Retrieving fly to hand in wind

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

Here are some answers to the questions on getting the fly back in hand during high winds:

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From Jim Penrod:-

Gordy,

1, Same length leader as rod-turn into the wind and put your hand at about

the level of the butt and the fly should swing into it.

2. Two feet longer-do the same thing except lift the rod up 2 feet.

Jim

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From Walter Simberski :-

1. Point your rod directly into the wind. The wind will blow the fly near your rod hand where you can easily grasp it with your line hand.

 

2. Start the same as in 1. In this case the fly will be 2' past your rod hand. Grasp the line with your line hand at this point (2' from the fly). Now

   move the rod a bit out of line with the wind and let the line slide through your rod hand (carefully) until the fly is pulled up to your line hand

  by the wind pulling on the part of the leader between your line hand and the rod tip.

 

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From Gary Manning :-

CAse One - leader as long as rod - point tip of rod directly at wind and

slowly raise rod tip until fly is within reach.

Case Two - Leader 2' longer than rod - same method but reach out with rod

handle with tip pointing straight into wind and extend rod hand away from

body before raising tip.

try to let the wind deliver the fly delicately to grap.

OR I don't understand the problem?

Gary

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From Jim Laing:-

 

Gordy-

That's an easy one.  I just did this in Rkansas last weekend.

If you point the tip directly into the wind the fly will find your hand.  If the leader is two feet longer than the rod, extend your rod and arm directly into the wind.  Let the wind blow the fly right back to you, then grab it.

Jim

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My Comment:

 

All of these are correct answers.

My trick, to avoid having the fly on the longer leader flip around and perhaps catch me or my clothes is this:

 

I turn my back to the howling wind.  When the leader/line connection is close to the rod tip top I slowly raise my rod and place it back over my casting arm shoulder.  The long leader comes to my line hand slowly and under much better control.  Doing it this way, the fly is never blowing right toward my face or shirt.  Works best with heavy leaders and big flies or heavy weighted flies like Clousers.

 

Another way of doing it which I didn't find among the many answers is this:  Convert the long leader to a short one by bringing some of the butt section into the rod guides.  Then face into the wind and do it as you would with the shorter leader.

 

Gordy

 

 

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