Tightening loops

[axle27]

I was out practicing with a forum member last week. We had a good time just practicing.

I was shooting about 50-55ft of line from an 8ft St. Croix Avid (I only mention this because this rod definitely slower than my 5 wt's).

I was was watching my loops on the back and front cast. When I got out to 45+ ft., my loops were getting tight at the beginning of the cast, but the fly/leader were way wide in my opinion. I lengthened my stroke to accommodate the extra line in the air, but this seemed to exasperate it some.

What am I doing wrong? I try to practice when I can, but that's not as much as I'd like. I really want my loops to tighten so I can get this down.

Should I tape myself casting then post a link here so you guys can give me some pointers?

 

[MoscaPescador]

Let's be reallistic. An 8 foot rod is not a distance rod. It was made for fishing in close. You are trying to manage more line than the rod can handle.

Try this. Try not to have more than 25 to 30 feet of line off your rod tip. Do your final shoot off of that.

MP

 

[Jackster]

the fly/leader were way wide in my opinion.

Are you using too stiff of a leader?

 

[axle27]

MP,

Never thought of that. I was really just fooling around. I like how the rod loads, so it may be my casting style is more suited to a Medium-Fast action rod.

Jackster,

I was using the same setup that I fish with: a properly rated furled leader with some 6x tippet and a piece of yarn tied to the end. I usually have 2 or 3 leaders around that I keep just for practicing.

 

[wjc]

Should I tape myself casting then post a link here so you guys can give me some pointers?

If you can, that would be good. It's a lot harder to take videos showing the line than you would think. But a video taken from your casting side should show quite a bit.

Is the fly swinging down below the rod leg of the line on the way forward?

cheers,
Jim

 

[Jackster]

MP,

Never thought of that. I was really just fooling around. I like how the rod loads, so it may be my casting style is more suited to a Medium-Fast action rod.

Jackster,

I was using the same setup that I fish with: a properly rated furled leader with some 6x tippet and a piece of yarn tied to the end. I usually have 2 or 3 leaders around that I keep just for practicing.

Just a shot in the dark here but is that yarn fly you're using very big?

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi axle27,

If I understand this right you are false casting 45' of line and you are getting a 55' cast. If that is correct, you are only shooting 10' of line. I would reduce the line in the air and shoot more line. To carry 45' of line in the air you need to have high line speed. Line speed needs a faster action rod or you need to be double hauling. You have a very nice small stream rod and you may be expecting too much from it.

If you are getting tight loops with less line in the air and it goes to pot when you lengthen your stroke with more line in the air, you are doing two things.

1. You are losing your line speed.

2. When you lengthen your stroke you may not be making an abrupt stop in your stroke as you do with a shorter stroke. If you want tight loops you must make an accelerated stroke with an abrupt stop at the end of each stroke. Make sure you are casting with your forearm and not using a lot of wrist.

Frank

 

[BigSky]

When you lengthen your stroke you may not be making an abrupt stop in your stroke as you do with a shorter stroke. If you want tight loops you must make an accelerated stroke with an abrupt stop at the end of each stroke. Make sure you are casting with your forearm and not using a lot of wrist.
Frank

This was my first thought too. I would ad, in doing as Frank suggests, ensure that you don't put excessive arc in your cast. I think we have a tendency to do that with the longer casts. I think we believe we need to follow-through while we wait for the rod to load. Doing as Frank suggested and patiently waiting for the load may solve the problem.

 

[pegboy1]

For anyone interested in distance casting heres an interesting link:

http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Portal... articles/Al Kyte/Kyte-Going for Distance.pdf