|
Walter & Group...
[GH] From Lewis Hinks :
Hi Gordy,
Dusty raises an interesting comment: "which to our committee means line hand may hold line".
Does holding the line with the line hand, but not moving the line hand, constitute a haul?
To my mind there is no intentional haul, but I can see how extra load can be put on the rod.
Lewis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Lewis,
No. Holding the line with the line hand but not moving the line hand does not constitute a haul.
Holding the line, say at waist level, without moving the line hand results in some "sliding" which would change the rod load a bit by increase as the two hands move away from one another and diminishing it as they come closer together. Holding the line while moving the line hand in concert with the movement of the rod hand would neither augment nor diminish rod load. Clamping the line to the cork with no use of the line hand would also do neither.
For both CCI and MCI Testing Committees, the intent of the wording: NO HAULING and NO HAULING ALLOWED is to literally forbid hauling; yet to allow the candidate to hold the line.
One of the reasons for this, as I understand it, is that for some tasks such as going from a distant target to a closer one without hauling would best be done by allowing the candidate to control line length while false casting.
In contrast, we have the wording : ROD HAND ONLY. This means exactly what it says... the candidate may not hold or touch the line hand while executing the task. (Of course, one way of doing it is to hold the line to the cork handle with a finger of the rod hand.)
I'm reasonably sure that this will be covered in the Preamble to each new test version.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] From Harry Boyd :
While I realize that this is an interesting test of line handling, I wonder to what practical applications this test speaks? What fisherman uses such a cast in his routine fishing activities? What student comes to a teacher asking to learn to make small mends at various distances?
Harry Boyd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] I see it as a test of in-the-air mend line control.
If the caster can form accurately placed small to medium sized mends at predetermined points and do it well almost every time, then I think it a reasonable assumption that he will find more common and less demanding mending challenges on the stream easy.
Once having perfected this task, the instructor will, I think, be much better able to teach the mechanics of mending.
I've used it when fishing streams with narrow tongues of current to counteract. Of course, its of little or no use for countering wide currents or the current of an entire run.
I can't think of a reason for me to use the technique in the salt.
Gary Borger has said that he uses it on still waters , though i don't see how.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Gary Eaton comments on Ling's proposal, and then looks at it from a teaching standpoint :
Gordy,
Ling's proposed methodology appeals to me because of the precise distance references, but these are devoid of line and loop speed considerations. (note my previous caution to avoid excessive speed so as not to pull the mend out of the line before it falls). In Ling's approach, the first requirement will be consistent delivery velocities that may be ill-advised for outdoor testing where wind variability requires more versatile instinctive adjustments. Tom White sounded like a Nike commercial when he would tell me,"Stop thinking about it and just do it!" As many have noted, this is the most difficult task and my key admonition is to decide on a specific line and rod and use nothing else from first serious prep effort through testing.
Ling's proposed method becomes much more palatable as instruction, introduction and intention. I summarize the theory as - further-sooner, nearer-later - in my lessons. The aerial mend furthest from the caster needs to be generated closer to RSP and a mend at the rod-tip can be generated as the completely unrolled loop falls.
Walt wisely advised keeping a very straight line. I have worked with MCI candidates who select a very flexible rod. They often have trouble controlling counter-flex at the terminus of both the side and back lateral movements with resulting "crossover". My teaching approaches include to hand them a stiffer rod - more of the light Salt Water, 7-weight type. Almost all candidates immediately overcome the crossover AND have a sharper "tooth" shaped mend. Some just hate the tip-flex rod, despite their performance improvement (somewhat frustrating to me). Next, I set-up their rod with two line weights lighter line and have them repeat it. Same net resolution of the flawed layout. When I ask them to resolve the conflict between lower line mass in overcoming wind, maintaining momentum on distance tasks, and consistency on accuracy in wind - they resume their search for the optimal rod and line combination. I end-up paraphrasing Tom White - if they allow you a 7-weight, why handicap yourself with anything less?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Gary,
I do the same thing with my mend lessons using slightly different words :
" Nearer ? DO IT LATE AND LOW. "
" Farther ? DO IT EARLY AND HIGH."
We must remember that only one outfit is allowed to be used on the exam except in rare instances such as a broken rod or other tackle failure. That choice is a reasonable compromise resulting in rod and line which will comply with the clearly stated limits and while not the perfect choice for any one task, will perform satisfactorily for all of them.
My reasons for advising the use of a 7 wt. line, as Tom did, are multiple. One of them is that both candidate and examiner can more easily SEE the line which helps prevent the need for a candidate to be asked to repeat a task.
(Better visibility makes that line a better one to use for teaching as well.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|