SUBSTANCE

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

Answers to the question:  What does the term SUBSTANCE mean to you ?

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

Laurence Baggett is an attorney.  In a post script to a message, he comes in with some legal jargon:

PS Study group has turned "legal" with a substance over form discussion. Or was that "style"?
 

G.Laurence Baggett, Esq.

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

Comment:  Food for thought.  This adds another "word-picture" as we consider the use of the word form to be synonymous with style.

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

# Molly Semenik has already given her "short answer":

In most cases the 5 essentials are still the key elements of substance.

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

# This was my own "short answer":

 Substance is what you need to do to execute the mechanics of an efficient cast.

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

Now, let's go into more detail as Substance is described in the context of casting with different styles and faults :

Gordy

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

From Ally Gowans:

Hi Gordy,

 

Funnily enough I was thinking about substance before I got your message. This was partly because I think that there is confusion in our discussion about casts/techniques and style. I thought of this example.

 

Two people are casting in harmony, the outfits are identical and the lines exactly match each other all the way through each cast, the casts are identical and perfect.

 

Substance is executed perfectly.

 

The casters, despite being the same build look quite different whilst casting, they use different styles to achieve identical results.

 

Conclusions:

 

Without meeting the criteria for substance, faults would be apparent. Therefore failure to perform the substance means that a perfect cast is not achieved.

 

Good and different styles can still make similar and perfect casts if the substance is correct.

 

"Perfect" casts can look quite different whilst achieving similar line layouts due to differences in technique. For instance a change of plane is a change of technique or if you like a different cast not a different style per se. Example: a Spey cast and an overhead cast can achieve the same layout. Here the substance is being met but the technique employed to deliver the fly is different and style comparisons between the casters are irrelevant.

 

Substance is defined by the casting rules - the essential physics of fly casting.

 

Style is defined as various ways of compliance with the rules.

 

Faults are the result of failing to comply with the rules.

 

Good style is ergonomic and efficient. Bad style is likely to be neither to some degree and is likely to conflict with the rules especially towards a casters performance limit.

 

Best wishes,

Ally Gowans

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

Ally:  You have, indeed, given this a great deal of thought.  I think all should study your message.  For my money, it is right on target !  (I've taken the liberty of highlighting your closing points.)

Gordy