Hi, Group.....
Molly has agreed for us to share some comments we've made on curve casts.
She wrote, " I am about to conclude my study on curve casts, however, I have a few thoughts I wanted to run past you. In "The Nature of Fly Casting", pg. 182, fig. 11-2, I find Jason's description confusing. I need to confirm with you that I am correct in stating, "if I twist my wrist to the right or my thumb moves toward me and to the right - the curve will be left of my body (forehanded flip). Opposite is true, "if I twist my wrist to the left or move my thumb away and to the left - the curve will be right of my body (curve to the right.)""
She, then, stated: "Now here is the curve cast I use often and find the easiest to do in many conditions. I back cast vertically, then at the beginning of the forward cast I move my rod tip in a half circle from right to left throughout my forward cast. The line just follows my rod tip and the fly ends up to the right of the caster. Opposite for fly to the left if the wind is an issue. It is easier than the corkscrew. What do you think ?"
My answer:
To answer your last question, first- This is a very practical way of making a curve cast. It won't yield a really long distance curve, however, the way a corkscrew curve cast can.
Your write up on loops is so good, I'd like your permission to share it with the Group. (Will do when Molly re-sends it to me). The only issue I'd take with it is the answer to the question, "WHAT IS A GOOD LOOP ?" For most casting situations, your answer is absolutely correct. (a narrow loop with parallel legs, etc.).....however, I like to teach the concept that a "good loop" is one which matches the casting and fishing objective. In other words, it is SITUATION DEPENDENT. To be sure, you do get into that later in your discussion when you cover things to be done best with wide loops.
CURVE CASTS
Let's try to clarify the "wrist twist" conundrum. If you wish to make a curve cast with the fly going to the right, twist the rod to the right, then quickly return to neutral.
To make a curve cast with the fly going to the left, twist the rod to the left, then quickly return to neutral
You see, it's just the opposite of your interpretation of Jason's text figures.
Perhaps you remember the wrist-twist pantomime I showed you when you were here. It's much easier to do to the left for a right handed caster than it is for the opposite direction !!
Technically, these could be considered as, "cast-mends" inasmuch as timed frame videos show that the twist in the direction you want the fly to go is done just PRIOR to the stop.....and the return to neutral (or a bit beyond for a more dramatic curve) done AFTER the stop. To teach it, I take a bit of a "teaching liberty" which I learned from Lefty, in asking the student to do both, "at the stop".
Confusion has krept into some writings as curves are sometimes described as, "to the right", or, "to the left" when the author really means to place the BELLY of the curve in that direction ! That's why I described it as I did, so there is no wonderment.
To take it a step further: One can maximize the curve layout by making the twist over a greater arc. This is accomplished by STARTING the cast with the reel twisted in the direction opposite the direction in which you are going to make the twist in the direction you wish the fly to go.
Another way to make a curve cast is to use a brief wrist flip in the direction you wish the fly to go, and then a return to neutral after the stop.....anain, so fast that it appears to the observer to all hapen, "at the stop". Look again at fig. 11-1 on p. 182 of Jason's book and you will see that this is exactly what he is demonstrating.....Problem is that he doesn't diagram the return to neutral....so you only have the first half of the story !
Now read pp 130 - 137 of THE CAST, by Ed Joworowski, and heed the pictures. He invokes the principle which you mentioned.....that the line will go in the direction the tip was moving when it stopped. Look at the 3 phots on p. 132. Imagine that he has started his cast, not as depicted, but with the reel twisted to his right much farther. That would give him a greater twist excursion for an even greater curve, had he wished to do that. He, also, fails to show the return to neutral!
An additional way of maximizing the curve is to use BOTH the wrist twist and the wrist flip at the same time.
Now, if we wish to make that curve into a sharp (90 degree or more) hook, all we need to do is to, 1.) use higher line speed and 2.) a more rapid return to neutral.
Note my repetative emphasis on, RETURN TO NEUTRAL. Failure to note this is the number one reason folks have trouble making curve casts !!!!!!!
Another way to look at this crudely, is this: To make a curve cast, throw the fly in the direction you want it to go, and immediately throw the belly of the line in the opposite direction. (This doesn't hold true of decelerating curve casts, the helicopter curve cast, or the corkscrew cast.)
I'll go through the details of the corkscrew cast at another time........a lot to digest here, already.
Gordy