Walter & Group...
[GH] Among our numerous fly casting instructor experts around the World, we have seen a plethora of opinions, stated "facts", and physics principles as well as tested and untested theories. As we study these things, we are then confronted with a sea of variables.
Perhaps this is why we fly casters have never had consensus on even what would seem to be the basic definitions of the parameters of the fly cast.
Mark Surtees comes forth with what I see as a refreshing approach to fly casting mechanics. This includes a little quiz. Your answers will require careful thought. I'll ask Mark to critique them.
Gordy
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>From Mark:
Hi Gordy
Like many others I like to think in overlapping layers and depth when I look at casts rather than strictly contiguous events.
I find this helps to explain some of the complexities of casting analysis in an abstract but digestible sort of way and it helps me link up the variables into a meaningful whole that explains, not only the ingredients, but the effect that they have on each other as each casting cake is baked so to speak.
It’s not to everyone’s liking, but, if I operate on the basis that I am, at root, teaching control over critical variables and good judgement in when and where to select them, it is as well to know a. what they are and b. what happens if I mix them up in different ways. I’d like to think that this was well understood but I’m not convinced that it is and so, notwithstanding the fact that I’m not entirely sure I understand some details of the specific chemistry properly myself, I wondered if the study group would help shine some light into the darkness.
As far as numbers are concerned, I am, as you know an anti-measurer mainly because we teach in relative terms, faster, slower, longer, shorter, rather than specific values for each particular variable. Sometimes, however, we have to use numbers to make a point…I’ve had to use some below…sorry about that… there’s only a few… J
I have used Casting Stroke to mean that period during the cast when force is applied to the line in order to form a loop.
The term Casting Angle is used to represent the angle that a rod has rotated through between RSP back and RSP front as opposed to Casting Arc.
Casting Stroke Length as the term to represent the amount that a rod has translated between RSP back and RSP front in a strictly, straight line, shortest distance between A and B, linear sense.
Hand Path as a term to represent the actual translation of the rod in a curvilinear sense. That is, the curvy journey the rod actually takes from A – B which may not be, and hardly ever is, either horizontal or the shortest distance.
“Curvilinear translation” and “rotation” are not at all the same thing.
Plus, for so long as we apply force of a particular magnitude to an object that, once we have got it moving, it will accelerate.
1. I am going to make two Casting Strokes. If I apply a force to the rod over a Casting Angle of 45 degrees in the first and I apply force of the same magnitude to the rod but continue through a Casting Angle of 60 degrees in the second.
Will the second Casting Stroke generate a maximum tip speed which is :-
a. Faster than the first? b. Slower than the first? c. The same as the first?
Can you explain why?
2. Will the second Casting Stroke have a duration which is :-
a. Longer than the first? b. Shorter than the first? c. The same as the first?
3. If I apply a force to the rod over a Casting Angle of 45 degrees in the first Casting Stroke and I apply the same force to the rod over the same Casting Angle but add 3’ of co-occurring Casting Stroke Length in the second Casting Stroke.
Will the second Casting Stroke generate a maximum tip speed which is :-
a. Faster than the first? b. Slower than the first? c. The same as the first?
Can you explain why ?
4. Will the second Casting Stroke have a duration which is :-
b. Longer than the first? b. Shorter than the first? c. The same as the first?
5. How does the Hand Path of the caster affect the path of the rod tip ?
6. How does the Casting Angle affect the path of the rod tip?
7. What is the relationship between force and bend ?
8. How does the bend affect the tip path of the rod ?
9. How does force have an effect on the tip path of the rod ?
10. How could a curvilinear hand path help produce a linear tip path during a Casting Stroke ?
11. Using your answers above, if we want a Straight Line Path of the rod tip during our Casting Stroke how many variables can we use to try to achieve it ?
a. One.? b. Two.? c. More than this ?
Please explain your answer.
12. Using your answers above, if we want a particular tip speed at the end of our Casting Stroke how many options do we have available to achieve it ?
b. One.? b. Two.? c. More than this ?
Please explain your answer.
None of these questions needs a particular understanding of advanced physics or classical mechanics to answer…I hope that they are interesting to think about though.
Best Regards
Mark
Mark Surtees
Outback Rigging Ltd
Tel : 020 8993 0066
Fax : 020 8752 1753
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