ol Al....
I wouldn't change anything now, Al.....except to call attention to the use of gravity relating to trajectory (line plane) when casting great distances. As Jeff Wagner has shown us, when carrying great amounts of line during false casting as a prelude to the final delivery cast, it's best to make each false cast trajectory higher because it takes the loop so long to unroll, that gravity will bring it more horizontal at the point where the next stroke begins as the loop has almost completely unrolled.
Check out Joan Wulff"s, LONG CAST TRAJECTORY, "see-saw" on p. 121 of her book, "......Fly Casting Techniques."
Gordy
From: "Al"
Found this from 10/2004 in my draft file at work.
ol Al
Howdy Gang.
I got this from "my" Master Gordon Hill CBOG
Here is what the Master is looking for when testing you. As you all know I
consider the back cast 2/3 of the cast. If you do not have a good backcast
the front will suffer greatly. Video or have some one watch your casting. I
have even use window reflections to watch myself.
Gordy says:
I'd call attention to the need for really well controlled and "when called
for", tight back loops. No "ticking" the grass behind, and when
demonstrating various loops while false casting, the need for back cast
loops just as good AND TO MATCH those done well on the forward stroke.
When perfecting these back cast skills, I found that even watching my own
back cast loops wasn't enough. I needed someone knowledgeable to watch and
critique what I was doing behind me. (As in my article on "ticking" in a
recent LOOP), I could turn and watch my back cast loop, but then didn't see
what happened directly after that as I turned to check my forward cast.
Poor timing, for example, at that point could result in my creeping forward,
waiting a tad too long so that the loop opened and fell too much, etc, etc.
We like to see those demo back cast loops done under perfect control (wide,
medium, and tight) upon command. Tom is especially careful to note the line
plane (trajectory) of these back cast loops.....so that there is 180 degrees
between the forward cast loop and the back cast loop.
Where we've seen this as a problem, is the candidate who doesn't watch
his/her back cast loops, and makes them too low......so that even if the
loop is tight, it doesn't match the trajectory of the forward cast well. I
note, that when the caster tries to achieve that "180 degree rule" with more
than 30' out of the rod tip, that he's more likely to do it well if he makes
the back cast higher than needed to compensate for the slight gravitational
fall as that back cast loop unfurls. That's a new concept to me, but some
examiners (as Tom White) have always been strict on this.
I think this is why George Roberts in his video on teaching salt water fly
casting has his early student concentrate on back casts alone for a long
time before moving to the forward stroke.
I'm impressed with the caster who knows his/her limitation on the amount of
line to be carried on the back cast prior to the presentation stroke.....and
the controlled ability to increase it momentarily when needed by shooting
line on the back cast for a good "pre-load". (So many keep adding line
while false casting to the point beyond the caster's ability to handle
it.....THEN make a presentation distance cast which lacks control and ends
up with less achieved distance despite the use of more energy than
needed....and a poor layout as well.)
That is why I teach that the distance caster should find the average length
of line he/she can best handle under average casting conditions and mark
that point on the line. It isn't good enough to mark it with a color
marker.....best to place something you can feel on the line...like a tiny
nail knot using 4lb test mono. That's especially valuable under the
pressure of taking a test. Of course, that "ideal" length of line carried
will change with changes in casting conditions...especially wind. The truly
accomplished caster will make those needed adjustments easily.
Of course, as you know, the idea is that the back cast is very important as
the SETUP for the forward stroke. A poorly done low / wide loop back
cast...especially if directed downward, yields slack which has to be taken
up....using some of the valuable forward stroke to do it. In turn, it
yields a forward stroke too short for the amount of line carried. The
caster then does one of 2 things: 1.) Uses too much force early during the
forward stroke = a concave rod tip path = a tailing loop, or 2.) Doesn't
achieve enough rod load to make either the desired distance or a straight
layout.
Gordon Hill
Allen Crise FFF Master Casting Instructor
Hawk Ridge Tackle & Flycasting School
2508 A C R 1011
Glen Rose, Tx. 76043
254-897-2045
<www.geocities.com/rrdoctor>