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Walter & Group...
[GH] From Jim Penrod :
Hi Gordy,
As I have ever so slowly worked towards testing for THCI I can relate well to your note. It took me about a year before I did not have to stop and think about what bank I was on and which cast I should use. Now it is second nature. Even if one does not get into two-handed casting this is basic knowledge a MCI should have as one handed spey casting is becoming more and more popular. Note Simon Gawesworth's latest book (One Handed Spey Casting) which is excellent for those who do not wish to enter into the two handed world.
Jim
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[GH] Jim,
Thanks. I'll add that to me library.
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[GH] From Ally Gowans :
Hi Gordy,
A few comments on continuous motion casts:
I have done lots of demonstrations on various surfaces. The only surface on which a normal cast of these types can be made is on water, there are radical changes to timing etc needed to cast on some surfaces to the extent that there is absolutely no guarantee that someone who can reliably make decent casts on grass may be adjudged to be equally good on water and conversely some excellent casters have not mastered the somewhat pointless exercise of casting on grass. In fairness all testing of these casts should be done on water.
The switch cast is a change of direction cast in which the D loop may not be absolutely aligned with the forward direction which makes this cast ideal when you have to fish in tight situations against tress, steep banks etc. and there is no room of a Spey cast and an aligned D loop. Changes of up to about 30 degrees can be accommodated (depending on line length) which is unsurprisingly similar to the limit of comfortable change of direction of an overhead cast. To make a Switch Cast without a crossover loop the anchor must be placed outside the casting direction – same for all of this family of casts.
Mentioning crossover loop leads me to mention tailing loops and query exactly what they are because is all forms of Spey and Roll casts the fly clearly follows a course that could if it occurred in straight line casts be described as a tailing loop. True tailing loops are possible with Roll and Spey casts but they are less common than crossovers and must not be confused with them. But when is a cast adjudged to be a tailing loop?
a) When the legs are not parallel?
b) When fly leg path crosses the rod leg path without contact?
c) When the fly leg and rod legs collide due to paths crossing?
Since tailing loops are mentioned a lot in the tests I think that a clear definition should if possible be provided for students.
Best wishes,
Ally Gowans
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[GH] Ally,
I've been under the assumption that a switch cast is similar to the single Spey with no change of direction intended.
Are we now to take the position that the degree of position change separates one from the other ???
Defining the tailing loop as a collision between the two legs of the loop would make it easy... however, I think most examiners have been calling it a tail when the fly leg path crosses the rod leg path even without a collision. As you know, some have called that a "tendency to tail" or an "almost tail". Many flunk if this occurs. Despite this, it is not clear as I interpret the task descriptions or the present preamble.
I agree that a clear definition is needed for both teaching and testing purposes.
Even then, if we are to flunk a "tendency to tail", it leaves open to interpretation the question, "Well, how much of a tendency to tail will we accept ?"
I've never been entirely comfortable with the concept of "parallel loop legs". Truth is, the very best casters almost never have really parallel loop legs in all planes.
Gordy
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