Bear ? / Constant acceleration / MCI Workshop / Rods

Hi Gordy,

What a co-incidence. I posted something about this on my blog yesterday and Jim Bass has just said this :-'

"I believe you know what accelerate to a stop means. You do not gain a great deal of information from constantly continue to accelerate to a stop''

As I see it there are two definitions for the word constant, one mathmatical the other grammatical. The same with fly casters, one group enginneers the other poets. I'm in the poets corner and when I see the word constant it means ' a thing that is unchanging, continious, recurring, persistant'. Therefore the term constant acceleration to a stop is a contradiction in terms. Of course the enginneers see the word constant and immediately assume the mathmatical definition and it makes perfect sense to them.

I totally agree with Jim, there is absolutely no need to add the word constant (in either context)to anything regarding fly casting where no movement lasts more than two seconds or so.

Mike

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Mike...

Others are undoubtedly in your corner.

True when teaching and / or for our literary casters and fly fishing "poets".

I think we have four basic kinds of fly casting enthusiasts: 1.) The scientific casters (engineers, etc.), 2.) The literary ones ("Poet's"), 3.) Those who describe what they physically feel, (the "tension" folks) and the greatest number - 4.) Those who are combinations of the first three.

Years ago, Mel Krieger used to write that he respected both the poet's and the engineer's ways of looking at fly fishing and casting.

Amazing that we can look at these things in such different ways !

I suspect that both engineers and literary folks might all agree on the word, SMOOTH. Works for students at all levels, too.

Gordy

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Master Casting Instructor Workshop

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Question from Shaun Ash :

Gordy -

Opened up the latest loop magazine and quickly found the

workshop section for the up coming conclave and was very interested in

your session on the masters work shop.

I will with a bit of luck be attended next years conclave and was

wondering iof that workshop was a constent inclusion, thankyou.

Shaun

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Shaun,

The Master Instructor Workshop is primarily for Master candidates or CCI's who think that they may someday go that route.

It has been given for several years running at the International Conclave and will not only be offered this year, but likely in years to come. The feedback from the participants has been very good. We follow a course outline using a PowerPoint presentation which leaves plenty of time for audience participation, discussion, questions, etc., etc. Then we go out and do some of the casts listed as tasks on the MCI exam. When we do that, we cover the expectations as well as the techniques.

Credit should go to Dusty Sprague who came up with the idea and the course organization several years ago. It is really Dusty's brainchild. This year, he is unable to be there, so Bruce Richards and I will host it.

Gordy

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Big Game Fly Rods

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Gary Eaton sent a copy of a press release on a new method of rod manufacture by Hardy. I placed this in an attachment for those interested.

Andy Mill ( a current "heavy weight" competition big game fly fisherman ) field tested these rods on big tarpon and was quite impressed with their castability, light weight and strength under very stressful conditions such as putting maximum pressure on a large fish with heavy duty tippets.

I can't speak from experience since I have not tried them.

Gordy

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A sober note:

Bob Andreae and I were tarpon fishing off the lower Florida Keys a few days ago. We repeatedly got black tar like material stuck to our fly lines and stripping hands !! In 51 years of fishing these waters, I have never encountered this.

Had to remove it with mineral spirits.

Happened to me again this morning.

This despite the fact that we are told the oil from the Deep Water Horizon disaster has not entered our loop current.

Still no proof that this is where it came from, but seems more than coincidental.

Gordy

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Decades ago when we moved away from cane and fiberglass, carbon fibre changed the way fishing rods were made. Carbon being remarkably strong for its weight gives us many advantages for modern rod design.

The carbon rods we use today have of course advanced over the years but the trends for lighter and faster blanks lead to rods which can be brittle, unforgiving and prone to breakage during use.

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Initial SINTRIX™ developments involve three Hardy fly rod ranges, one saltwater range and two freshwater ranges which will include double handed models. The new Hardy SINTRIX™ rods are set to be available in January 2011.

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