Classic articles / Spey answers / THCI invitation for comments

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

Congrats to Steve Rajeff who caught a ~ 35lb. permit on a fly from my skiff last week after making his usual perfect presentation !

 

(You can tell that it's windy/raining and the water all roiled up, this morning ..... No fishing 'til it clears a bit.)

Question from Tom Zacoi :

Good Evening Doc,

 

Do you happen to remember which 1993 issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine the Moran/Kyte casting article appeared?

 

Thank you,

Z  

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Tom....

 

Their article entitled:  FLY CASTING: SUBSTANCE & STYLE was published in American Angler, Mar./Apr., 2000.

 

Another:  THE BIOMECHANICS OF FLY CASTING, by Al Kyte and Gary Moran was published at about the same time .... but I don't have the journal reference printed on my copy.... only:  http://home.att.net/~slowsnap/biomechanics.htm  

 

A classic article by Al Kyte & Gary Moran, entitled:  GOING FOR DISTANCE, GOOD vs.. ELITE CASTERS was published in Fly Fisherman, May, 1993.  This is, I feel, MUST reading.

 

Lessons learned from this are surprisingly accurate even when we consider the mountain of information learned in recent years from studies of the physics of fly casting including information derived from the Casting Analyzer as well as sophisticated video studies which were not employed at that time.

 

I'll try to dig out my summary of this work (Study Group message, Aug., 2002) and place it as an attachment.

 

These article reprints were included in the hard copy editions of the MCCI Study Guide.  I've inquired as to whether these could be made available to candidates at a modest cost to cover the expense of printing, etc.

 

Gordy 

 

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From Tony Loader:

 

Hi Gordy,

 

Welcome back. You were missed. Here's my attempt at the quiz.

 

Define:

 

1. Spey casting: A style of roll casting incorporating a change of direction, a back cast loop formed under the rod tip and an anchor placed on the water.

 

2. Single spey: A Spey cast used in an upstream wind and made off the caster’s upstream side.

 

3. Double spey: A Spey cast used in a downstream wind and made off the caster’s downstream side.

 

4. River right: The “true right” bank, i.e. the bank on the right when facing downstream

 

5. River left: The “true left” bank, i.e. the bank on the left when facing downstream.

 

6. Anchor/Grip: That part of the line/leader in touch with the water immediately prior to the commencement of the forward casting stroke

 

7. D loop: The loop of line behind the rod tip immediately prior to the commencement of the forward casting stroke

 

I'll add these:

 

8. What Spey cast would you choose while standing on the LEFT BANK with a DOWNSTREAM WIND ? Single handed –a Double Spey or Snake Roll, off the left side.     Double Handed – A Single Spey, left hand up.

 

9. Under what circumstance would you place your D Loop on the windward side ?  Tentatively, If the wind was light, an easily manageable line would cover the lie and space limitations prevented placing the D loop on the lee side.

 

10.  Under what circumstances would you consider placing your dominant hand below and your other hand above ? When practicing or choosing to make, a particular cast in conditions best suited to that hand positioning e.g. a Single Spey off the non dominant side, when teaching a student whose dominant hand is the opposite, to minimise localised pain/fatigue and when casting shooting heads “underhand” style.

 

11.  What is a, "White Mouse" ? The characteristic spray made by line tearing off the water surface during the Spey moves.

 

Regards,

Tony.

 

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Tony....  Good answers using different wording.

 

Gordy

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Still other wordings to answer the Spey questions from Lewis Hinks:-

 

Gordy,

    A quiz on questions that might be asked during the Master's exam.

Kirk Eberhard

 

Define:

 

1. Spey casting- Constant tension, eliptical type of cast which has a change of direction and the fly lands in the water in front of the caster and never goes behind.

 

2. Single spey - A change of direction cast that places the line upstream of the angler, prior to the forard cast, and is used with an upstream wind.

 

3. Double spey- A change of direction cast with two components, upstream movement and a downstram movement that places the line downstream of the anler prior to the forward cast. Used with a downstream wind

 

4. River right- Another term for right bank

 

5. River left- Another term for left bank

 

6. Anchor/Grip- The line, leader and fly touching the water and providing enough resisitance to allow the formation fo the D-Loop. (By the way, I do not like this term as it has a connotation of permanence, which I think can cofuse the student as the anchor is only very brief momnet. I prefer the term to 'kiss' the water.)

 

7. D loop-A rounded back loop, or belly, which formes behind the rod tip and combined with the anchor loads the rod for the forward cast.

 

I'll add these:

 

8. What Spey cast would you choose while standing on the LEFT BANK with a DOWNSTREAM WIND ? Double spey or Snake roll

 

9. Under what circumstance would you place your D Loop on the windward side ? I can think of no situation where this can be done safely.

 

10.  Under what circumstances would you consider placing your dominent hand below and your other hand above ?  If you are right hand dominant and you are on the laft bank making either a double spey or a snake roll the reversal of hand position makes these casts much easier.

 

11.  What is a, "White Mouse" ? - The spray caused be the fly line moving quickly through the water during the second part of the double spey cast.

 

Lewis

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Comment:  Regarding the term, "anchor".  I'm aware that some have used other terms such as, "line stick" or Simon Gawesworth's, "splash-and-go".

 

Gordy

 

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Let's invite those more accomplished than I in Spey casting to make their comments.  Particularly our THCI's ..

 

Gordy

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