Holding the line when distance casting

Hi Gordy just to change the subject for a moment.... I would like to hear from others their techniques for holding line in hand for distance casting .

When I prepared for the masters I was told that this may come up and although it is not on the performance test it does show ones abilities and confirms to the testers you have control of the line.

When I pretested with a couple of BOG they had different techniques than what I felt comfortable with so I worked out one that was easy and worked well for me .

Interested to see what others would do if asked to make an 85 ' cast and hold the line in their line hand ..

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On a distance cast while fishing, my own way of doing it is to hold the fly line pinched between the ball of my thumb and the pad of the index finger of my line hand. Whenever releasing line after a haul, I let it slip through a, "loop" formed by the thumb and forefinger ..... this includes the final shoot.

I do this so that I have the line constantly monitored in case I have to short the presentation or so that I can start my retrieve instantly if needed. Many of us learned that technique from Lefty, as did I. Another advantage of this technique is that I may be standing on the deck of a skiff with the pile of line a couple of feet off to my left. By placing my line hand directly over the center of that pile of line and shooting it through the loop formed by my finger and thumb, I'm far less likely to have a tangle.

I'm far from perfect ..... so sometimes I forget to do that. I've learned to get that line back in hand quickly without taking my eyes off the fish by reaching for the first stripper guide as I slide my hand up the rod blank. It's always there. If I've made a long cast so that all of the line is shot, then I've come tight and, (In Tom White's words) "burped the reel" so the line is right there anywhay and under some tension.

When going for maximum distance, I prefer not to have even the tiny bit of resistance which that technique yields ...... I'm not fishing, so I don't need to consider a retrieve. In that case, I'll hold the line in the pinch of my thumb and forefinger. On the false casts shoots, I shoot it over my index finger ready for an immediate pinch as the loop unfurls. On the next stroke, I pinch the line so no slip is allowed. Then, on the final delivery cast I simply let it go.

I've seen some casters gain a bit more speed of haul by placing an extended index finger against the line. When I do it, it slips off and I ruin the cast. In line with that, many years ago, some smart caster figured out what was called a, "haul tool".... a little stick with a waxrd notch in the end. This acted to extend the caster's arm. It was soon outlawed for competition casting events.

I've just told you what I've done, and my reasons. ...... more important for us to hear what others do.

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Thank you for the well considered exchange on lightning and weather safety. Good insights and some excellent resources. This affects all of us. I think about some really risky stuff I have seen people do and consider my responsibility as a mentor to others. I also think about being able to assess the credibility and diligence of a guide who fails to react appropriately.