Introducing the use of the line hand

Gordy,

I will try to introduce the line hand immediately. Although it is a lot for new students to take in, it is important for them to learn how to control it as early as possible. There are times when I may remove it and then reintroduce it later; i.e. someone who is having difficulty with even the basic steps, kids, or any similar situation. But, especially in the saltwater realm, I want them to get use to using the line hand as early as possible, so that it becomes more natural to them. So far, it has worked doing it this way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John.. I do it that way, too. The counterpoint position taken by some is to have the student use only the rod hand until proficient with the basic casting stroke ..... then to add the use of the line hand. (We may get some answers supporting that idea (??)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope that this email finds each of you hale and hearty. I’ve had casting on the brain throughout the winter.

Simple question – how would you personally describe and demonstrate the development and maintenance of tension in a cast?

So far I’ve been using the “flag wave”, which may seem inconsistent with “straight line path”

At first, I thought your question was not at all on the topic of when to introduce the use of the line hand for early casters. Now, I feel it is on target.

The whole idea of maintaining tension, is to achieve motion of the rod tip and the fly at the same time. This cannot be done unless SLACK is removed from the system.

A simple way of demonstrating this to students is to make a horizontal cast on grass. The students can easily see what is happening. First make one with lots of slack in the line. A very poor presentation will be obvious. Then do exactly the same thing ...... starting with the fly line and leader out straight between the rod tip and the fly. The presentation layout will be just fine. You can then show them that the main reason for the difference was that with slack, much of the casting stroke was used up just to take out slack rather than making the cast.

Many poor casters use their line hand to reduce or eliminate slack as they cast and pull on the line .... a rudimentary haul. Some actually achieve a fairly good haul ...... however the energy of the haul goes to take up unwanted slack instead of primarily increasing line speed and secondarily achieving needed rod load (bend) for an efficient cast.

By teaching good basic casting mechanics early in the game, the new caster learns to make the casts without much if any slack, without using a haul. Once that happens, the instructor can introduce line hand hauling which will, then, be used properly to increase line speed and rod loading rather than to take up slack.

The real question on the deck, however, is when to introduce the use of the line hand .... not to make hauls, but in such a way that the line hand doesn't introduce slack; rather that it is used to help maintain tension in the system by it's position(s) while the rod arm is executing the mechanics of the casting stroke.

One way some students allow slack to enter the system is that they don't even think of what do do with the line hand, so they hold the line with the line hand way down below the rod and keep it there rather than following the butt section of the rod. A degree of tension is thus lost with each stroke.

I look at a, "flag wave" as demonstrative of a convex rod tip path. Of course, one reason for this is that the flagstaff doesn't bend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~