Walter....
No....I can't recall having seen this in print.
With that power snap with the rod way down in horizontal plane, one does
have to be careful of where the STOP is placed in order to prevent a hook layout
to the line hand side. With a little practice, the caster can do either
just fine.
As I think about this, I'm reminded that there are innumerable, "casts"
that we make to solve local problems which will never make it into print.
One example which I would hesitate to teach for fear that I'd be quoted out of
context, is the purposely done well controlled tailing loop which I'll rarely
use to flip a popper under an overhanging mangrove. (This one, however, IS
mentioned in Jason Borger's book. He called it a, "Maloney Cast", as I
recall.) The true expert fly angler with many years of experience will
have many casting maneuvers which have no names.
For this reason, Tom White prefers to "name" casts only as necessary.
He'd rather have the student understand the casting problem and its solution
than to have him/her go by names. I've heard him explore the depth of the
candidate's knowledge at every turn with comments like, "Don't give me a name,
tell me and show me what you do." That helps define the candidate who has
a real understanding of what's going on from the one who has memorized a litany
of of canned terms and expressions.
Taken from baseball, "It's one thing to talk a good game. It's
another to PLAY a good game ! "
Gordy
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 11:27
AM
Subject: Re: Goofed.
Hey Gordy!
I had an opportunity to try this out last
night on the river. I was fishing with a 3 weight rod and a rather brisk wind
came up so I thought I would give it a try. The term "outward swing" does
appear to be misleading. I actually took the description to be one of two
possibilities - the first was the reverse Belgian cast idea as you describe.
This would involve a relatively gently swing to the outside.
The second
was the idea of making a very sudden change in the rod direction from forward
to the outside as a kind of sideways power snap (hard enough with a light rod
but it would be very difficult with a heavier rod). A number of things happen
when you do this - one is that you can get a very pronounced stop in the
forward direction, the second was that the loop moves from a vertical to a
horizontal plane as you describe, the third is that you can actually form a
very tight loop because the rod tip is moved in a horizontal plane rather than
vertical and you don't have to contend with the affect of gravity or the
bounce of the rod as it passes its straight position and returns on the loop
formation so you don't need to move the rod tip very far to get it out of the
way of the line.
Personally, I'll stick with a basic casting stroke
combined with the double haul, but I recall reading a fly casting instruction
manual back in the 60's that advocated a horizontal casting plane rather than
vertical. This was for an overhead casting stroke (not sidearm) and the rod
tip was moved in a path resembling a race track. I haven't been able to find
any references to this casting style since then. I would be curious to know if
you've seen this anywhere.
Cheers
Walter
----- Original
Message -----
From: Gordon Hill <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Date: Thursday,
October 27, 2005 5:34 am
Subject: Re: Goofed.
>
Walter.....
>
> I saw a similar description, many years
ago.
>
> The wording all makes sense, until you get to the,
"outward
> swing". I interpret this, however, to mean that the
caster is
> using a horizontal rod plane for his delivery cast.....not
swing
> his arm out to the side, which would be self-defeating.
>
> A change of rod planes between the back stroke and the forward
> stroke is a key element of the elliptical or, so-called, "Belgian
> cast".
> As you know, this can take several forms. Most
casters use the
> term to mean a cast in which the back cast is made
with the rod in
> a horizontal plane, and the delivery stroke made with
a more
> vertical rod plane.
>
> Of course, the reason the
cast became known as the, "Belgian
> cast", was that it was used by a
Belgian named Albert Godart to
> win a distance fly casting event in
international competition in
> the 1930's.
>
> I have been
told that he did that, however, using what I have
> called a, "Reverse
Belgian Cast" in that his cast was actually
> made using an off
vertical rod plane for his back cast, and a
> horizontal rod plane for
his forward delivery. His style may have
> been explained by his
physical habitus. He was described as a
> short, stocky, very
powerfully muscled man. I have found this
> cast to be very
effective for certain high wind
> situations......particularly when
wading sand bars in the salt.
>
> This may explain the dilemma
provided by the fact that the cast
> was named for him at a European
competition where there surely had
> to have been other continental
casters familiar with the
> "continuous tension" cast of Hans
Gebesroither in Austria who is
> credited with fathering this kind of
elliptical cast which he
> taught to Charles Ritz and many others
during his years of being
> head keeper on the Traun.
>
>
Fascinating stuff !!!!!
>
>
>
Gordy
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Walter
Simbirski<')" >simbirsw@xxxxxxx>
> To: Gordon
Hill<')" >hillshead@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, October
26, 2005 9:56 AM
> Subject: Re: Goofed.
>
>
> No problem - here it is
>
> Gordy -
>
> Just picked up a fly casting booklet published in 1941. It
> describes something called the wind cast for casting into the
> wind. The cast is similar to an overhead cast with a high back
> cast but "the forward cast is made in a powerful manner down
>
toward the front with an outward swing."
>
> "Properly
executed as to height of back cast, pause, and degree
> of outward
movement on the forward cast, coupled with the right
> amount of vim
and power on the forward stroke, this cast will make
> the line cut
into the wind much better than a straight overhead
> cast - hence its
name.
>
> The angler will not care to use this method save
as a matter of
> necessity, for it is hard on both wrist and
rod."
>
> Are you familiar with this cast? Does it really
work? Can it be
> coupled with a haul?
>
> Also has
some interesting info on equipment such as fly lines.
> Oiled silk was
considered the cheapest fly line but not
> recommended at the time.
Enameled lines were considered very good
> and nylon was the best
available at the time.
>
> Cheers
>
>
Walter
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Gordon Hill<')" >hillshead@xxxxxxx>
> To: Walter Simbirski<')"
>simbirsw@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, October
26, 2005 5:32 AM
> Subject: Goofed.
>
>
> Walter...
>
> I
accidentally erased your message this morning. Can you send
> it,
again?
>
>
>
Gordy
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