problems with wind

[jackh]

how do yall deal with the wind when trying to cast? i went out this morning and the wind was just killing me. i couldn't cast worth a darn and double hauling didn't help. it was especially bad when the wind was coming from directly behind me. it affected me the least when coming from my left (i cast right handed). is it just all about positioning?

 

[Fly Fishing Crazy]

What kind of rod action are you using and what is your fly fishing experience level? Windy conditions cause everyone fits, but if you consider yourself an experienced caster, the best possible solution is relatively easy. 1) You need to keep your line loop tight and 2) you need a stiff rod. So a very-fast action is needed, albeit not perfect. Wind will cause problems with any level of experience and any rod action, but a very-fast or ultra-fast will have much more power into a wind and a much tighter loop. Problems with faster action rods are, less forgiving to inexperienced casters and less forgiving with light tippets and bigger fish.
The question really comes down to how often you fish in windy conditions. If the answer is frequently, think of getting a faster action rod. If the answer is rarely, then keep what you have and just suck it up on the windy days.

Tight Lines-------<*))))><
Larry Snyder
We Offer Fly Rods, Blanks, Bamboo Fly Rods, and Reels
Fly Fishing Crazy's Blog

 

[FrankB2]

Two winters ago, I spent a lot of time in the backyard casting into the wind.
I discovered that I could use the wind in my face to more greatly load the
rod on the back cast, and that in turn helped propel the line during the forward cast. Casting sidearm is pretty much my standard cast, but that
helps as well. Heavier line casts more easily into the wind, and going one
line weight heavier may help as well. I use SA GPX line for all my graphite
rods, and wind is rarely a problem (with freshwater fishing). Most of my
time on saltwater is spent sailing, and I know how that constant breeze
can become tiring for many activities. I'd also wait for the few seconds of
less/calm wind that come along once every few minutes. You could always
get a boat, and move around the wind .

 

[Rip Tide]

Where I fish, if the wind ain't blowin' you ain't fishin'. Deal with it or go home.

When it's really howling I go to heavier rod, often a 10wt, along with a full sinking line.
Full sinkers are heavy and thin and cut through the wind better than other lines.

Keep casts into the wind low, with the wind, high. The same on the back casts
If the wind is blowing over your casting shoulder, cast with the rod tip angled over your head.
Oval casts, where the line never stops, are often easier especially with large or heavy flies

A major advantage of fishing in the wind is that it helps to disorient the bait.
Like saltwater author Lou Tabory says;

"When the wind is in your face, the fish are at your feet"

 

[Tajue17]

I fished this morning on the south side of cape cod where the wind was directly in my face! I changed to a 1/0 small deciever that didn't have too much material on it and it made all the difference and it cut through perfect for me.

not sure what you have for a rod but this morning I was using a Beulah 9# bluewater and airflow Ridged intermediate line,,, the rod is very fast with a stiff mid section and it took me a bit to get used to but I'm not sure if thats what helped in that wind.

as for the cast I noticed if I casted my loops low to the water in a side arm style like lefty they cut through the wind very good,,,,, if I casted over hand style like Joan the wind killed 1/2 my cast----> I'm still in my first season fishing salt but hope this helps :icon_mrgr

 

[SkipS]

A couple of things to try.Unweighted flies cast better in the wind for me than weighted ones.Much easier to control.Floating lines are the worst in the wind.Go to an intermediate or sinker for the wind.Keep your casts low and shorter.As far as rod actions go,I prefer a moderate/fast rod over a fast rod for the wind.My Sage RPL is very good in windy conditions.

 

[BigCliff]

Fast rods do not beat the wind.

Double hauls do not beat the wind.

Tight loops and high line speed are the keys. Use the double haul to tighten up your loop.

When that doesn't work, position is the key. When the wind is REALLY kicking, try to position the wind at your back from the direction you're fishing, and use the wind-flip roll cast: throw a roll cast with a tall loop and stop the rod tip nice and high. The wind should propel the loop forward and will often work well enough to allow you to shoot line once the loops unrolls. I use it to save my shoulder on ridiculously windy days at the coast.

 

[jackh]

maybe i need to take some casting lessons or something bc im really not good at double hauling and idk how to control my loops. another thing ive noticed is that sometimes on my back cast my loop will be huge and the fly will like almost hit me in the back of the head. is that because my line speed is too slow? if so, how do i speed it up?

also, i noticed when i was double hauling (more like trying to) the line i would pull on each haul would sometimes not shoot back out and id end up with my off hand way down by my waist and casting awkwardly. i felt like and idiot. it almost felt like the line was getting stuck in the guides or something, i guess i just didn't have enough line speed to shoot it out of the rod?

 

[BigCliff]

Yep, line speed is the issue. Tell me roughly where you are in TX and I can recommend a good instructor.

 

[jackh]

houston

 

[BigCliff]

IFLY - The Anglers Edge A fine shop. Not sure if they charge for lessons, or if it can be arranged along with some purchases. (buy an intermediate line for fishing the surf/jetties or something like that)

other options:
texasflyfishing school.com - Texas Fly Fishing School Affilliations and Friends

Good Loops LLC Fly Casting Instruction Houston Texas

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi jackh,

It takes a good caster to beat the wind. As you see from the responses that everyone has worked out something that helps them beat the wind. When you try to double haul and the line you pulled does not feed back this means your timing of the haul is off. When you get the timing right that line will feed back with no problem. Most beginners when they do a haul pull too much line. There is no reason to pull two feet of line making a haul. A short quick haul of six inches is what you should learn first.

If you can't false cast with out the fly line collapsing then forget the haul and work on your casting stroke. When you can false cast with tight loops then start adding one haul into your cast. If you kill your cast when you do the haul then you timing was off.

Getting a tight loop is not hard with the right technique. It requires a quick acceleration and abrupt stop. There are other techniques that help with the wind. If the wind is blowing from behind do a side arm pickup so the line is low to the water. Then make you fore cast almost vertical. The low back cast won't be affected as much by the wind and the high fore cast will be added by the wind. When the wind is coming from the front make a high back cast and a low fore cast. Keep in mind that you won't get as much distance when the wind is blowing. So adjust the cast with any of the ideas in this thread and fish closer.

Frank

 

[jackh]

thank yall for the help. im definitely going to look into casting lessons as there is a lot more to fly fishing than i used to think. as well as casting lessons, do yall think its a good idea that i do a guided trip? theres a particualr guide that caters to all skill levels, he guides out of rockport, tx and ive been dying to get into some redfish before i go back to school. i can pay $400 for casting lessons with him or $500 for a day trip... seem like i could get coached while stalking redfish at the same time for just a little more cash.

 

[BigCliff]

No-brainer- $500 for fishing as well.

Look around a bit more, and you might be able to find a guide that is happy to help with casting and put you on fish for $400 or less, especially if you can book the trip during a weekday.

 

[Jackster]

Some tricks I teach my students for dealing with the wind, besides linespeed and tight loops are the across the body cast as already mentioned (where the rod tip travels on the leeward side of the wind, over your head) to use the non-dominant arm to cast if the wind warrants and to turn completely around and present the back cast. This are all meant for casting when the wind wants to blow the fly and line back into the rod side of your body.
As was also mentioned, get the line under the wind as the wind is less strong near the waters surface. This may mean a low forward cast and high back cast if the wind is on the nose or the opposite with the wind at your back.
Meaty rods are a must as you can hurt yourself, or at the least wear yourself out trying to power a light line-weight rod in the wind.

 

[Fly2Fish]

other options:
[url=http://www.texasflyfishingschool.com/affiliates.html]texasflyfishing school.com - Texas Fly Fishing School Affilliations and Friends

Good Loops LLC Fly Casting Instruction Houston Texas

Both these links Cliff gave are to officers in Texas FlyFishers, a large, non-profit 30+ year Houston-based affiliate of the Federation of Fly Fishers, and they are both FFF Certified Casting Instructors. While I know Harry Crofton (the 2nd link - a fine guy & very knowledgeable about fly-fishing), I haven't taken fly-casting lessons from him. However, Dave Lemke (the first link), the President of TFF, gives the TFF's free fly-casting programs (Fly-Casting for Beginners; Intermediate Fly-Casting; Learning the Double Haul). I have taken all three of these free-to-members courses (which are given several times a year other than during the hot summer) and can vouch for their high quality. Shameless plug: At $24/year (pro-rated for part-years), TFF membership is the best deal going. They present a number of other courses as well, such as Beginning Fly-Tying and Intermediate Fly-Tying (each 3-month courses offered once a year), Fly-Fishing Academy for Beginners, etc. as well as monthly Fresh and Saltwater Outings. If interested, their website is at Texas FlyFishers of Houston .

In addition to Cliff's link to The Anglers Edge (which is, as Cliff mentioned, a fine fly-fishing shop), there is also the nearby Orvis store, which I believe also offers fly-casting lessons. Both of these fine stores have close links to TFF as well.

 

[Tajue17]

I really have no place in teaching or telling you what WILL work because I'm still a newbie also but I can suggest trying something for now especially where you may be getting a better line.

take the old line and go out in your yard or even a paved parking lot or drive way where you have the area to cast and start false casting it and practice just like that on the pavement and just get the hang of pulling line out and picking it up

that line will become your practice line and by sacrificing it you'll teach yourself to throw the tightest loops especially when you don't have to worry about catching a fish in the street or yard.

but everyone is right, until your loops get tight then don't bother double hauling. even when you get your lessons you will still want to practice them and unless you live on the water then fly casting in the driveway with old line is just as good---> when you get comfortable you should start aiming for stuff and dropping line onto targets laying around on the ground.

 

[wjc]

Jack,

I would call one of the FFF certified casting instructors right away and set up a one hour lesson. He will be able to see instantly all the things you are doing wrong, and will start you along the right track to eliminate the faults from the worst to the least significant. Then you can practice what he tells you to work on and go back for another hour lesson after you have been practicing on your own for a bit.

Most certified instructors are very accomodating, especially when they see someone who is really interested in improving.

Cheers,
Jim

 

[jackh]

sent harry crofton an email well see what he says. thanks a lot guys

 

[neversink]

I'd say G.Loomis saltwater rod shoots really good designed by Steve Rajeff, casting champion. Any other rod tuned for "shooting" will be fit, I think.

I would also consider choosing the stripping basket which suits your need. Line management is essential to give additional distance. If this messes up, any beautiful cast you make in narrow loop in low trajectory will be ruined.

It's gotta sit somewhere between deep enough to hold the line where it should be, and shallow enough to send the line out smoothly.

- Mangroove Hip Shooter
- Line Kurv (formerly produced by L.L. Bean)
- Orvis...well, if you like hitting yourself.