such a manner that the loops are plainly visable to the students. This is best accomplished by casting in a vertical or near vertical casting plane.  We might look at that as a "teaching style" of casting .... NOT a change in the candidate's overall casting style.

 

* Jason Borger's NATURE OF FLY CASTING by Jason Borger, p. 76.

 

Gordy

 

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