Reach mends and casts / Safety / line hand

Having said all that, however, I can make a stop and IMMEDIATELY make my side sweep as I slip line and come out with a perfect layout, too. When I do that, I consider I've made a REACH MEND.

If you get a loop to form by a little decrease in rod speed or by a change of directions you are still moving the rod and that would make it a CAST. The rod did not stop.

When I teach this cast I advocate never stopping the rod. I have the student make an "L" in the air with the rod tip. I believe this is a reach cast because the loop and therefore the direction of the cast is determined at the point the rod stops going forward. This a defacto stop. A reach mend can be made after the line is on the water or while it is still in the air.

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I have no quarrel with Phil's description or method. What he does is definitely a reach CAST. This is because he makes a continuous compound movement with no stop.

When I do it by making a stop and immediately make the side sweep, there is a distinct separate move after the start of loop formation before I make my sweep .... not at all continuous motion. That is a reach MEND. You see, I make my sweep after the start of loop formation which is one way of describing the conclusion of the casting stroke.

Phil is correct in that if you hesitate after the stop, the layout will not be as good .... but the way I do it, the hesitation is so brief that it doesn't result in a faulty layout. The greater the time of hesitation after the start of loop formation, and the farther the loop travels before the side-sweep, the worse the layout.

No question, as I went out and did some of those this morning, that Phil's method is better as it doesn't lend itself to any hesitation at all..... easier to time it, and a much better way of teaching it.

I learned the reach cast from Doug Swisher years ago. His was a true, "classic" reach CAST. This is described in detail in FLY FISHING STRATEGY by Doug Swisher and Carl Richards, pp.30 - 36. In the diagrams at the bottom of p. 36 he shows exactly what Phil talked about yielding a poor layout, often with the line bellying downstream. Why ? Because there was hesitation in making the sweep. Doug says, "The angler must reach the rod tip quickly as well, and often the line is traveling faster than the reach; the result is that the line actually bellies down-stream."

If you do it the way Phil teaches it, there can be no hesitation.... because it is all accomplished with his, "L" shaped continuous motion.

So it really comes down to what, "rules" one wishes to follow when naming the reach maneuvers. I think Jason was clear on that issue.

Hi Gordy

Phil's Reach cast description is right on !! This is same way I teach the Reach and Phil's ability to make his definition briefly and to the point is a great lesson for MCI candidates. The additional point is well made that he 'live's with (this cast) on a daily basis.' A comment made by you quite often. It is one exercise to practice the cast in the back yard but putting it to use on a trout stream, like Phil, or on the flats, like yourself, is MCI preparation that is invaluable.

Regards, Dennis

Established in 1993

Dennis Grant

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Gordy,

Practice from the river bank or drift boat with a throw rope is another good option for river retrieval of a person fallen in.

Regarding the line hand I do have the first time student trap the line hand on the cork and sometimes with most experienced casters have them trap the line hand in their pocket if it is interfering with a learning a good foundation casting stroke.

Molly Semenik showed me an excellent exercise I use on the very first lesson at the end.

That is using the line hand in slack removal as one raises the rod to set the hook for trout

and maintaining tension on the line until the line is on the reel. I always try to teach with this dual perspective--casting and catching fish.

I think having taught flying I try as soon as I can to get the line hand involved--hard to teach one to fly with emphasis on one control at a time. After a demo of the effect of each individual control then it is learning to use all in balance. Just my way of looking at the big picture.

Great e-mails which I plan to use in my teaching so my thanks to all for sharing.

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