Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 7:23 AM
Subject: CREEP & DRAG 7
Walter & Group...
[GH] As we go from the CCI level to the MCI and beyond, we become more aware of differences of opinion on many elements of fly casting. No more true than with discussions on CREEP and DRAG.
Gordy
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[GH] Paul Arden takes issue with the value of DRAG in taking up slack:
Hi Gordy,
I often hear this reducing slack argument for Drag or whatever. We know that the Tension in an unrolling loop is fairly even between the rod tip and the loop front. I don't know where this theoretical slack is meant to occur. It can happen in the rings. It can certainly happen after loop straight position. But if the caster is managing to put slack in the bottom leg then I think this is a small miracle and teaching Drag is not the solution.
I use Drag at the beginning of the Casting Stroke to modify the Casting Stroke and I know Steve does too because I've heard him discuss the differences between his 5 line distance cast and his accuracy casting.
The 170 style in not a European invention. But comes from Rick in Texas. Analysis of Steve's 5 weight stroke shows a very similar front Casting Arc. The real difference lies in his backcast. It's a smaller arc with a hard stop, undoubtedly incorporating pull-back. If you throw a 170 backcast then you need to Slide into position in order to keep the integrity of the haul. Both work and I know other excellent casters who compete with this backcast. Haysie is another example.
It would be great to see more casters from the USA at the world championships with fishing tackle in Norway this year. If anyone needs more information I can pass it along.
Cheers, Paul
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[GH Paul,
Thanks. I believe it was Bruce Richards who first discussed with me the possibility of DRAG taking up a small amount of slack.
If we look at a "sag" in the rod leg of the back cast loop as a form of slack, then it seems to me that by increasing tension a bit with DRAG might help straighten it. I tried that this morning, but (rankly) couldn't be sure it did just that. Hard to tell while watching your own back cast.
Gordy
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[GH] Bruce Richards comments on DRAG. Note that he places DRAG outside the casting stroke whereas Paul Arden sees it as part of the stroke :
Hi Gordy!
Drag is necessarily a slow, rather short motion. It can pull a bit of slack from the line before the casting stroke, but I just don't see how it can do much else, again, slow and short... Really not a very important motion compared to anything rotational, but can add just enough advantage to tighten loops and carry more line. At the limits, any little thing can have a significant impact.
On long casts, long carry, making the line just a bit straighter before the casting stroke will cause more rod bend early in the stroke which usually results in a straighter tip path, and tighter loops. It's an efficiency thing.. I hope that makes sense..
Bruce
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[GH] From David Edens:
Gordy:
This is interesting. Recently I started experimenting with casting with a much longer stroke (170 degree) with the rod at about a 45 degree angle. I find when I add a good dose of translation at the beginning of the cast, continuing with a combination of translation and rotation, ending in a sudden stop, I am throwing greater distances with much tighter loops.
I know why it works (bends the rod more), I just did not know what to call it.
Capt. David Edens
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[GH] David,
Your 170 degrees is the dimension of your casting arc. This is also consistent with a longer casting stroke.
Some casters can bend the rod just as much whether or not they use DRAG. Of course, rotation yields by far the greatest acceleration and, therefore, the greatest rod bend (load). As a matter of style, this may give the caster a more efficient arm/hand position for the start of rotation. If DRAG is used to increase line tension, then the caster starts his rotation phase (casting arc) with the back cast line straighter and that tension yielding a "pre-loaded" system.
Gordy
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[GH] Walter Simbirski sent me this link to a video of Rick Hartman making a distance cast while using lots of DRAG. He and Bill Gammel just sent me a frame by frame ppt set of pictures of one of Rick's casts. We'll share that, tomorrow.
Gordy
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