Haul mechanics / Line management

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

From Bob Andreae:

Hi Gordy:
After all the discussion about hauling, I have tried to do some of the suggested changes. 

 Although analysis of the mechanics and timimg of the cast has allowed us to determine the optimal times to haul, most of us poor mortals  who try to improve our casting are unable to dissect the cast into microportions depicted by time photography--we are doing well to stop our hauls before they become counter productive.  In the past it has been said that the line hand should mirror the casting hand action, which most of us can manage.  During recent practice, upon trying to apply the physics of the haul, I found that my line hand responded with haul equal to the intensity of the load it perceived during the stroke.  Thus as the rod tip reached straight rod position and line drag climaxed,  the intensity of pull by the line signals
a stop of the haul and release of the line to allow the full internsity of the shoot..

In short, the feel of the line gives me a much clearer indication of haul duration
than trying to guess exactly when the rod tip reaches RSP.  Your comment?

Bob

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Bob,      Your note is timely and right on target.  It takes us back into the real world of casting and fishing.

We can talk and write all we wish about the detailed theory and physics/mechanics of fly casting, but when it gets right down to actually doing it or (better yet) teaching it, we have to rely upon our senses to tell us what to do to improve once we have a grip on the basic maneuvers of casting.

The caster can't really see what is happening to the rod even though a bystander may get a general idea of what it does.  In the end, we must rely upon what we feel.  That IS actually what we do most of the time.  It is CERTAINLY what we do when we cast at night.

The other side of the coin is that if we can know the true relationship between what the rod does and what should be done with the line, it gives us a reasonable start as we strive to improve, and serves to help with teaching.  If nothing else, it is background information which helps explain the, "why" of how it works.

Once we go from roughly trying to approximate what we know should occur with the rod and the line, hone it to the feel of kinaesthetic sense, and then develop the, "muscle memory" of true cadence, we've arrived.................... as Joan Wulff once said, " Is that Dancin' ?"

Gordy

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From David Lambert........

Gordy -- Just an update: Many of the newer pop-up trash bag supporters

have fiberglass springs, like the pop-out windshield shades, and

pop-tents. No rust, but stand back if you splinter one.

Do I have your permission to reprint your line management suggestions in

my club newsletter, with author attribution, of course?

David

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David,   I didn't know about those fiberglass springs.  Thanks !   (Tells me that if I shop for one for salty use I should take a magnet to test it .)

You do have my permission to use any of this material.

Gordy

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From Al Crise:

Howdy Gang,

 When I first started fly fishing in the Keys I was told time and time again to watch my slack. Not in the cast but on the deck. In my hand and between my stripper guide and hand. Also the slack out the end of my rod while in the Guide-cast at ready. Add the Key's breeze, Small wave action from passing boats. It became a full time operations. I was soon leaving the LOOKIN to Gary on the Pole. After a while it became normal for me to check all my line in a fast "EYE Sweep". As Lefty says "They have searched the world for the YETI but BIG FOOT is standing right here"

My sweep would be from my line hand down to the floor/deck. Up to my rod/Hook hand then the striper guide and the slack from my line hand to the stripper guide . Up the rod to be sure my line had not tangled a guide or rod tip back down the line to make sure there was no grass on the line. Then back out looking for the grey ghost.

  Now days I spend a lot of time in my kayak. Here I use the towel on my lap to stop the line from working under me or around any thing. This towel does several other things. Keeps the sun off my upper legs. Where my shorts are now hiked up showing some white skin. It also is a cooler when damp, Gives me a place to wipe all the fish slime off from all the fish I now take.....

   My Kick boat has a stripping apron that works very well as it is partly meshed.

 I used a beach towel in my canoe to keep the line from slapping the aluminum bottom or any thing I dropped over the gunwale it gave me a soft place to place my rod or paddle. I had my line catch under the bracing once and cut the fly line.

  When wading I keep the line in my hand with just enough out to cast as far as I am going to cast. 30-40 ft. If you wade and think you need to cast 70 ft you better slow down your wading and do more stalking and looking. You will soon learn that the long cast is seldom used. 50 ft is a long cast for most Texas Coast's red fish cast.

  You will miss more strikes with the long cast than if you just move a little closer and hit the target. I do use my fingers to loop the line on. longest on my little finger shortest on my middle finger. With 20 ft out in the get ready cast I can control all my slack.

 

ol AL

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Al.....     Good advice and tips.    Also reminds me that wading flats is entirely different from wading a river or stream.  In silt or mud where sting rays abound, a, "texas shuffle" will often keep one out of trouble.  On a hard sand or coral flat in the Keys or Bahamas, I find it best to wade with a slow stealthy step having each foot enter the water toe-first so as not to spook the bonefish.  I learned this from an old Bahamian guide who would wade just the way a large heron does it.  These birds have been doing it long before us !  For this, "flats boots" provide a real disadvantage.

Fishing from the skiff, the, "Bigfoot" syndrome is universal.  In fact, one of the best ways to get a twist in your fly line which is hard to get out is to stand on a coil of line and roll it a bit as you move your foot.   MUCH better to fish barefoot or with socks.  Of course, we can't really do that when striper fishing off Montauk when it gets really cold.

One other tip on line management :  In the surf (and sometimes on the river) there seems to be powerful magnatism between the fly line and Velcro fastenings on boots and gaiters.   Some of us actually started tying our boot laces around and back behind the ankle.  Of course, gaiters and high socks turned down over the laces help when wet wading a river.

Gordy

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