Simulating water for roll casting / Snow / Cold

It is winter for some of us and I feel sorry for you folk in the warm sun missing this opportunity for character building casting in the cold. One must really work hard to use salvation language!

I was talking with Robert Shigley and he passed this along: as an aid to roll casting he watered his lawn to provide surface tension. Works also if one is willing to practice in the rain where even pavement becomes a mini pond.

I was reading where Jerry Siem taught himself how to cast in the snow. I was thinking I would love to talk with folk and see how and what techniques they use to practice sucessfully in the cold.

One I discovered yesterday in Park City, Utah when the sun comes out and it is near freezing and starting to warm up. I found a local elementry school where the roof was broad side to the sun and the snow started melting and form a long narrow cold pool just under the eaves. This made for great roll casting, pick-up and laydown casting as well as regular casting. The school insured that my cast be on a 180 plane or I would crash into the school wall. One other thing that might be helpful is the use of hand warmers that one can find at Ski resorts or sporting good shops. This can prolongue practice and combat hand numbness.

Al and Gordy, do you any tips you would like to share for snow bound casting nuts--Things like lines to use with minimum coiling effect, et cetera. I just had one cold soaked rod snap just above the handle about two and half feet on a long cast. This was in 10 degree weather. I am not sure why and don't remember weight crashing into the rod while fishing. The rod has much pracitice mileage so I am wondering if cold and fatigue might have been a combined factor?

Thanks for any help and cold weather tips? Have a great year coming up.

I hate the warm sun in 70 degree weather where one can cast in shirt sleeves. Next on the list, skiing and casting practice at the same time! If I learn anything I will let you know!

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Watering the lawn for providing some resistance when roll casting is a good idea.

Tom White has stretched out some plastic Visqueen sheeting and turned the hose on it for the same effect.

I'm NOT the one to ask about cold weather casting tips, since I'm casting in warm weather most of the time. Perhaps some of the others in the Group could do a better job on that.

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Gordy,

I would add that some examiners do not say I want a curve to the left or the right but say,"I want you to perfor a negative curve and a positive curve. There seems to be some confusion as to what these are so I will leave that to your interpretation". Negative curve cast is with the curve lying awayfrom your body on the casting arm side and a positive curve cast is with the curve toward your body from the casting arm side.

Jim

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Jim...

You are correct about that. A simple question to your examiner to show that you know the difference between the ways of using these terms should suffice ... something like, "I'm aware of different ways of looking at the terms, "positive" and "negative". Which way do you want my fly to go ? or, "Would you like to have me make an underpowered curve cast ?"

As you know, "negative" can mean an underpowered or decelerating cast, or it can mean having the fly go in the direction of the casting arm. "Positive" can mean a powered (or overpowered) cast or it can mean having the fly go in the direction of the line hand.

Gordy

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