Jim...
I agree. Yours is darned good advice for all as we try to improve our casting.
When I practice distance casting, as soon as I start to have problems, I go back to these basics and cast with:
a.) Half the line out of the rod tip.
b.) Half the force, or even less.
I then gradually add line carried making several casts with each new amount of line. Each cast is made with a different main objective, as follows:
a.) Matching my tip travel to the distance needed.
b.) Attention to making a tight loop on BOTH forward and back casts. (One trick which works for me, is to avoid making my delivery cast until I'm perfectly satisfied with the appearance and, "feel" of my back cast.)
c.) Rod plane which is most efficient for me on the back cast and again on the forward cast. (Many of us gain greatest efficiency by having a more horizontal rod plane for the back cast, and a slightly more vertical one for the forward stroke......NOT everybody.)
d.) Rod bend (Load)
e.) Line planes (Trajectory)
f.) My timing. Here, I like to adjust that to the unrolling loop behind me. I can see it well. (Most adjust the timing of the back cast to that of the unrolling loop of the forward cast.....just the opposite.)
g.) My haul (I like the concept of the mirror image of the line haul to the rod excursion.....and the release of the line at the most efficient point related to the stop of the rod hand.)
h.) My followthrough technique. (What I do during that brief counterflex time.)
i.) Addition of body torque and a step forward when I'm going for max distance.
After going through that little self teaching algorithm, I stop adding line, having reached about the amount I know I'm capable of handling, and do the same thing as above, but with ever increasing loop speed.
I found that I had to do all that to get closer to my original max distance achieved before I had the crush injury to my right (casting) hand last summer. I'm doing fine with this, although I doubt I'll ever actually reach my prior best distances.
Casting with a slower rod is one way of magnifying some of my defects.....making them easier to diagnose. You are right about that.
You point out that a change of grip can solve some problems. You are also correct that when using the, "thumb-on-top" grip that this makes it necessary to have more rotation on the back cast.....but that's easy to do for me if my rod plane is more horizontal, especially with a long back drift and an open stance. That is a matter of style. Works for me, may not for others. I can impart more energy to the forward stroke with that grip than any of the others I've tried. In doing that, I can bend the rod better if I use a more vertical rod plane for the delivery cast.
For curve casts, hook casts, compound aerial mends, etc. I go back to using only 30' - 35' of line out of the rod tip and make the casts more slowly whenever I start to make these casts poorly. Only after I've gotten back to making them really well with that scenario, do I add line and make them at greater distances.
Gordy
From: "JFV" <jfv@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Gordon Hill'" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Re: STYLE - 2 of 2
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 08:27:05 -0500
Hi Gordy and Group,
I read the attached conversation with Walter re what we could call energy transfer to the line.
I?ve been working on my distance casts and concentrating on finding efficiency, tighter loops, haul timing etc..
I learned a valuable lesson, You just can?t forget the basics. I think we all tend to forget as we get in deeper.
So a couple of thoughts that might help, Kind of a back to basics.
1. Squeeze the Stop. As I have increased my distance and ability I have relaxed my stroke, I just don?t need all that activity to get the job done.
However!, I ALSO FOUND I RELAXED MY GRIP AT THE STOP !
AS soon as I went back to Joan?s storm door handle and sponge my loops improved in what I call ?Focus?
2. Try casting with a slower rod. When I want to examine a specific part of the cast
It sometimes helps me to use a slower, softer rod? slow things down a bit, gives me time to see it happen and then think it through.
3. Might also consider your grip and rod plane. For example if you are using a thumb on top with a pure vertical rod plane
It is hard to get that drift without some kind of rotation. I would change the rod plane to off vertical to some degree, before I changed grip but I wouldn?t be afraid to experiment with other grips.
For example I find the Borger 3 point will allow me to extend further (layback) on the vertical backcast ( which I just like because of tradition and it keeps my overall line higher) ,
however as I mentioned above it is easy to relax a little with this grip so don?t forget to squeeze the Stop!
Hope this adds some positive energy to your casts,
Jim Valle
MCI
PS. Anyone coming to the Somerset NJ show please look me up I will be there all 3 days, testing Sat most of the day.
From: Gordon Hill [mailto:hillshead@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 6:45 PM
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Subject: FW: Re: STYLE - 2 of 2
From: WALTER/SUE SIMBIRSKI <simbirsw@xxxxxxx>
To: Gordon Hill <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: STYLE - 2 of 2
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:36:24 -0700