Bow-and-arrow cast question

[yikes]

Every time I've seen someone IRL use a bow-and-arrow cast, they are holding/releasing at the back of their fly.
Question for those of you that hold the leader or fly line: does the fly ever come up and snag your clothes or skin?

 

[looper34]

only the first time.

 

[patrick62]

And that's why I smush the barbs on my hooks down.

 

[azflyrodder]

I like to let the fly lay in the water and hold the connection between the fly line and leader. I learned to do that real quick after getting stuck in the wrist with a #10 streamer hook. Haven't gotten hooked that way since. Odd coincidence, I started using barbless hooks soon afterwards as well.

 

[repperson29]

I plan on doing a lot more brookie fishing this year and definitely improve upon my bow and arrow cast. My method is to hold the fly but leave with a few poke holes in my palm. I’m trying to learn the way I saw joe humphreys do it on a video I saw of him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ddb]

Only when I double haul.

ddb

 

[karstopo]

I’m trying to visualize how I do it. I’m standing on the shore to get the fly out under a low canopy.

I know I don’t typically grab the fly. I believe I grab the leader up about 3 to 6 feet from the fly with my off rod hand and pinch the line with my rod hand index finger. I’m usually using glass when I do this so I get a deep bend in the rod that varies on how far I want to send the fly, release the leader from off hand and then a fraction of a second later release my index finger on the rod hand allowing the modest amount of loose line below to flow out the guides.

The main problem with doing it this way is I have to watch where the fly is resting because it is often on the ground by grabbing the leader up fairly high. I will grab the leader or tippet a little closer to the fly if the ground or shoreline vegetation is going to snag the fly on the launch. Too much loose line under the rod hand can be a problem. I’ve done a large loose coil in the rod hand, but would rather let the line rest on the ground if possible.

I haven’t hooked myself this way. On the release, I’m careful to pull my off rod hand up and out of the line of travel that the fly will take. By grabbing the leader up high, I’m hoping to gain a little distance and I’m not placing a sharp hook in my hand to hook me if the release goes wrong. I’m pretty careful where I lay the fly so my body won’t be close to the line of travel.

Seems like a lot of moving parts and haphazard, but I’m intentional about where the fly and loose line is placed and feel like I can foresee launching issues.

Probably not text book, but I haven’t seen the book to know for sure. It works for me.

 

[ottosmagic13]

I really only bow and arrow with dries and tiny indicator-less tight line nymph rigs. I usually grab the tippet ring. So end of leader 18"+ from the fly.

Like Karstapo I also am usually equipped with a glass rod. Especially in the places I'll need the B&A cast.

It's hard to explain but a combination of pushing the rod hand down and away and lifting the hand that was holding the line quickly away after releasing makes my cast more accurate and I haven't hooked myself yet.

 

[dennyk]

Now I'm curious, I'm going to try this cast in my basement this afternoon using this thread for reference.

Denny

 

[dharkin]

He explains it pretty well.

YouTube

 

[lake flyer]

I like the Joe Humphreys method also, because it allows you to shoots some line and little chance of hooking yourself. I think there is a youtube video where he demonstrates the cast.

 

[kevind62]

Key word here, "little chance".

I like the Joe Humphreys method also, because it allows you to shoots some line and little chance of hooking yourself. I think there is a youtube video where he demonstrates the cast.

 

[lake flyer]

Key word here, "little chance".

My nickname is nine fingers. Always barbless for those rare times that it goes bad!

 

[ottosmagic13]

The video that Dharkin posted from Orvis makes a good point. You need a pinch point that is above your grip. (ie Closer to the tip)

For me it just happens to be the tippet ring. 8’6 rod and 7’ leader gives me a good bend with 6” or of line out the tip.

 

[dennyk]

I practiced this cast for about an hour today in my basement with a target landing zone. My best results were pointing the butt section of the rod at my target, with a 7' leader, pinching the fly with about a foot of the fly line past the tip keeping the fly above the rod. It was fun and I was fairly accurate with it.

The creeks I will utilize this cast for are maybe 10 feet wide at the most. Practice makes near perfect in this case, I'm looking forward to using the bow and arrow cast on small waters.

Thanks!

Denny

 

[silver creek]

I like the Joe Humphreys method also, because it allows you to shoots some line and little chance of hooking yourself. I think there is a youtube video where he demonstrates the cast.

 

[silver creek]

 

[yikes]

That's the first time I've ever seen a video posted on NAFFF of someone fishing streams creeks as small and tightly choked with vegetation as ones that I encounter in my local mountains.

Thanks, this was really helpful.