How far can you cast?

[caseywise]

Originally Posted by Hardyreels

This will stir up the distance pot!

With my curiosity killing me, I rigged my 7' 9" Far & Fine 5 weight the other day and took the tape measure out in the lawn. I placed a white hand towel on the spot where I stood and a roll of paper towels standing on end at the point where my casts were landing. The distance between these 2 markers was 77 feet.

Here's the thing to stir replies, these casts are 90% wrist with little to no arm extension. I would say that 10% of the energy in the cast motion is contributed by forearm movement and short hauls made by the left hand. All other energy and control are provided by the movement of my right wrist. The casts were accurate (within a couple feet right or left) with some laying in direct line to the roll of towels.

With this said I have to believe that the Far & Fine is by far the best fly rod I ever bought and would recommend any pre 1985 models of this rod with no reservations whatever.

Ard

nice work ard!
i've never personally fished a far and fine but have certainly heard of there reputation
i have never actually measured one of my casts, but i would say i would max out at 85 feet or so.
that being said, i feel my casting is proficient at 35-45 feet and thats my absolute target distance.


casey

[ausablebrown]

Originally Posted by Hardyreels

This will stir up the distance pot!

With my curiosity killing me, I rigged my 7' 9" Far & Fine 5 weight the other day and took the tape measure out in the lawn. I placed a white hand towel on the spot where I stood and a roll of paper towels standing on end at the point where my casts were landing. The distance between these 2 markers was 77 feet.

Here's the thing to stir replies, these casts are 90% wrist with little to no arm extension. I would say that 10% of the energy in the cast motion is contributed by forearm movement and short hauls made by the left hand. All other energy and control are provided by the movement of my right wrist. The casts were accurate (within a couple feet right or left) with some laying in direct line to the roll of towels.

With this said I have to believe that the Far & Fine is by far the best fly rod I ever bought and would recommend any pre 1985 models of this rod with no reservations whatever.

Ard

Sounds like that one works for you Ard. I've found one that works equally well for me. My closeout TXL is one that I taped out in the yard. It is a 7'10" 4 wt. I've got an 80' DT line on it and I can cast all but 12' of the line. Including, the 9' of rod and arm, and then the 9' of leader, I'm reaching out to about 85' with this 4wt! More importantly I am hitting within 3 ft right or left of my target. I can cast other rods this far, but it is far more wild and erratic. For whatever reason, it just clicks with me very well.

Ard, on a side note; I did cast a 100' line finally this summer. I ended up getting a smallie rig put together and the line just FLIES off of this thing. It is a Mystic 9'3" with a Rio Grand line.

[littledavid123]

Here yah go O MyKiss

Dave

[Diver Dan]

It would be interesting to see how many of us can cast farther now that this thread is back, than we could the first time it was posted. I can thanks to the distance obsession of my Canadian fishing buddy Bill. The biggest trouble I have with casting far in a real fishing type situation is what do you do with all that line? Plus backing does not come out of my stripping baskets very well. It tends to grab stuff and stop the cast. Here is a photo of my line in my stripping basket, and the backing out on the grass. This was in the park in town and I was putting a clouser on the other side of the channel with my 10wt. Winston. This was actually fishing. Casting far is seriously fun.

[wannafish]

Pretty sure the better rods/lines and the double haul have made a big difference in my casting over the last year or so. I picked up a Sage VXP 9wt 9' in September and measured my best cast on grass at 87' from reel to hookless fly.

[gatortransplant]

With my 8wt when I was chasing carp in September I had a few casts make it to very near my backing using a double-haul. However, I'm beginning to realize that the line I have on the rod is a half- to a full weight to light so it's not getting the full power of the load. I'm thinking of picking up some decent saltwater line for Christmas, so we'll see what my casts do on the flats! I'm certainly not going to be Dan's super-friend though, casting into his backing with half the rod...

[Jackster]

Originally Posted by gatortransplant

With my 8wt when I was chasing carp in September I had a few casts make it to very near my backing using a double-haul. However, I'm beginning to realize that the line I have on the rod is a half- to a full weight to light..

Consider rethinking that. I can always throw farther with a lighter line than the rod likes for ordinary fishing. I think the lighter line taxes the rod less and allows one to carry a lot more line.

[gatortransplant]

Maybe I'll have to cast it more before deciding then! I haven't done a lot of distance casting on the 8wt since I bumped down to the 6 for a lot of the fish I was targeting, but I'll be using the 8 for salt over the holidays. I'll stick with the line I have for a few days before I go and make an expensive mistake, haha.

[Liphookedau]

Originally Posted by kglissmeyer1

Usually I can cast just the right amount to reach the fish I'm fishing to, with the exception of that behemoth brown that keeps rising just out of reach, and I can't step any deeper or I go over my wader tops, and, to add insult to injury, he keeps "finning" me off every time he rises...
Kelly.

I'm with you Kelly & others I just cast enough to where the fish are,very seldom they are out of reach.
Just yesterday I was talking to The Guy who runs The Tackle Shop/Sports Store,he said a friend of his was Fishing our Local Lake when he saw a Big Fish,he Threw many Flies at it however it kept looking however it wouldn't take any of his Flies,all he could do was get a picture of it so I'm going to see if he'll take one of your Parasol Emergera as more than likely it has been caught before.
Brian

[Diver Dan]

Originally Posted by gatortransplant

I'm beginning to realize that the line I have on the rod is a half- to a full weight to light so it's not getting the full power of the load...... and ........I'm certainly not going to be Dan's super-friend though, casting into his backing with half the rod...

Actually that line being light should help you cast farther. Just carry more line in the air before you shoot.

That's something to see done. I watched him carry an entire 90' 3wt. line in the air, and 100' of 5 wt. line. He's amazing. It was a 4wt. line he put over 100' with the top half of a rod.

Here's another good one. 120' RIO Gold competition line shot out of the rod from his knee.

Rio Gold 120' comp line video by fishnwflies - Photobucket

Rio Gold 120' comp line video by fishnwflies - Photobucket

" title="Rio Gold 120' comp line video by fishnwflies - Photobucket" target="_blank">Rio Gold 120' comp line video by fishnwflies - Photobucket