Task 4 Discussion 9

Walter & Group...

[GH] For background information on Casts & Mends as well as slack line presentations, I've included an attachment with some quotes from the fly casting literature. I wrote this as partial answer to a question from one of you which was not included in our Group messages.

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[GH] Rich Kovars comments on the formula I used for determining the speed the loop in terms of that of its fly leg :

Gordy,

I'm a little confused by your formula.

It seems to me that in order to form a loop the speed of the rod leg of a loop must be near zero (it is anchored to the rod). The fly leg is moving the fastest at the point where the rod stops. It is decelerating from that point forward (losing energy due to friction). The mend is traveling down an essentially static line. The trick with this task is to show your control over when to make the mend in order to have it terminate at a specific distance.

If you make it earlier in the cast you allow it to travel farther down the static line. Later in the cast will have it terminate closer to you. As a side note: At the point where the mend overtakes the forward edge of the loop the cast will become a hook or curve cast.

Feel free to omit this from the discussion if it is way off base.

--Rich

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[GH] Rich,

Your thinking is spot on, as I see it, except for the need for the speed of the rod leg to be near zero in order to form a loop.

I agree that when forming a mend after the cast that the mend wave does travel down a rod leg which isn't moving much if at all.

If I form a mend and then elect to shoot it out, the mend was already formed and then shoot out the whole thing. Very tricky timing is needed. I do NOT recommend this technique for Task 4.

As I see it, the loop can form once the fly leg starts to overtake the rod tip. I think this can happen so long as there is some degree of resistance to the rod leg at the rod tip and that that can occur even if the rod leg is moving as when we shoot line. The speed of the rod leg being less than that of the fly leg in part due to friction between the fly line and the tip-top and rod guides as well as the inertia of the fly line as we slip or shoot line.

In my answer to Ckling Ling who asked, " So what are the determinants as to how fast and how far a mend travels down a fly line ?" , I pointed out that I was not able to give a solid answer to that. Then I cited my observations which included :

# The rate that the wave went down the line seemed roughly proportional to the speed of my casting (line / loop speed).

No true formula was applied to this. No actual measurements. I pointed out that it was only my subjective interpretation and that actual measurements might well prove me wrong.

Quite apart from the travel of the wave down the line, I then said this :

" * Basic formula : Loop speed = speed of the fly leg + speed of the rod leg divided by 2 ."

I did not include a simpler formula relating loop speed to that of the fly leg when the line is fixed at the rod tip as no line is shot (speed of rod leg = zero) : Loop speed = 1/2 fly leg speed.

I should point out that by loop speed I mean the speed of the forward edge of the loop in the direction of the cast, NOT the speed or rate of turnover.

# Elsewhere, we've pointed out that the earlier we make the mend move, the farther out on the line it appears. and the converse : The later we make that move, the closer it is to the caster. You also made that clear.

Gordy

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[GH] Tomorrow, I believe we'll be ready to tackle Task 5 (Curve casts).