Gordy and Group,
I teach 3 L’s when it comes to
casting in the wind
Line Plane ---
Trajectory
Loop
Size
Line Speed
In my experience both teaching
and personal especially in the salt…
The Absolute Most Important
Single Issue is Psychological!
The Caster must believe he can make the
cast!!!!!!!!
I have had to get in the water
with good intermediate and better students, actually stand behind them and
coach each move as they cast, step by step…
… pick your direction, plan
your cast, start with a shorter line, use the wind, lay out some line, use water
haul, tighten up….good stop … To get it out there…. It is amazing the effect a
howling wind can have on a caster’s mind…. I only learned this because it
happened to me once too!
And in Spey imagine trying to
move 60’ of line … same principles apply, but first you have to believe and
think happy thoughts before you can fly… (Peter
Pan?)
Hope that
helps,
Jim V
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Jim.... Right you are. The caster's psyche plays a
HUGE part. Graduated success while practicing helps melt the mental
barriers, but only after the principles of wind casting have been learned.
Otherwise, practice can be an exercise in
frustration. G.
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In
line with Jim's last thought, Raf Mascaro comes in with a comment on how the
wind can happily affect the D-loop (I love his analogy !
):
Hi Gordy,
in Spey Casting we have to take advantage of the wind , letting him to blow
into the D-Loop.
In this case the D-Loop is like a sail, the wind blows and the sail is
swollen.
Best Regards
Raf
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From David Lambert:
Gordy:
On wind practice:
Most winds are variable where I
fish. They swirl, change direction, or change speeds, often while a caster
is in mid-stroke. A caster needs to have a quiver full of wind casts and
be practiced enough to alter or combine casts in order to cope.
My
wind litany: Be prepared to alter stroke to adjust cast angle, timing,
speed, or loop shape--or all four if necessary.
1. All strong
winds: Underline rod with intermediate or weighted line when casting in
especially strong winds. Add'l line weight and small diameters allow you
to cut through wind. Change to shorter, rapid tapered leaders.
2.
Wind quarters from caster's side: Turn back or side to wind and deliver on
backcast (backhanded delivery). Practice backhanded or cross-body
delivery. These casts change relative to angle of wind.
3. Winds
quarters from line hand side: Turn back or side to wind, cast tight
horizontal loops back and conventional tight loops forward.
4.
Headwinds -- practice elliptical casts with open backcast rounding to a
high-to-low angled forward tip cast. Combine with late, aggressive haul to
tighten loop and speed turnover. Use a shorter, faster tapered
leader.
5. Tailwinds -- practice aggressive, underhanded
constant-tension backcast (as though making a dynamic roll with no anchor) to
conventional, tight-looped forward cast. 5.a. Or, angle the tip
plane to throw lower, tight looped backcast and rising forward cast (change
trajectory).
About tail winds: Never understood the wisdom of
throwing a higher, open forward loop in a tailwind cast. I understand the
kite theory, but why not throw a tight-looped, well aimed forward cast, since
the wind is working for you anyway?
David Lambert
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David... I look at the "kite" as
one option. NOT a good idea when you need accuracy! One way use it
is to save a bit of energy when allowing the wind to help.
G.
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Mark Milkovitch is our newest member. His
comments are right in line with Jim Valle's on casting
psyche.
Brings to mind the first chapter in Mac Brown's
book; The Angler Psyche, CASTING ANGLES , pp
16-29.
Gordy &
Group,
Thanks for allowing me
to participate.
I find that casting in
wind is often more difficult than it needs to be simply because we allow
ourselves to become frustrated and our casting quality deteriorates. I
know it is true for me and I’ve found it to be true for my fishing guests as
well. To get back on track, I find it helpful to shorten the line and make a few
“textbook” demonstration casts (smooth acceleration, only moderate power and
tight loops) of the required sort (e.g. off shoulder, horizontal, high backcast
low forward cast, etc. ) to, and this is important, a very specific target (even
if it is a white cap). I gradually lengthen the casts to see how close to
the required casting length I can get with maximum control and minimum
power. This exercise does two things. First, it gets me back in a
good casting grove. Second, it provides a good gauge just how much adjustment to
a “fair weather” cast will be required for the current conditions. It is
often much less of an adjustment than originally anticipated.
Mark
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Comment:
The mental impediments to casting in strong winds tend to melt with practice
done alone in company with only the wind. Small successes bread bigger
ones. This won't work, however, unless the basic principles of handling
the wind have been taught first.
G.
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From Lewis
Hinks :
When Spey casting with
downstream wind you could also use a Snake Roll.
Cheers,Lewis
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Lewis: A
resounding YES to the snake
!
G.
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From Jerry
Puckett:
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Gordy:
I wonder if the change in tide brings in cooler water thus less
thermal rising creating wind. Does it have something to do with the
mass of water and mass of land equalizing in temperature thus less
convection? Just thinking, absolute do not know!
One of my favorite exercises when casting in the wind is to slowly
cast in a circle using different fishing stances and then reverse the
circle. Soon one is casting in the wind without much thought!
Had a friend who said he did not want to fish the western rivers when it
was windy. To which I responded, better stay home.
Got him in one of Al's casting clinics and wind now not
problem! Last time we fished on a windy day he pulled in about
30 plus trout, the biggest being a 24 inch Cutbow! Yes for the wind
that waves!
Jerry Puckett
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Jerry... Well ....
Down here in the salty tropics, I've observed that the wind often dies
down significantly during tide changes. Don't really know the
reason for sure.
Your CIRCLE is a good way to
practice.
Gordy
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