Wind, More

Walter & Group.....

PLEASE TRY TO GET YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ IN BY NOON, TOMORROW.  AFTER THAT, I'LL BE AWAY UNTIL AUGUST 8TH.

GORDY

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A, "pearl" from Mack Martin:-

Gordy:

 

Yes...casting in the wind can be a bit testy, but a little practice always helps this. Making the back cast into the wind with a tip path close to the water must be accomplished with a very effective water haul to get the line speed up as you suggest. I have found this to be very manageable.

 

Mack Martin

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Mack. 

 

 I'm Glad you brought that up.  I've neglected to mention the technique of using water hauls to help combat wind.  It's a good way to increase your max. rod load for your next into-the-wind stroke.

 

Once in a while, I'll have a friend who is a caster who just can't handle wind join me fishing the flats in high winds.  The water haul, can save his day !

 

That should have been added to my list of wind, "nuggets".

 

Gordy

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From Al Crise (My answers in his text in bold blue italics  .....  G.  :-

Howdy Gordy,

 One thing that has happened to me in New Jersey and here in Texas is FOG Trying to cast in a fog is like casting underwater. The loop will not penetrate the heavy moisture. There is often a breeze as this is what brings the moisture up that can foul your fly and line.

 

Yes, indeed.  We ususally think of fog with no wind, at all.  In the Northeast (like when striper fishing at Montauk, N.Y. or Cape Cod, Ma., there are some days when I've encountered dense fog and strong wind at the same time.  This makes for tough casting !  You have the resistance of the wind to which is added the significant resistance of the water laden air.       G.

 

 What effect does the strong head wind have on loading your rod? Is this something that happens or is it delegated by the recovery into the same wind?

 

Well...... When making a casting stroke into wind &/or fog, whether a back cast stroke or forward stroke, the moving air will increase the load on your rod (bend it more) as you use more energy to counteract the atmosphere.  Unfortulately, this increase in load over what it would be without that much atmospheric resistance, will not translate into greater distance, simply because the load produced by the inertia of the fly line remains the same and the extra energy imparted by the caster is used to counter the atmospheric resistance .....not to propel the loop.

 

You can get the idea by, "casting" your rod with no line strung up against a strong wind, and then doing the same thing either with no wind or a cross wind from you line hand side ..... note the difference in the, "feel" of the amount of force you use. 

 

If by, "recovery", you mean counterflex and rebound, I doubt either would be significantly changed by the wind .... a tiny amout ?  Perhaps.  Enough to make a difference in the distance achieved ?  I doubt it.     G.

 

 

If you will remember last year at the Spey Class I broke out my one foot 5 wt rod. The ladies were casting well over 100 ft. all the line and some backing.  I say this was due to the Elevation of 6000 ft + in Livingston, MT.

 

I didn't remember the exact distances achieved, but they were impressive !  Some things to consider:

 

     1.)  That 1' rod presented less material moved against the air = less inertial resistance.

 

     2.)  At great elevations, the air is a tad less dense = less resistance.

 

     3.)  Atmosphere in Montana at that altitude is likely to be a lot drier = less resistance.

 

     4.)  Theoretically, there would be a tiny bit less gravitational effect.  (Frankly, I don't think it would be enough to make a practical difference, however.) = The loop and fly line fall more slowly. 

 

( If we could convince NASA to cancel some of the less important experiments done in space and have them do some fly casting up there, we'd be way ahead ! ) 

 

Gordy

 

 

ol Al

Allen R. Crise
FFF-Master Casting Instructor
Hawk Ridge Flycasting School