Collapsing head

Steve Rajeff and I were fishing this morning. Bad weather and no fish spotted .... so we had time to discuss the, "collapsing fly line head", and play with some new line designs.

Steve and I both noted that when the old connections between the head and the running line came apart on the cast, that the head flew off to kingdom come and then collapsed in a pile on the ground .... not laid out straight. The heaviest part of the head was on the bottom, indicating that when the momentum of the head diminished, that the heaviest part sank first. No proof, mind you.

He thinks that in the scenario of the collapsing head which occurs when not enough power is applied to the cast such that the back of the head sinks lowest has to do with the fact that for most heads this is the heaviest part of it and that this would have little to do with the sinking of the light running line, although this may be additive.

The head loses some of its momentum allowing gravity to exert a greater force on that rear part of it.

He felt, too, that the trajectory of the cast could play an important part. If that trajectory were in an upward / outward direction, this would place the back end of the head would necessarily be lower and would remain lower as the underpowered cast collapsed.

My own feeling, however, is that the effect of gravity would likely be the same for all parts of the head, thin or thick. The "evidence" for this is that if you take two balls such that one is heavier than the other and drop them from a height that they will hit the ground at the same time. (Of course, if one is a lot bigger than the other or has a different shape, the effect of atmospheric resistance will have to be considered.)

Still no photgraphic proof of any of this ! We still welcome input from our engineering and physics folks.

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NEW QUESTIONS : Sorry for the delay in getting back to this. After I answer I will check the others

1.) How do you teach the, "BOW AND ARROW CAST" ? One might say carefully so you do not end up with a multi-piece rod as Jason Borger commented. Grasp the fly with the hook up between thumb and finger. Have only enough line out so that the straightened leader and line is at or just beyond the rod butt. Pull back with the rod just slightly above horizontal. The pull back position may be to the side, directly above the now bent section of the rod or somewhere in between. The rod is now loaded, let fly go.

2.) When would you use it ? Short delicate casts, particularly where it would be difficult to load the rod.

3.) Now, describe how you would teach the, "DISTANCE (EXTENDED) BOW AND ARROW CAST". Refer to #1 above but instead of grasping the fly have more line out and grasp the line above the fly. Loading is done the same way. You may wish to have the rod more upright for this cast.