Hook vs. Curves

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

Question bounced to me from Al Crise:

Howdy Gordy

 How would you answer this from Chris?

ol Al

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To: flysoup

Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 11:01 PM

Subject: Re: drills

So Al... Whats the difference between a hook and a curve? Or is there a difference?

Ive heard people talk as if they confuse the two, some talk as if they are the same thing, and some talk of them being completly different!!

 

An aussie mate described to me his 'left hook' the other day and it was exactly how I perform my curves. (Then again, Australians always have been a little backwards ;))

 

Chris Dore

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ol Al.....

 

I'll forgive the quip about our Aussie friends, since I know that Chris is a Kiwi !  No comments from Tasmanians alowed.

 

The difference between the hooks and the curves as I do them using three different methods, boils down to the speed and timing of the maneuvers.

 

With almost all curves except the underpowered (decelerating) curves and the corkskrew curve casts, the caster ends the cast with the tip of the rod going in the direction he's chosen for the fly. Immediately after the stop, there is a return of the rod tip in the opposite direction (counterflex) which accounts for the direction of the apex of the curve.  This happens so quickly that it all APPEARS to happen at the stop, itself.

 

This can be done by the casting hand making either a curved move or a wrist flip in the direction you wish the fly to go, and allowing the rod tip to bounce back in the opposite direction during counterflex.  In the case of this curve move, the rod tip has two simultaneous movements.... a bend in that direction, and a torsional movement (twist).  The return in each instance is in the opposite direction both with respect to the bend and the twist.

 

In the case of the curve cast made with either a wrist flip or forearm flip in the direction of the cast, the return which forms the belly of the curve, is strictly due to counterflex.  The same is true when making a curve cast by using a horizontal rod plane, overpowering the cast a bit, and stopping it early. (The rod tip finishes moving in the direction you want the fly to go, then bounces back in the opposite direction during counterflex  at which point it directs the belly of the line.)

 

NOW:  If you wish to convert your curve layout to a right angle hook, you can do four things:-

 

1.) Overpower your stroke.

 

2.) Use a combination of wrist flip and wrist twist (using both exaggerates the layout).

 

3.) Come to the most complete STOP you can muster.

 

4.) ASSIST THE COUNTERFLEX WITH A LIGHTNING QUICK MOVE IN ITS DIRECTION. (a move in the direction opposite that in which you wish the fly to go.)

 

Technically, one could then call this a, "cast/mend" since the cast is done in one direction and the, "mend" in the opposite direction.  The whole thing happens so fast that it appears to occur "AT" the stop, whereas it really turns out when this is videoed and timed frame studies done, that there  is one move made just prior to the stop, and another just after it.

 

In teaching this, I take a page out of Lefty's way of teaching by emphasizing a point which is not strictly true, but gets into the students' brains.  I have them imagine that they are purposely making both these moves AT the stop.  If I do otherwise, they invariably make the moves too far apart resulting in a layout which is either an S or simply a mess. I start with a lightning fast pantomime in which the student is taught to make a quick, "wrist-twist-and-return" as almost one motion.  This is done before he tries it with a rod.

 

Caveats: 1.) The earlier and the faster the return move is made, the sharper the hook !

 

           2.) The later and faster the return move is made, the longer the outer limb of the hook.  (This one is used, for example, in fishing a mangrove shoreline where I want to place a right angle hook next to the shore with a long retrieve along the shoreline.  After it is done, I place my rod tip in the water and make a looooooonnnnnggg retrieve along the shore line  .... which is the way the bait fish usually swim.)

 

To summarize:

 

A true curve cast is made with one movement in the direction you wish the fly to go.  The, "return" is simply counterflex.

 

A "curve cast/mend" is made the same way, except that you assist the "return" with a brief mend in the direction opposite the way you want the fly to go.

 

A HOOK cast is the same as a curve cast except it is done by overpowering the cast and coming to a more complete stop.

 

The hook can be exaggerated by assisting the return move.  If you do that, technically, you mave made a "hook cast/mend".

 

These can be done in either the horizontal or the vertical plane.  Think about it.  The TUCK CAST as usually done, is nothing more than a vertical, "hook-cast/mend" !

 

Gordy