SW "Quick cast"

Walter & Group...

From Sheila Hassan :

Gordy,

If anyone has not fished from a skiff before and  is interested, I have a brief video on the saltwater quick cast (classic style) on You Tube, search Cast90 videos or Sheila Hassan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyNimtMIBQc

FYI Sheila

 

Sheila M Hassan

617-759-8627

Sheila@xxxxxxxxxx

www.Cast90.com

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From Craig Buckbee:

Gordy,

during my run-through this summer of the new Master's exam, it was recommended that i use the term 'Clearing Cast'' in the saltwater quick-cast demo.... makes sense to me as even here in the jersey surf with a stripping basket you want to get the line ready to shoot arranged in order... ''last- first, first-last'' ... as a way to help alliviate the always ill-timed coil knot vs. stripper guide cast shortener.

after the clearing cast, in the set-up, i get hold of the fly first*, holding it with my rod hand. feels right to me because i can then judge my ''out of tip sag" while ordering my loops of line to shoot. so my rod hand does several tasks: hold rod, hold fly, help line hand measure coils (loops).

* another use for the snap-T.

craig

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Craig ...

I do that, though I didn't use the term "clearing cast".  Probably should be seen as part of the set-up.

Gordy

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From Pete Greenan:

Hi All,

Faced with Bob Rumpf's dilemma every day gives me pretty good insight into the problem.  From a skiff I see key elements as;

1. placing the line in the proper rotation in the cockpit, not on the deck.  The cockpit placement stops you from stepping on the line and the wind from blowing it over the side where it will undoubtably get caught under the boat. 

2. holding the rod on the casting side of the body so the line in the water does not get dragged under the boat as it is poled forward. 

3. holding the hand with the fly under the rod hand so that the aerial roll cast goes over the it preventing an errant hook in the hand or a fly hitting the rod

4. making the initial cast forward to allow for proper targeting and never losing sight of the fish.

 

From a wading position .

    Holding loops of line in you hand is problematic because the wind and water movement cause the line to twist resulting in a  tangle when casting.  Understand that long casts, says 75 to 90 feet, are almost never executed from a wading position on a flat.  Moving closer is better.  Allowing the line to drag behind you is better, but you do have to monitor the line for grass.  Holding the fly in your hand with about 15 to 20 feet of line out and dragging about 30 feet of line in a long 15 foot loop works as good as anything.  Often when site casting a flat you'll have time bring the trailing line to you for easier pick up.  Remember that sight fishing is all about stealth.  Once a fish is observed, the angler has to judge where it is going, where to position himself and where to make the cast.  These things take time and it is time best spent keeping your line under control.  BTW, stripping baskets restrict how much line you can retrieve at one time.  Consider the Bahamas guide who says, "long strip, long strip!"  Where would the line go then?

As a fly fishing flats guide with many years experience with anglers of all kinds of abilities, the most important thing is line control.  Some of the biggest problems I have is poor placement of the fly line, often caused by throwing the line behind you as you strip.  I always teach my clients to place the line on the cockpit floor after each strip. 

I'll have more on this as the conversation heats up.

Pete Greenan

www.floridaflyfishing.com

 

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Comment:   This is golden advice coming from a pro !

 

Pete is also correct about the tendency for the caster to strip the line back where it can sometimes get tangled.  When my angler does that, I try to have him throw it down, not back.

 

Gordy

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Al Crise has a knack for thinking "outside the box".  Here is a method he uses (I highlighted his method for holding the fly in red italics I have not run across any others doing it this way.)  G. :-

 

When I teach the "At Ready" or "Guide cast" I do a couple of things different.

 

         'Guide Cast' or 'At Ready Cast' by Al Crise:

  This is a cast that is used by anglers on the front deck of a flats boat or wading the flats. It is a way to get the fly out to the fish FAST. In salt water the fish are moving. Sometimes the boat is moving. If you will remember a Tarpon can travel 6 ft or more in a second. Your normal stroke is about 2 seconds with 30 ft of line. The tarpon has moved 18 ft. So lets learn to get the fly there FAST.

   When I was guiding on the flats of the Florida Keys I would 'Set up' my angler on the bow of the boat. Starting off by asking them to make three casts. One to 40 ft into the wind. One back handed delivery, One as far as they could. This would give me an idea of what they called a 50 foot cast. You would be surprised at the differences.

  Here is the Set up

   Rod in casting hand. Line stacked 'Out first on Top' this might be on a piece of carpet or in a stripping basket or just on the deck. I would have them strip off no more line than they could cast.

   Pull out of the rod tip the leader and about 20 ft of fly line.

 Letting the line drape out of the rod's tip to the side. The line from the stripping guide is held in the line hand as normal.

  Place the fly in the rod hand between the thumb and first finger. This is where I differ from many. I feel it is safer to hold the fly on the same side as it will be cast. This also lets the line hand be use to grab if the boat is bounced. The fly does not have to cross the body nor does it have to be tossed free. You do have to stage this up to get the fly under the rod and not wrapped around the fly line.

  When the guide says "Fish 10 o'clock 50 ft out". The Angler swings the rod low and points at the fish. Now the guide and angler are looking at the same fish if not the Guide can adjust right or left.

 The cast is started with the raising of the rod just like a 'pick up cast' from Tip low to the water. This will pull the fly from the rod hand with the back cast. The fly goes out to the side and away from the angler. Remember to make the "up cast behind you". It is not at all hard to get to 60+ ft with two back casts and a good shoot.

 The line hand can add the hauls needed to get the line speed to carry the fly out.

 

If wading the slack line can be held in the line hand in coils hanging from the fingers. I like to put the longer loop for the first out on my index finger, shorter loops on my ring, and little finger. All line is shot and guided through the index finger and thumb formed ring.

  Keeping control of the line is a major factor, having the fly in the rod hand reduces the worry of the fly catching on anything slack loop or you. When you have a striping basket on, wear is as low as you can. Not hitting the water if possible. 

 

 

 

Just my idea of a safer way

Ol Al

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From Ally Gowans:

 

Tracking – a useful way to help students visualise a straight path for the tip is to tell them to imagine that they are opening or closing curtains with a pole “take the tip along a curtain track”.  The other thing that you can easily do using the horizontal line is to place makers at equal distances (angles?) either side of perpendicular to the student to mark the correct rod stopping points for a 180 deg change of direction.

 

I don’t get to use the salt water quick cast for real in Scotland but if you break it down into its constituents from scratch it is a brilliant basis for a demonstration which I have used many times in grass arenas. I you can take a few liberties on grass (including choice of wind direction!) and usually I start by introducing it as a method of going from 0 – 30 yards in less than 4 seconds. I make the cast starting with a roll cast including a forward haul and shoot, then make a double haul with one back cast and slip shoot, forward cast and shoot the rest of the line. You can explain, teach and demonstrate each component, put them all together again and complete with the finished article. Developing a similar demo for themselves I think would help those preparing for the exam.

 

Best wishes,

Ally Gowans

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Ally ...   The whole idea of this SW Quick cast is to get the fly out there QUICKLY, SAFELY & WITHOUT SPOOKING THE FISH WITH MANY FALSE CASTS.

Jake Jordan and Bruce Chard are well known salty guides.  I remember Jake telling me that he would have his angler practice this cast as he threw rocks in the water .... the idea was to see how quickly the caster could get the fly to the rings made in the water by the rock.  He told me that nobody ever did it faster or better than Bruce !

Re. your comment on candidates preparing demos:   I prepared a demo for each major task years ago before taking my exam. 

Gordy