Task 11 Discussion 10

Walter & Group...

[GH] Back tracking for a moment to Task 6 (roll cast), I have attached a message with video link from Bernd Ziesche. My comments follow. Some of you may wish to fIle this under "Task 6".

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[GH] From Joe Libeu :

Gordy and all,

A hover has been used by ACA casters for I don't know how long. There are two ways that I know of to achieve a hover and perhaps many more. One would be be over power your fwd cast about 3 feet above the target so that the fly bounces back and thus hangs and you will be able to locate it in relation to the target.

The second method is to cast again cast about 3-5 ft above the target but you slow the cast down so it turns over very slow and therefore you are able to see it clearly. Once you measured the distances correctly you change your casting angle and lay the fly down. For these old eyes, the second method works best.

Regards,

Joe Libeu

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[GH] Joe,

I've never tried that second method ... but will do so after I get back from tarpon fishing later, today.

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[GH] From Walter Simbirski :

Chase also showed me another method of hovering the fly that is the exact opposite of using a check haul

by using a reverse haul. Stop your rod with your line hand and rod hand close together. Just as the line unrolls over the target you perform the reverse haul by doing the up portion of what Mel Krieger called the "down-up" motion in the haul. This allows a controlled amount of line (about a foot or so) to be slipped into the cast which effectively kills any energy left in the cast and causes the fly to hover over the target. I think Chase is actually able to use pull back followed by a carefully timed reverse haul to get an incredibly long hover time.

I hope Chase doesn't mind me passing on another one of his secrets.

Walter

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[GH] Walter,

I have seen that done. One of my casting buddies calls that, "feeding the lizard" as you stall the system by "feeding" line at just the right moment. Takes lots of practice to get that timing just right.

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[GH] From Syd Smith :

Gordy

In shortening line from, say, the off shoulder 40 ft target to the 30 ft target, must one shorten the line with the rod strictly over the off shoulder?

Or might one shorten in another fashion, say horizontally and perpendicular to the line of the cast (using the rod as a righty) as one might to shorten line without frightening a trout with casts over the trout, prior to presenting the cast off shoulder? I have often done just this on streams, but it may well not be satisfactory for this particular test. Your thoughts.

Syd Smith, FFFCCI

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[GH] Syd,

Good question.

If we make the tacit assumption that the caster is using the cast off the opposite shoulder for a reason ... wind coming from the casting side, overhanging brush on that side, etc., etc. then it would make good sense, I think, to make the entire cast including back stroke and forward stroke over the "off-shoulder". I think those moves including false casting while taking in controlled lengths of line when going from the 40' target to the 30' one should be done the same way even though this isn't stated on the task description.

That is the way I'd interpret task 11 when hosting an exam.

One might raise the point that when casting with a very strong wind onto the casting side, that the back casts could be made over the primary shoulder and the strong wind would carry the back cast loop to the opposite side anyway.

However, as I interpret the intent of the Task, the whole thing should be done over the opposite shoulder whether shortening line or not.

Questions have been raised about some difficulty doing it as a cross body cast for accuracy.

For minimal risk of making a side-to-side (right or left) error, for the 30' and 40' targets, all the caster need do is raise the casting elbow just enough to tilt the rod so the tip barely goes over the opposite shoulder ... say, "over the opposite ear" !

When going for the 55' target, however, many casters will need to gain more stroke length and casting arc which can be accomplished either by leaning the body way back as Joan Wulff does, or raising the casting elbow farther and bringing the rod "cross head". (Joe Shedlock, in his "sky writing" casting course calls this move, "combing your hair with the rod hand").

Going for the distant target by casting cross body provides sufficient "body block" as to make it problematic as to whether the caster can get sufficient stroke length and casting arc for good control. Important when going for accuracy. I wouldn't choose that route.

Gordy