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Walter & Group...
[GH] Question from Lewis Hinks :
Hi Gordy,
I am wondering if the 40 ft, is the amount of line we are to work with, or is it the distance our fly should reach once the slack line casts are made. If the latter, we must obviously slip line during the cast or else we will not reach 40'.
It is my belief that this is the amount of line we are to work with, as the object of the exercise is to demonstrate the slack line casts, not control presentation distance at the same time, but I could be wrong.
Lewis
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[GH] Lewis,
After reading your question, I went out and did it both ways.
Easy either way for the narrow waves. (A so-called, "wiggle cast".)
Now for the wide slack waves -
I placed the fly close to my 40' mark (caster to fly) with 5 slack waves of 6' total width between my rod tip and the fly "target". My leader was 8' in length.
Then I measured the total line/leader length from the rod tip to the fly at 57'. Of course, that meant I was casting with 49' of actual fly line.
Casting with the same length of line out of the rod tip, I couldn't make the 40' mark if I placed the waves closer together.
I could form 7 of those 6' waves, but could then only get the fly about 30' out.
Did I comply with the expectations in each instance ? Depends upon how one interprets the task description.
Either way, I did demonstrate my ability to form a series of slack waves each sufficiently wide.
You are correct, as I see it, that the main objective is to know that the candidate has the ability to form multiple slack waves both narrow and wide.
Gordy
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[GH] From Tom Cooper :
Gordy,
OK, so I'm going to be nit-picky here and it goes back to definitions. A wave is measured as its distance from its undisturbed position (Amplitude) and the undisturbed position would be a straight line cast. Looking at an ocean wave we have crests (positive amplitude), troughs (negative amplitude) and calm water (undisturbed position).
If I was an exacting person and practiced to what the Expectations asked for, my wide slack waves would be 6 feet to the right of the line of a straight cast and 6 feet to the left. That's 12 feet from the positive amplitude to the negative on the wide and 4 feet on the narrow.
Now, I know that would be wrong and that you're measuring from positive amplitude to negative, ... well wait a minute... are you?
See how easy miscommunication can happen. Just add:
Wide slack waves should be approximately 6 feet in total width; narrow waves approximately 2 feet in total width.
Tom C
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[GH] I agree with your suggestion.
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[GH] From Jim Valle :
Gordy and Group,
A little simple heads up strategy ….on this and all other tasks
Make this obvious the first time, otherwise be prepared to do it again, that’s another full set of casts that are totally unnecessary… give your casting arm a break and plan your energy usage efficiently.
If you bore your examiners with unnecessary repeats on this you are going to bore your students too!
This has to be the easiest task on the exam ! C’mon Man! Nail it! And move on!
Don’t get the wrong idea I don’t think I have ever witnessed a test that didn’t allow repeats on this task, but why go through it, it brings the first cloud on a sunny day. Get this task on the perfect every time list and spend your time on the more complex casts.
Oh, and Cast Slow!
Hope that helps,
~ Jim ~
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[GH] Jim,
I have had candidates fail this task, mainly because of erratic slack waves and also because of being unable to consistently make waves anywhere near 6' in total width. Also; lots of confusion over "how many" big loops and how far to cast. We've had some confusion, as well over whether to do this as a true slack line cast or to make the slack line waves as mends.
Dennis Grant pointed out to me one day that one reason for the erratic waves is that the caster tries to make them by moving the rod tip from side to side. OK for the small waves, but much better when trying to make well controlled wide loops, to move the entire rod and hand from side to side. Style ? I think so, so I wouldn't hold a candidate to this ...... but it works a lot better when done that way when I do it.
We must not forget that the candidate may be asked when and how this slack line technique would be used for fishing / stream conditions. (Hard to believe, but I tested more than one candidate who had no idea of how to use this on the stream. One of them guessed and was dead wrong.) Some stumble when asked when to use narrow waves and when to use wide waves when fishing.
Candidates may also be asked to teach the task. That can separate those with solid teaching experience from the "book learners".
Gordy
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