Task 1 Discussion 7

Walter & Group...

[GH] If you have any more questions or comments on TASK 1., send them now. After our "finale", we'll move on to TASK 2. .

I've placed a comment from Shaun Ash on testing in general in an attachment.

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[GH] From Dusty Sprague on STANCE :

Regarding Mike Heritage's question on 'stance'. Stance like other elements of style should be comfortable for the caster then be advantageous for the purpose of the cast at hand. Recently I watched a CI candidate throwing with the right hand and standing with the right foot forward, make a reach cast to the right, appearing to twist around awkwardly. Did not look comfortable or very professional to me, nor would it to a student.

Dusty

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[GH] Dusty,

Well taken. Since all the tasks should be done in a manner which would serve as good teaching demonstrations done with relative ease, anything which is awkward appearing or is performed with more force / effort than necessary should be discouraged.

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[GH] John Bilotta comes in with a question on Task 1. :

Gordy,

Great thread.

Does the candidate have to stay in the same rod plane while performing task 1?

John

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[GH] John,

Small differences in rod plane (casting plane) will not likely be seen as a fault.

"The casting plane need not be rigidly vertical, however, the size and shape of the loop should be easily viewed. " - Dusty Sprague

Great differences (such as a back cast in a distinctly off vertical or off horizontal plane followed by a forward cast in the strictly vertical plane or vice versa) will likely result these task faults :

1. Significant lack of alignment between loop legs (legs out of parallel).

2. Risk of having great difference between the size of the back cast loop and that of the forward loop.

3. Either the back cast loop or the forward cast loop being less easily seen by students.

It has been my observation over the years that very few casters use exactly the same rod plane (one definition for which is: Orientation of the rod with respect to the ground/water from vertical to horizontal on either side of the caster.) as they cast either when fishing or demonstrating even on casting exams.

I gained an appreciation for this as I began to watch many casts from in front as well as behind. It started as I gave a casting workshop for advanced casters using Jason Borger's technique. There were 12 proficient casters. I stood in the middle with the students standing in a circle so that each caster cast directly toward me. Not one caster used the same rod plane for both back and forward casts. Even when I called attention to this, only 2 came close to achieving almost the same plane for both casts.

Those who come the closest to casting with matching rod planes were casters whose style included a more vertical rod plane...... especially competition accuracy casters who are trying to almost eliminate the variable of mal tracking so that they are less likely to miss a target by left/right error.

Elliptical casting differs from so-called "straight line overhead casting" mainly by the greater difference between rod planes between back and forward casts (as I see it). Ally Gowans has described it as a different "family of casts".

Gordy

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