Rod guides. Casting in cold weather

Walter & Group....................

Howdy Gordy and Gang

As many of you know that several years ago Joy Dunlap (North Florida) came to the Southeast Council conclave in Gulf Shores, AL with some great casting rods. More year back I was working with adding stripping guides. Joy was doing the same. He came up with a extra stripping guide distance set 4" from the first stripper. This guide was a big turning point in my rod building. All my rod now have the "Shooting Guide" This makes the line coming up off the ground/water/stripping bucket to the first guide fly out the tip. This changes the line from just slapping the rod blank to going straight down the rod. If you doubt this; Tape a guide on your rod. Make it the same style and size as your rod's guide. Tape it 4 inches from your stripping guide.

Hint if you are building a rod for kids, ladies or just someone with shorter arms place this guide toward the reel. Makes grabbing the line easier, and they do not have to raise the rod to get a hold of the line.

Joy also had a rod with 10 or 11 guides on a 9 ft rod this rod did let the line fly out.

I too have had the line freeze in the guides here in Texas, Arkansas, and Michigan. Remember the Belgium Cast we talked about. Yes it is a great cast for cold like I had forgotten that. Thanks Walter.

Other ways to stop this is Chap Stick on the guides, Spraying the guides with Pam cooking spray, Both shed the water from the guides. Reapplying is needed. Wet parking lots float the grease,oil and CRUD from the pavement. Sometimes this is worse that dry on the line. But here in Texas I do get to cast on HOT pavement Parking lots often. It makes Bruce happy as I have to buy new lines often...

Jerry have you tried the "Line and Lure" on the line in the cold water/snow? I have a feeling that it will help Thankfully I have not had that cold here in Texas yet this year.

Tight loops and tight lines.

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This placement of the extra guide a few inches distal to the main stripper guide was, as far as I could find out, Joy Dunlop's invention. I've cast his rods with him and have come to the conclusion that he was right.

This is described in Don Phillips' book, THE TECHNOLOGY OF FLY RODS on pp 72 - 74 with some physics to explain why this works. I don't know why Don didn't credit Joy for this discovery. (???????????)

Can you explain the, "Line and Lure" stuff for us ? ( A new on one me !)

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From Jerry Puckett:

Al,

No I had not thought of using the "Line and Lure" but today will be the day to try. I will get back to you on this. I do know that it is everything it claims to be in warm weather and one taking a certification test might want to use "Line and Lure" on his line in practice before taking the test. One of the main advantages is the reduction in work load and it does give added distance, a consideration for those worried about making the distance cast.

Thanks for the input on the extra stripper guide, time for me to build a new rod!

Great year coming up!

Thanks for the input,

Jerry
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When I was working on my masters I try'd to cast every day, for the most part I felt like a postal worker (rain-sleet-snow etc.) Ice in the guides, frozen (stiff) fly lines, cold feet and hands, it's not much fun living in the frozen waist land. We did have a few chances to cast indoors, one place was a hotel ball room in down town Toronto, we did a casting lesson in a horse barn once (dirt floor), destroyed a fly line at that session.

The fact is there isn't much you can do when the weather turns nasty, this is a good time to work on your casting school programs etc. (or tye flies)

It was interesting to see how the cold effected the lines, it's the extreme opposite to what you deal with in the heat.

Here are a couple of things that you can do indoors : practise in front of a mirror (watch your tracking, this will show you if your hooking, and if you come to a complete stop). Stand sideways to a flat surface (door) hold your hand up to your side as if you have a fly rod in it. Point your finger up as if it were the rod, make a pencil mark at the top of your finger, draw a straight line using that mark (left to right), now use this line to practice teaching your hand to track in a straight line, it will teach the hand to track straight two ways.

Rick Whorwood's
Fly Casting School
www.flycastingschool.com
(905)-662-8999

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From David Lambert...

Gordy:

A few years back one of the line-techs from Orvis told me Armor-All was

water soluble; comes off the line after a few casts in water. He

recommended 303 Protectant, a non-greasy plasticizer with with a high UV

blocker. I've used it and recommend it. It cleans and 'slicks' the

line, and a pint is enough for you and all your friends.

Orvis actually repackaged the product for years. It is now known as 303

Aerospace Protectant. I did an internet search and came up with this

tech brochure for uses on vinyl:

http://www.303products.com/tech/pdfs/lifesavingprotectant.pdf

Last time I bought the product from West Marine, but I've heard it's

also available at PEP Boys for around $6.

Good New year to you.

David

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Message from David Lambert on Guides.........

Gordy:

Seems to me that the guide wraps and numbers of guide feet have an

effect on the quality of the cast. We built rods using two

Cabelas/Loomis blanks one with single footed guides, one with double

foot. All else equal. The double footed guide rod was noticeably more

'stiff,' more contained. While our experiment was not purely scientific

in nature, those of us who tested the rods agreed the guides created

differing effects.

David

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David...

We found the same thing ... but no hard data. It was subjective on the part of the caster.

In wrapping up some of our salt water rods, we've been using Ti/ni titanium guides which weigh a fraction of the SS Fuji guides. "RECOIL" SERIES by REC (REC.COM). These are the ONLY ones we've found which don't get at least some rust where the foot enters the wrap. (A salt water problem) You can bend one right flat onto the blank and it will spring back unscathed. Of course, as we go toward the tip , we use progressively smaller ones. We use the double footed wire guides for the mid section and single foot guides for the tip section. Makes a beautiful rod which is light. To be frank, I cannot really say that all this makes a significant difference in casting and fishing.

The most beautiful graphite rod I've ever encountered was made by Don Jackson of our Group. He is a true perfectionist and artist !!!! He even goes so far as to make his perfect wraps using progressively smaller diameter thread as he goes toward the tip .

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Let's conclude with a note from Jerry Puckett:

Gordy,

Thanks for using the group to answer my cold weather questions, where else can one tap into this type of experience and casting expertize. Your e-mail group and your efforts are a blessing. So to start the new year right a great big old "THANKS" to you and all in the group!

Jerry Puckett

In turn, MY thanks to Jerry for all his help along the way ! ..........Gordy