|
Walter & Group...
Suggestions re Task 17:
# If the wind is blowing during your exam, make these demonstrations with respect to the actual prevailing wind direction. For example, turn and cast into the wind, then turn and cast down wind, then turn so you actually have wind coming onto your casting side, etc.
# Sometimes there is no wind during your test. Jim Valle has a neat trick of turning his cap so the bill is pointing downwind i.e. backward when making the demo of casting into the wind, bill directed toward the line hand side when demonstrating casting with wind onto the casting side, etc.. This is also a good way to make these demonstrations when teaching students or when asked to teach on your exam.
# If it is windy, don't try to make any "hero casts". A good candidate will know the distance limitations of his wind casts, particularly when casting into the wind. Pick your distance realistically according to wind strength.
# Start each demonstration with a brief STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. Then go to the various SOLUTIONS.
# If and when asked to teach the tasks : One error I have run across, is failure to consider the position of your "student" when making these demonstrations. Be certain that as you turn to demonstrate each wind problem, that you have your "student" take a position which will allow good vision of what you are doing. That is the way I'm sure you would do it when teaching anyway. When taking your exam, it adds the dimension of showing that you are in control of the situation as a good candidate should be.
# I have witnessed examiners criticizing the use of a wide back cast loop when the candidate demonstrates casting directly into a strong wind. That is a technique which Tom White taught. I use it when fishing. The idea is that by doing it that way, you are conserving energy by letting the wind help by "kiting" the back cast. While not necessary to do it that way, if you do elect to use that technique, you need to explain why you did it or pre-empt by explaining it as an alternative as you demonstrate casting that way.
# By the same token, if you elect to use the technique of forming an open loop to allow the wind to "kite" or assist the delivery cast when casting down wind, you must be prepared in advance to briefly explain why you did it that way. Be ready to answer questions as to the advantages and disadvantages of using these methods.
# Be ready to answer any questions as to why tailing loops are more likely to occur when fly fishers try to cast into a head wind.
# Unless asked, I suggest avoiding the use of highly specialized wind casts such as the Mulson wind cast.
# When I host wind casting courses, I also teach the tricks of timing gusts when false casting for optimal timing of the delivery cast. This goes beyond the task requirements and so isn't likely to come up. (That can get really tricky when the surf fly fisher is timing both wind gusts AND the cadence of breaking waves.)
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Bob Stouffer answers my questions :
Question: The wind is coming strongly onto your line hand side.
1. What (if any) problem(s) does this present ?
1. A strong wind into the line-hand side will move the line and fly to the down-wind side of the target.
2. What is (are) your solution(s) ?
1. Move the line behind the stripping guide to your rod-hand side.
2. Use your normal casting style and rod plane.
3. Presentation cast upwind of the target knowing that the line and fly will be moved down-wind (windage).
4. Knowing that your back-cast will be blown down-wind of the hand-target line, back-cast normally in 180 degree agreement away from where you want the fly to be presented. When the line straightens (down-wind of the 180 line), make the direction of the presentation cast align with the result of the back-cast.
5. Cast with high line speed and tight loop on the presentation cast.
Bob Stouffer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Bob,
Well done.
Let me state here, that this is NOT a listed exam question and so won't be graded if asked on the performance exam. It might, however, become an issue on the oral exam.
Many Master candidates, when asked that question will start to give answers relating to wind blowing onto the casting side. It happens because they are "programed" to expect that question. This speaks to the concept of: LISTEN TO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU ANSWER.
After being corrected, the candidate will then usually say something like, "Oh. Well, with the wind onto your line hand side, there is no problem." Some examiners will accept that answer. I won't. However, we cannot flunk a candidate with questions of that nature, since this goes beyond the stated requirements.
I can think of another nasty problem which often occurs when casting with a strong wind onto your line hand side and a method of solving this problem.
Hint: One of your solutions, will also help counteract the problem I have in mind.
Any takers ?
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] From Ckling Ling :
Question: The wind is coming strongly onto your line hand side.
Hi Gordy,
Here goes my answers,
1. What (if any) problem(s) does this present ?
1. Wind will blow both forward and back cast off course, affecting tracking and 180 degree rule. This affects accuracy and loading efficiency.
2. Wind will blow extra line that you have between your line hand to the reel onto your body and snagging anything that protrudes.
2. What is (are) your solution(s) ?
When casting in wind generally, higher line speed and narrow loops have a better chance of staying on course, and delivery on a lower loop plane lessen the chance of wind blowing the cast off course.
1. Make your forward cast 180 opposite the back cast that has been blown off course, the forward cast should be blown onto target.
Do a Mulson wind cast. Do a reverse Belgian cast.
2. Use a stripping basket. Don't have extra line out.
Cheers
Ling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Ling :
You did present the problem I was thinking of; The wind will blow any slack line between your line hand and the stripping guide or your line hand to the reel in the direction of your casting hand and, perforce, the rod/reel.
This can result in the line getting caught on anything including the protruding butt of the rod handle. Higher line speed may help a bit, but one should avoid slack line which can blow about. This includes hauling where even a little bit of slack as you "give back" line into the first stripper guide can get caught on the rod butt or even the reel.
Several years ago, that happened to me as I presented to a tarpon. Spanking wind to my line hand side. I didn't see that loop of line which had caught on my reel handle. That fish came so tight it was impossible for me to pry it off .... so, of course, the tippet broke.
When shooting line, one of the best ways of line control to prevent this from happening is to use the method popularized by Lefty Kreh. On the shoot, a "ring" formed by the line hand thumb and forefinger can act as a guide as you allow the line to shoot through. I recall clearly one windy day on a skiff in the Bahamas when I was unwittingly hauling with a small enough bit of slack that I didn't see that as the reason a loop of line kept getting stuck around my salt water 2" rod butt. Lefty picked it up in a heart beat. After that, I had no problem.
When very windy, I have found that running my line through that "finger/thumb ring" and holding my hand directly above the coils of line on the deck or ground helps prevent "windy day tangles" on the shoot.
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|