Jim Valle on Lefty / Drift & Followthrough / Loop speed

Walter & Group........

From Jim Valle, MCCI :-

Gordy and Group,

 Gordy really put it all on paper very accurately, nothing much to add except my personal thoughts and reactions to a great experience.

 Lefty, what a nice guy who LOVES what he does! And he does love to teach! Certainly a man of conviction, however with a kind sense of fair play and just enough curiosity to listen.

 Somewhere in my Masters Odyssey I was once asked (by Chuck Easterling) to compare Lefty’s Principles and Gammel”s Essentials (a great exercise for every Masters Candidate by the way), the more I thought about it and put it in writing the more I found similarities. (Honestly the more I worked at learning the more I found similarities rather than differences, I guess I had learned enough to Understand other view points rather than judge as right or wrong.) I had the opportunity to discuss this with Lefty …the point being teaching styles like casting styles are not the important point… we as educated leaders in our sport must have the energy and conviction to find the similarities and fundamental truths while at the same time supporting and encouraging “Teaching Style Tolerance”. If there is an “art” to fly casting there is certainly an “art’ to teaching it. There is real value and a lot to be learned form those different styles, don’t overlook an opportunity to have your student “hit the tip of his fly rod”.  

 

Learn to Understand

Jim V

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From Michael Jones:-

From my notes, I am interested in hearing how to distinguish 'drift'

from 'follow through'. In my notes, Drift relates to extending the

stroke on the back cast, while F/T is drift on the forward cast to

achieve (softer) presentation. Are these terms mutually exclusive to

the cast: forward (F/T) & back (drift), and otherwise are the same

motion, with different intent? and...

In a change of direction cast...could you drift on the forward stroke,

and follow through on the back cast, or do we have to reapply what is

considered the back cast and forward cast in the COD cast?

Also,

I remember a diagram drawn to describe velocity of line speed relative

to the fly leg and the rod leg, as well as some formula to calculate

the speed of deceleration of the unfurling loop at it's most forward

aspect. If the rod leg is static, and therefor has "0" speed, how can

this formula be effective given that there is some dividing by the rod

leg's velocity??? Maybe a quick review of this formula would put me

back on-track. Thanks,

Michael Jones

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Michael...

I look at DRIFT as repositioning of the rod after the stop which achieves as its major accomplishment longer stroke length and rod arc yielding increased available tip travel for the next stroke.  This repositioning of the rod moves the tip in the direction of the unrolling loop. This move can also place the casting arm and hand in a new position for more efficient application of power during the following stroke.

I see this as useful on both back cast and forward cast during false casting.

FOLLOWTHROUGH is a term usually reserved for the same rod action on the forward DELIVERY CAST.  Since there is no next stroke, it cannot increase stroke, rod arc, or tip travel.

Followthrough can actually result in increased casting distance in two ways: 1.) It can be done as a thrust in the direction of the target to gain a few extra inches and, 2.) this can diminish the friction between the fly line and the guides simply because the repositioning of the rod can be done by pointing it at the target thus diminishing the angle between the traveling rod leg on the shoot and the tip-top.

On your next question regarding loop speed:  The speed of the loop is one half that of the fly leg so long as no line is being shot.  When you shoot line, this loop speed is simply calculated by taking the speed of the fly leg, adding to it the speed of the rod leg, and dividing by two.

Gordy