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Peter & Group.....
Here's a little Quiz. Try to come up with two answers for each question if and as warrented.....a BRIEF one and a more detailed one (More detail only if you think it's needed.) :-
1.) At what point in the cast does the loop begin to form ? at the stop....at the stop the line overtakes the rodtip and a loop is formed. The loop starts to form at RSP. Since the rod tip does not stop at that point, but goes into counterflex, and since RSP occurs after the, "stop" of the casting hand, neither concept of the word, "stop" is correct with respect to the start of loop formation.
You ARE correct when you say....."....the line overtakes the rod tip and a loop is formed". Rather than being at any STOP, however, this point of RSP is when the rod is not only straight, but when the tip has slowed down just enough that the line can overtake it.
2.) What is, "REBOUND" ? rebound is the resumption of the tip to it's rod straight position .....or beyond. It's a, "bounce-back" which occurs in the direction opposite of counterflex which momentarily preceeds it.
3.) What is a, "HAUL" ? a haul decreases the effort a caster needs to make to execute a cast..a haul is a mirror action of the cast in length and speed imparted to the line by the line hand to increase line speed and distance
Your first statement is correct......one OK way to express it. ....although, technically, that effort is the same.....only that it's divided with less effort needed for the rod arm.
Your second statement is sometimes true....but not always. For example, the haul, "style" of some casters does not represent what many feel is the ideal, "mirror image" between haul excursion/speed and rod motion....rather a brief haul coinciding closely with the point of maximum loading of the rod.
A more generic answer, might be something like this: " A pull with the line hand during the casting stroke."
When asked to expand on your brief answer, you can go into more detail as to how it works and what it can accomplish.
4.) What are some of the, "duties" of the line hand ?feed line,remove slack,haul,strip strike,retreive line,palm reel Agree .
5.) Describe the "duty" of the rod hand...the rod hand controls the movement of the rod during the cast....the movement of the rod is totally situation dependent and adheres to the basic principles or essentials of casting
Agree. Mac's answer, "Pilot the rod" says it all.....and is brief. Another way to put it, ..."Executes the mechanics of the cast."....
Again....your first statement, "the rod hand controls the movement of the rod during the cast." was all you needed for your brief answer. Your, "long answer" which follows is correct. Of course, it will likely result in your examiners asking you about the essentials of casting. It won't be enough to rattle them off by memory...you will need to UNDERSTAND them well including the relationship of one essential to another and to changes in casting and casting conditions.
6.) Your beginning student tells you that he is about to buy a fly rod for casting practice He wants to know what to look for. What do you teach him ? go to a fly shop and try different rods...get an instructor to discuss and experiment with different rods to determine the best one for you for the fishing you will be doing
Not bad advice at all.....as long as the instructor remains in the picture. If he goes to the average fly shop, it's up in the air as to what he'll be bringing home ! The point of the question is that YOU are the instructor and might well advise him to buy a MEDIUM STIFF ROD. (Neither too fast or too slow.) That answer tells me that you know what he should have.
Short answer: Medium action rod.
Long answer: Go ahead and formulate one of your own. My suggestion is that you consider the advantages and especially the disadvantages of very fast and very slow rods for this beginning student. This will speak to the REASON for your decision made in his/her behalf.
7.) This student wants to know what determines the size of the casting loop. What do you tell him ? the size of the loop is determined by the path the tip of the rod travels...for a tight loop you want a SLP of the rod tip and the further the tip drops from the path during the speed up and stop the more you will open or widen the loop
Yes. For your shortest answer you could have stopped with your first sentence and waited to be asked for more by your examiner. (I'll presume that you did that.)
Your followup, "long answer", was correct. I'd consider adding a description of rod tip path to be used for a wide loop, perhaps using some statement of convexity, before getting into the unloading of the rod a chosen distance below the oncoming line.
Be prepared for followup questiond like this: "Well, what would happen if I had an absolutely perfect straight line path of the rod tip for the entire stroke ?" or, " How does a beginning student usually make a wide loop"....even, " How to you make a wide loop with the bottom (rod) leg fairly straight and the top (fly) leg high ?..... (I know you know the answers.)
8.) How do you describe to a student the application of power for a medium distance cast ?short cast/little power....longer cast/more power....the amount of power needed for the cast is determined by the amount of line outside the rod tip True. BUT...you were not specific to the question. One answer in line with your thinking might be, "Medium power for a medium cast." I DO, however, like some brief statement which includes the need for smooth, uninterrupted acceleration to a stop. (I've noted that is is sometimes hard to pull that concept from a less than well informed candidate.)
9.) Try to define a "SPEY CAST". an aerolized ,change of direction roll cast Yes. "Politically" easier to stay out of trouble by qualifying the term roll cast....like, "roll-type cast". I like to add the term, "live line"...just to cover all bases......although the term, "areolized" should really infer that.
10.) To what general classification of casts does this SPEY CAST belong ? roll cast Technically, I'd agree with you....but in deference to some Spey Casting authorities who feel strongly that the Spey cast is NOT a roll cast, I'd hesitate to use that one. My own view is that it belongs in a couple of different catagories such as ELLIPTICAL CASTS as well as, CHANGE OF DIRECTION CASTS.
11.) What is meant by the term, "ROD PLANE" ?orientation of the rod from vertical to horizontal on either side of the caster Yes.
12.) Your more advanced student wants to know when, if ever, he should change rod planes between the back cast and the forward cast. What do you tell him ? that is situation dependent...casting into or against the wind may require change of rod planes as well as the execution of curve cast and other slack line cast Yes. In your long answer, you might consider including this as a matter of STYLE, as well. If you do, expect a line of questioning on style. You'll need to know many examples of STYLE, how STYLE relates to SUBSTANCE, and the various styles of notable casters. (I'd learn those of Joan Wulff, Lefty Kreh, Bruce Richards, Jerry Seims, Steve Rajeff, etc.) Your answer could also lead into a line of questions on elliptical casting. You'll know those answers well, I'm sure.
13.) Another student wants to know if all rods advertised as made of, "ultra high modulus" graphite fibers are stiff rods. What do you tell him ? yes...the student should try the rod because it may be hype and stiffness will feel different to different casters depending on whether the "ultra high modulus is in the tip,mid-section or the butt section... Your statement, "yes" is not true....and your followup long answer is tangent to the point of the question. The brief answer is a flat, NO.
If asked to expand, then you can point out that the stiffness of a rod is dependant on multiple factors chief among which are, 1. The DESIGN of the rod and, 2. The stiffness of the materials used to make it and any others you may know. (FYI, there ARE rods made of high modulus fibers which are not stiff....because of differences in design parameters.)
One minor point. It's doubtful that that beginning student will even know how to test that rod in the store without your help.
14.) How does a, "MEND" differ from a, "CAST" ? a mend is an action imparted to the rod after the stop.... there are 2 kinds of cast..straight and curved. a cast is straight and a mend has curves to create slack
Your brief initial statement is not wrong, as I see it. Just doesn't quite get to the point of what it does to the line.
On an MCI exam you would just have dug yourself a hole with your second statement in to which you'd be about to fall !!! I understand what you mean......but your examiner might take issue with the second part of your answer.
1. You were not asked about straight and curved casts
2. Most don't feel that a, "mend" is a cast at all, let alone a curved cast. (It's what you do AFTER the cast).
3. You stated, "....to create slack." That is only one of several reasons for the use of the mend which include counteracting tongues of current to yield a drag free drift for the fly, avoidance of stream obstructions, etc.
4. Some distance casters use a thrust in an upward/outward direction between the stop of the hand and RSP of the rod tip. Would you consider that a, "mend" ?
5. Could you not make a curve cast and combine it with a mend ?
All you needed was your first statement. The next qualification, if asked would be related to your examiner wanting to know if you understand what this has to do with the line layout.....so it might be better from the start to include that....as in, " A mend is repositioning part of the line after the cast."....or words to that effect. Then you'll need to be ready to answer different questions on mends....which I'm sure you can do.
15.) Your student is confused. She wants to know if the term, "TRACKING" means the same thing as, "SLP". What do you teach her ? tracking is the line or plane the rod hand takes during the cast..SLP is the desired path of the rod tip...during the cast the rod bends and the tip arches below the SLP and returns to it's RSP at the conclusion of the cast..
In general use the term, "tracking" usually refers to deviation (or not) of the path of the rod tip from right to left (either side of the rod plane); whereas SLP means a true straight line path of that rod tip in ANY AND ALL PLANES.
Read your last sentence carefully......it can dig another hole for you. Firstly, you didn't need it. Second, the bending of the rod and tip arching below the SLP with return to RSP has NOTHING TO DO WITH TRACKING or SLP since all that occurs after the cast. Thirdly, it opens several doors for what might turn out to be highly technical followup questions that you might or might not enjoy answering...............................Try to re-word your, "long answer".
In general: You first brief answers were pretty good, peter. Your more detailed explanations needed more thought with self-criticism.
Gordy
Avoid falling into the trap of forming a correct answer......but not one to the question asked.
MCI candidates should learn to LISTEN TO THE QUESTION and formulate an answer which is BRIEF and TO THE POINT. Words should be carefully chosen for more detailed explanations, and should be directed to the main thrust of the question. Gordy