|
Walter & Group....
[GH] More on fly casting injuries.
Gordy
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
[GH] From Ally Gowans :
Hi Gordy,
The possibility of causing or aggravating injuries through fly casting is something that all instructors should be acutely aware of. This is especially true of those who push to the limits, I know of several competition Spey casters who had to give up due to problems with arms, shoulders and backs because they cast with great strength rather than using ergonomic style.
Unfortunately I have seen some instructors teaching their students to adopt similarly vigorous techniques. My aim is to concentrate on efficiency and try to get the cast with minimum effort. If you think that great casting needs great strength think again and think of Joan Wulff.
In addition to the references that you gave I suggest that all instructors should make themselves familiar with the basic principles of ergonomics and many will find that using limbs at less than half extension, using the largest muscle groups possible to do any task and having a variety of postures to do similar tasks improves their performance. It’s also worth reading “Fit to Fish – how to tackle angling injuries” by Stephen L Hisey PT and Keith R Berend MD, ISBN 1-57188-354-1.
Best regards,
Ally Gowans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ally,
After spending time with you and Dennis Grant learning your ergonomic style of two handed casting was super valuable to me! Keeping the arms low and using the most powerful muscles to make the casts not only makes it much easier, but minimizes fatigue and doubtless yields fewer casting aches, pains and injuries.
Other styles which I've tried work fine for younger and well muscled folks, but not for me.
I recall the story of Hugh Falkus who had his students spend time with heavy sticks beating mole hills into the ground to help strengthen and prepare them for his Spey casting lessons. *
Hugh spoke of his breaking many a Spey rod almost as though he was proud of being able to do that !
FIT TO FISH is well worth reading. **
* SPEYCASTING: A New Technique, by Hugh Falkus, 1994, ISBN: 1855873318 /1-85487-331-8 .
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Gary Eaton emphasizes an important point in his LOOP article :
Gordy,
Highlighting a piece of my article - reducing time and amount the elbow is higher than the shoulder similarly reduces risk of shoulder injuries.
The more the elbow stays in front of the caster's shoulder, the less likely the elbow is to be over-stressed.
Gary Eaton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Gary,
Yes !
Also - Arm/elbow up and out to the side strains both elbow and shoulder
Joan Wulff had observed the same thing in her casting schools.
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] From John Field :
Hi Gordy,
At ACA we practice and compete with distance line weights which are off the charts and seniors in their 80s still cast them. To help prevent injury and extend the enjoyment of many of our members, I asked Jason Borger a few years ago to confer with his associate Dr. Tim McCue, of the Fly Casting Institute (FCI), to write a piece on casting health for our newsletter. I’ve attached the original document for you to have a look at and perhaps share for personal use. FCI can be viewed at http://www.flycastinginstitute.com/
Enjoy the tarpon invasion,
John Field
President
American Casting Association
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] John,
Thanks !
I attached the article.
I particularly took note of one statement:
"Those casters who used a variety of styles (overhead, sidearm, elliptical) had the least overall incidence of pain in total. This may be traced to reducing overuse injury, as well as the concept of using the least stressful style for a given angling situation."
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Several years ago, Tom White and I were hosting a CCI prep course in Marathon, Florida.
One of the candidates came down with so much pain and muscle spasm in his casting hand that he couldn't continue. Reason ? He'd been holding the cork grip very tightly throughout each cast.
Some call that the, "Death grip syndrome". This can also cause problems with the elbow and shoulder.
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] From Frank Harford on elbow problems;
Gordy
Another common problem with many casters ,especially in beginners or those on a mission who practice frequently is lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) . It's not associated with any particular style , but results from gripping the rod too tightly . The only time the rod needs to be held tightly is at the power snap on the FC and BC . The rod should be held loosely through the rest of the cast .Some people use a brace on the upper forearm , but this is just a "band aid approach " . Once the death grip is eliminated , the problem disappears . This at least is my take on the problem . I defer to you for any other insights .
Frank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Frank,
Agree.
I wrote an article on "Casting Elbow" in the fall issue of the LOOP, 2004 :-
You are correct that the "brace" or various types of "tennis elbow straps" can help the symptoms, but this is usually a temporary fix. Resting the joint from any movements which are the least bit painful for a period of time sometimes is enough to take care of the problem. When returning to casting, it is best to start with light outfits and no ambitious distance casting. Careful attention to avoid gripping the rod handle throughout the cast is important, as you point out.
Some fly fishers who are sufficiently ambidextrous learn to switch to the use of the less dominant hand for a period of time. NOT for everyone as Gary Eaton has pointed out in our past messages.
Elbow injection with various steroids can help when the problem is prolonged. The need for surgery is very rare and reserved for extreme chronic cases which have not responded to other less invasive measures.
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
Attachment:
A Healthier Cast-ACA#409C16.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document