From: "Gordon Hill" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
To: flysoup@xxxxxxxxxx, sobbobfish@xxxxxxx, rtab@xxxxxxx, CAPTPERMIT@xxxxxxx, creangler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, dwright@xxxxxxxxxxxx, daver@xxxxxxxxxx, dennisg@xxxxxxxxxxxx, captdoug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, dsprague01@xxxxxxxxxxx, ephemera@xxxxxxx, brushycreekfc@xxxxxxxxx, keysjake@xxxxxxx, barefootj@xxxxxxx, bradyir@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, flyfishar@xxxxxxxxxxx, ken.cole@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, captkirk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, glbaggett@xxxxxxxxx, mkreider1@xxxxxxx, martyt@xxxxxxxxxx, niallogan@xxxxxxxxxx, pminnick@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, bigfly@xxxxxxxxx, whorwood@xxxxxxxxx, flycasts@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, sheila@xxxxxxxxxx, scjacobs@xxxxxxxxxxxx, tharper@xxxxxxxxxxx, tomwhite@xxxxxxxxxxxx
CC: mildbill@xxxxxxxxxxxx, caddis@xxxxxxx, Brydnlnims@xxxxxxxxxxx, cezannealexander@xxxxxxxxxxx, crazycharlie@xxxxxxx, croberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, blacksalmon@xxxxxxxxxxx, DermSox@xxxxxxx, gladesflybum@xxxxxxxxxxxx, hillshead@xxxxxxx, iverson@xxxxxxxxx, jfs523@xxxxxxxxxxx, jerry_puckett2001@xxxxxxxxx, thedamselfly@xxxxxxxxxxx, plami@xxxxxxxxxxx, ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, bobbeanblossom@xxxxxxx, hillcathy@xxxxxxx, donjack@xxxxxxxxxxx, douglas.swift@xxxxxxxxxxxx, erniemaynard@xxxxxxxxxxx, flyfsfrank@xxxxxxx, gregrahe@xxxxxxxxxxx, ianmuirhead@xxxxxxx, jeff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, t.maltese@xxxxxxxxx, skifishvail@xxxxxxxx, jfv@xxxxxxxxxxxx, trallag@xxxxxxx, mollysemenik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, fraudflies@xxxxxxx, shane@xxxxxxxxx, snowmonkey29@xxxxxxx
Subject: Tip for teaching a salty presentation
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:22:43 -0400
Hi, Group.....
Often, the angler on the deck of a flats skiff spots a fish off his casting hand side at a distance. If the guide has to turn the skiff to give him/her a forward presentation, the fish is long gone or spooked.
For that reason, most expert salt water fishermen have learned to present quickly and accurately using a BACK CAST PRESENTATION. This requires shooting a tight loop such that the leader unrolls with the fly at the desired spot.
This is one of the most important things we teach to an angler who is unaccustomed to fishing the salty flats.
Most find that it's most easily done using a modified "Lefty" style (low-elbow off-vertical/horizontal rod plane).
In teaching this back cast presentation using this style, I've found that the caster often keeps the casting arm too far out to the side during the stroke. This results in an inefficient wide horizontal loop. Not much line is shot, accuracy is poor, and the fly falls short of the mark.
One teaching trick is to have the caster practice casting tight loops at increasing distances alone a straight line on the ground or between two lines using ropes, etc.
Once proficient at this, I have the caster do the same thing using ever increasingly vertical rod planes.
The problem often returns and gets worse as the caster tries to achieve greater distance by using a haul and increased loop speed.
When that happens, I have the caster pick out a virtual "target" directly behind the casting arm.......anything, such as a cloud, a mark on a building, a bird in a tree, etc, etc. The idea is to shoot really tight loops at this way-off target. The caster notes that the elbow has to come close to or even touch the body during the stroke to prevent the horizontal wide loop.
Once he's able to shoot line with tight loops at the targets at a height, I have him "shoot" the back cast at targets placed at various distances on the ground. This helps him to learn to use different line planes (trajectory) for accuracy at different distances.
This practice translates into the ability to accurately make distance back cast presentations to moving fish on the flats.
Alternatives include:-
1.) Presenting with a forward cast made with the opposite hand. (Not many can do this well.)
2.) Making an "off the opposite shoulder " forward cast, using cross body technique. (Not good for accuracy with distance.)
3.) Using an "over the head", "off the opposite shoulder" cast. (This can yield greater distance because of the increased stroke length.) The disadvantage of this over the head back cast presentation, is that it requires the angler to turn a bit and crouch. That movement is sometimes seen by a wary fish which spooks.
Gordy
Gordy