Walter & Group...
From Troy Miller:
While I’m not exactly a
SW junkie, I do fish the brine quite a lot. I typically fish alone, so
haven’t really patterned my flats technique after anyone else’s. The
probably means that I do a lot of things “less than perfectly”, but usually
adequately for my needs. As everyone so far has noted, line management is
one of the keys. I can break down my technique down into several
distinctly different categories.
First, I’ll say that I
don’t have a flats boat. I have fished from them maybe a dozen times, and
admit that I’d rather pole than stand the ready. The two methods of quick
casting I’ve used from the bow deck include
I own 3 kayaks and use
them often. Generally, I’ll strip off and troll out 60 or 70 feet of line
and then strip back in, arranging on my lap, last first and first last. I
have blocks of foam along the edge of the seat on each yak, in which I embed the
hook deeply. Then I lay the rod (rod tip forward) on top of the line coils
on my lap, and pull one last coil to tighten up from the rod tip to the
fly. Generally, all that’s out of the rod tip is leader. This last
coil, I reposition to below the reel on my lap. Then I paddle around until
I see something to cast at. I dock my paddle in its holder and pick up the
rod and pull the tip AWAY from the fly in the foam block. This pulls maybe
6 or 8 feet of line out the rod tip. Then I pluck the fly from the foam
and toss it into the water on whichever side of the yak I’ll be casting
toward. A roll cast gets me to 20 feet, then lift and make 2 to 3 casting
cycles with hauls and shoots as above until I reach the target. It sounds
much more cumbersome than it is.
When wading, I will
either carry coils of line around in my left hand and some slack out the rod tip
as others have mentioned, or I’ll drag fly and 20 or 30 feet of line behind (or
downcurrent of) me IFthere are not too many weeds to foul me – and 4 or 5 coils
tucked into the waistband of my shorts. Then, the water haul gets me going
very quickly. Usually one forward stroke with haul/shoot, one backcast
with haul/shoot, and then the final delivery and you can be to 75 feet.
1-1/2 cycles. Most of the time, I’m wading very slowly to avoid stepping
on a ray, so you get many shots at only 20 or 30 feet. Sometimes, you just
pull the line from the water behind you and that’s your delivery. Just a
forward stroke and you’re there. On a high tide where there’s no exposed
grass and no floating weeds, this is the easy way to do it. It’s also a
GREAT way to get a non-flyfishing person to catch their first fish on a flyrod
as they can bring a cast together without any comprehension of false casting
-- SLP, power application, pausing, hauling all go out the window when you
simply ask them to stroke the rod toward the fish and stop it about
“here”.
Regards,
Troy
Miller
Baker Oil
Tools
281-638-0176
cell
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Troy .... All good practical ways of doing it. Another example of "different strokes for different folks." At one time or another I've done each of these maneuvers. When in the trenches, you do what works !
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From Lewis Hinks:
Another set of good answers from Tim Lawson :
Gordy,
Wow!
My brain is addled after this one!
Tim
1) Do you ever hold the fly in your
rod hand when setting up for the salt water quick-cast
?
Sometimes
2.) Why
?
On a skiff
I can coil more line at my feet, so I hold the fly in my line hand. When
I’m wading and need to really control several loops of line, I hold the fly in
my rod hand. In a river I hold everything (line and fly) in my right (rod)
hand because I frequently have a wading staff in my line
hand.
3.) How do you position the hook
relative to your hand / fingers ?
Use my
thumb and forefinger to hold the hook by the bend with the point facing
forward.
4.) Why
?
The first
casting movement will pull the fly safely from between your thumb and
finger
5.) Do you ever avoid holding the
fly, and hold the leader instead; allowing the fly to dangle
?
No
6.) Why
?
I prefer to
have total control of the hook. Ever-present winds tend to blow the dangling fly
around and I’m nervous about launching a cast with an un-controlled
fly.
7.) Do you consider this cast
strictly for salt water use ?
No
8.) When (if ever) would
you use it when fishing fresh water venues
?
It’s a
great technique for places like the Railroad Ranch on the Henry’s Fork of the
Snake. Shallow, slow-moving, gin clear water choked with weeds, both
submerged and floating. A drag-free drift requires long leaders and tippet
due to the swirling eddies. Success requires a careful stalk to rising fish that
move around a lot (although certainly not like flats fish), which makes an
accurate “quick cast” an advantage. The ever-present
9.) List a minimum of three
reasons for using this cast when fishing from the deck of a flats
skiff.
a) get the
fly to the constantly moving fish quickly b) minimal false casting reduces
the chance of spooking fish c) minimal false casting helps minimize
effects of wind on an accurate cast
10.) After reading our messages
on this subject, and going to the fly casting literature, list the number of
noted casters who sometimes hold the fly in the rod hand when using this
cast.
Jason
Borger
11.) In the fly casting
literature, there is one author who has described three different variations of
this cast. Who is that ?
??
12.) If you were able to answer
question 9.), cite your reference including page
numbers.
13.) Would you ever modify your
salt water quick-cast because of wind direction and strength
?
Yes
14.) If you answered YES to
question 11.), tell us when and how.
Wading: If
the wind is behind me, or not too strong in my face, I like the technique
of roll casting as I walk. If the wind is into my casting arm, I’d switch to an
off-shoulder delivery or my non-dominant hand.
Skiff: Off shoulder or non-dominant hand if the
wind is into my casting arm.
15.) Craig Buckbee has called
attention to what he calls a "clearance cast". What do you think that
might be ?
A cast to
straighten the line prior to setting up for the quick
cast.
16.) Why do that
?
So that
when the line is piled on the deck (or into a basket) or coiled into loops in
your hand, the forward portion of the line is not buried under (or behind) the
rear portion
17.) BRIEFLY list the
challenges or difficulties you would face when using this cast while wading a
flat.
a) loops of
line in your hand will touch the water, and tension of the water on the line
reduces distance b) tide current can pull on the line c) weeds can
collect on the line
18.) BRIEFLY list the basic changes
you would make when leaving the skiff deck and wading a flat and using a
modification of this cast.
a) shorter
length of line past the tip top, b) fewer loops of coiled line in my line hand
c) roll casting the line/fly forward, wind conditions
permitting
19.) Name one author who uses a
different name for this cast.
Jason
Borger
20.) What does he/she call it
?
Speed
cast
21.) When fishing from the deck
of a flats skiff, would you use this cast for all fishing situations
?
Not if I
was fishing for snook, or barracuda, or another species that didn’t require such
a quick cast because of perpetual motion.
22,) You are set up for a salt
water quick cast, and are looking for bonefish to your left. Suddenly,
your guide tells you that there is a fish approaching rapidly from behind
you. Your guide has no time to turn the skiff. What do you do
?
Deliver
your back cast.
23.) List 3 different ways to
position and control the line out of the rod tip when using this cast from the
deck of a skiff.
a) let it
lay in the water b) lay it on the skiff deck c) loop it over one or more
fingers of the rod hand
24.) List at least 3 different
ways to control the shooting line between the reel and the first stripper guide
in this situation.
a) large
loops on the skiff deck b) coiled in the fingers of the line hand c) tuck a loop
in your belt d) hold a loop in your mouth
25.) We have been talking about
flats fishing. Would you ever use this cast when fishing from a skiff in
deep water ?
Never done
this (seasick L), but I can see using it when
fish (billfish, dorado, tuna) have been “teased” close enough to the boat for a
fly cast by using chum, live bait, or artificial lures. I’ve read that
striper fishing in lakes can be fast and furious, and this technique might apply
in that situation.