Group....
Take your time reading this. A lot to cover.
Gordy
From: "Gordon Hill" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
To: dchbjh@xxxxxxx
Subject: FW: Re: Slack line casts.....mini-quiz # 2 edition
Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 17:33:58 -0500
From: "Gordon Hill" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
To: caddis@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Slack line casts.....mini-quiz
Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 17:27:42 -0500
Bob....
Congratulations. You did VERY well !!!!!
I'll add some teaching comments.......NOT criticisms.
since only 6 have answered, so far (Probably because it's New Years Day) I'll not forward your excellent answers to the Group untill more of them have responded.
Note my comments in BOLD CAPS in your text:
Gordy
From: "Bob Rumpf - The Flye & The Pen" <caddis@xxxxxxx>
To: "Gordon Hill" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Slack line casts.....mini-quiz
Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 08:09:18 -0500
Hi Gordy & Group,Here are my attempts at answering the mini-quiz on slack line casts. My answers are in blue, but I guess you would have seen that.I may just take this evening off and visit with some old friends, namely Jim Beam and I.W. Harper. Hey, Happy New Year everybody!!! Be careful if you have to drive anywhere.Bob RumpfSent: Friday, December 30, 2005 9:16 PMSubject: Slack line casts.....mini-quizHi, Group:
Let's have a mini-quiz on SLACK LINE CASTS.
1.) What is the usual purpose for slack line casts ?
Ans. - To avoid drag
YES.....TO CREATE A DRAG FREE DRIFT FOR YOUR FLY. ANOTHER PURPOSE WOULD BE TO ALLOW A WEIGHTED FLY TO SINK QUICKLY WITHOUT THE FLY LINE BUOYENCY HOLDING IT UP.
2.) Can you come up with at least 2 synonyms for the PILE CAST ?
Ans. - Stack Cast, Parachute Cast
AGREE. (NOTE THAT THERE ARE OTHER DEFINITIONS FOR THE PARACHUTE CAST, TOO. ADDITIONAL SYNOMYMS INCLUDE: "DUMP CAST", "PUDDLE CAST", "SLACK LINE CAST" AND EVEN A "DOWNWARD REACH CAST".)
JASON BORGER, (THE NATURE OF FLY CASTING.....PP. 85 - 86 ) REFERS TO THE, "PARACHUTE MEND" AS AN UPWARD REACH MANEUVER. A SIMPLER DESCRIPTION IS FOUND IN GARY BORGER'S, PRESENTATION, PP229 - 230.
3.) Describe your way of making the pile cast.
Ans. - Aim the forward cast high, then drop the rod tip.
YES. I'D CONSIDER ADDING MEL KRIEGER'S SUGGESTION THAT THE BACK CAST BE LOW, AND THE FORWARD CAST HIGH (CHANGE OF LINE PLANE OR TRAJECTORY WITHOUT VIOLATING THE SO CALLED, :"180 DEGREE RULE"). SOME PREFER TO TEACH THE DROPPING OF THE CASTING HAND AS WELL AS THE ROD TIP.....IN OTHER WORDS, THE ENTIRE ROD. MAC BROWN DESCRIBES THIS AS, "ROD FADE". OVERPOWERING THE FORWARD STROKE WILL HELP YIELD MORE SLACK.
4.) Can you name or describe at least 3 other techniques, casts, or mends to yield a slack line/leader layout ?
Ans. - Plop cast, snake casts and bounce cast.
YES. ALSO, THE, "WIGGLE CAST" OR, "SERPENTINE CAST", A "TUCK CAST" (DONE WITH A DRY FLY) (ALSO KNOWN AS A "FLY FIRST CAST". YOUR, "BOUNCE CAST" IS JUST THAT. A TINY VARIATION OF THIS IS THE, "TUG CAST" IN WHICH THE CASTER ACTUALLY BRINGS THE TIP BACK A THE CONCLUSION OF THE FORWARD CAST JUST AS THE LOOP UNROLLS. SOME LOOK AT THE, "BOUNCE CAST" AS ONE IN WHICH THE CASTER PURPOSELY CASTS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE FLY LINE STRIKES THE WATER FIRST, AND THE FLY AND SLACK LEADER FOLLOW.
NOWHERE HAVE I FOUND A BETTER DESCRIPTION AND PICTORIAL OF THE TUCK CAST THAN IN JOE HUMPHRIES' BOOK, ON THE TROUT STREAM WITH JOE HUMPHRIES , PP 6 - 19. OF COURSE, JOE IS FAMOUS FOR THIS AND OTHER NYMPNING / POCKET WATER TECHNIQUES. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT THE DENVER FLY SHOW, JAN. '01 WHEN HE ASTOUNDED US WITH HIS ACCURATE TUCK CASTS DONE AT VARYING DISTANCES !
GARY BORGER DESCRIBES A "HUMP MEND" AS A WAY OF DUMPING A PILE OF SLACK AT ANY POINT IN THE LAYOUT. (PRESENTATION, P.231) THE TIMING OF THE UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT OF THE ROD TIP DETERMINES WHERE THE SLACK WILL END UP.
UNDERPOWERED CURVE CASTS (SOME HAVE CALLED THESE, "NEGATIVE CURVE CASTS", WHILE OTHERS REFER TO THEM AS, "DECELERATING CURVE CASTS" ) OFTEN RESULT IN SLACK LAYOUTS. THIS MAY WELL BE AN UNWANTED RESULT......BUT COULD ALSO BE A CONTROLLED SITUATION WHERE THE ANGLER WANTS A GENTLE CURVE COMBINED WITH SLACK LINE ON THE WATER. THE, "HELICOPTER CAST" IS A VARIATION ON THIS THEME.
DOUG SWISHER AND CARL RICHARDS DESCRIBED A SUPER SIMPLE EXERCISE FOR LEARNING CONTROL OF VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF SLACK IN , " FLY FISHING STRATEGY " P. 28. THEY TEACH TO CAST TO A TARGET...SAY 25' AWAY, THEN STRIP OFF 2' OF LINE AND CAST TO THE SAME TARGET AGAIN. (THE MORE LINE YOU STRIP OFF AND ALLOW TO ESCAPE THE ROD TIP, THE MORE SLACK YOU HAVE.)
DOUG GAVE US A DEMONSTRATION OF VARIOUS WAYS OF DOING THE, "TUG" CAST FOR A SLACK LINE LAYOUT. 1.) PULLING THE LINE BACK AS THE LOOP BEGINS TO STRAIGHTEN, 2.) PULLING THE ROD BACK AT THE SAME POINT, AND 3.) PULLING BOTH BACK AT THE SAME TIME. ON P. 29 OF THEIR BOOK, HE DESCRIBES A TIGHT LOOP HIGHLY POWERED FORWARD CAST FOLLOWED BY A "DEAD STOP" OF THE ROD RESULTING ON THE LOOP STRAIGHTENING AND THEN SNAPPING BACK FORMING SLACK LINE CURVES BEFORE LANDING.
JOAN WULFF DESCRIBES AND NAMES A, "PLOP CAST". SHE TEACHES THE USE OF AN UNDERPOWERED FORWARD CAST USING A VERTICAL ROD PLANE WITH A WIDE LOOP AND A "SOFT POWER SNAP". THIS CAST IS AIMED BELOW THE TARGET. IT'S ONE WAY OF HAVEING THE END OF THE LINE TOUCH THE WATER FIRST AND THE LEADER COLLAPSING IN WAVES AFTERWARD. (JOAN WULFF'S FLY CASTING TECHNIQUES , P. 160.) THIS, "SOFT" TECHNIQUE HELPS AVOID SPOOKING NEARBY FISH.
5.) What leader design would you consider to gain maximum slack between the fly line and the fly ?
Ans. - Soft mono with lengthy tippet.
AGREE. EVEN HARD/STIFF MONO WILL WORK FINE, SO LONG AS YOU DO 2 THINGS: 1.) USE SMALLER DIAMETER MATERIAL. 2.) RIG THE TAPERED SECTION WITH A VERY GRADUAL....NOT A STEEP TAPER. ANOTHER TECHNIQUE CAN BE COMBINED....THAT OF INTERPOSING A MORE FLEXIBLE SEGMENT THAN THE ONE WHICH FOLLOWS IT IN THE TAPERED SECTION (A BIT OF "REVERSE TAPER")
A "HARVEY LEADER" WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS VERY WELL. (PRESENTATION BY GARY BORGER, PP. 181 - 182.)
6.) Can you name a fishing circumstance where you would want to have absolutely no slack in the leader or line as the fly lands upon the water ?
Ans. - Casting to the shore and making immediate retrieves (we do this from drift boats for trout on the Delaware)
YES. A SALT WATER USE FOR THIS IS FOR CASTING TO PERMIT (THIS FISH WILL INSTANTLY DISGORGE A FLY IF NOT HOOKED IMMEDIATELY.......ANY SLACK AND HE'S GONE BEFORE YOU EVEN FEEL HIM. ANOTHER USE IS FOR FISHING IN VERY SHALLOW WATER WITH A HEAVY ENOUGH FLY AND/OR LINE THAT TO DO OTHERWISE WOULD RESULT IN HOOKING THE BOTTOM.
7.) How would you make a "PUDDLE CAST" with slack close to you ?
Ans. - Make a short high front cast and quickly drop the rod tip
YES. THE SECRET LIES IN THE WORD, QUICKLY. ALSO, THE HIGHER YOU MAKE IT, THE MORE SLACK YOU GENERATE, AND THE CLOSER TO THE ANGLER IT LIES.
VINCENT MARINARO, BACK IN '76 WROTE A BEAUTIFUL WORD DESCRIPTION OF THE "PUDDLE CAST"....WORTH READING. (IN THE RING OF THE RISE, PP. 35 - 37.)
8.) Now you want to have the slack out at a distance from you. What do you do differently to accomplish this ?
Ans. - Make the cast farther away and quickly drop the rod tip.
TIMING IS IMPORTANT, HERE. MY WAY OF DOING THIS IS TO CHANGE MY LINE PLANE TO A BIT LESS HIGH ON THE FORWARD STROKE AND DROP THE ROD LATER.
9.) You have just made a perfect upstream reach "cast" with a straight line between the rod tip and the fly. You slipped line as you did this, so the fly has landed right in the feeding lane. NOW WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE ROD TIP ?
Ans. Follow the line with your rod tip or the reach cast mend will quickly be negated. You can also follow with flip mends later in the drift.
AGREE. IF THE ANGLER LEAVES THE ROD TIP WAY OUT TO THE SIDE THERE WILL BE LITTLE DRAG FREE DRIFT. I LIKE TO TEACH : " AFTER THE REACH, BRING THE ROD TIP DOWNSTREAM AT THE SPEED OF THE CURRENT.....".
10.) Can you name the author who described the, " ANGULAR PERPENDICULAR THRUST PILE CAST" and the, "ANGULAR ROTATIONAL THRUST PILE CAST" as well as the, "NEGATIVE BUCKET CAST" ?
Ans. Mack Brown in "Casting Angles"
YES....PP 158 - 160. (AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, HIS REAL NAME IS James McLeod Brown.)
11.) How do you perform a "WIGGLE CAST" so that the waves of slack line are close to you even though the fly is out at a distance ?
Ans. After stopping the rod, wait until the correct portion of the line is on the way to the target, then wiggle the rod tip.
AGREE. I LIKE TO TEACH IT THIS WAY: IF YOU WISH TO HAVE THE WAVES OF SLACK CLOSE TO YOU, MAKE THE "WIGGLE" MOVEMENTS LATE AND LOW.
12.) You now want the waves of slack line for your "WIGGLE CAST" to be out near the end of the fly line at, say, 50' with the remainder of the line straight to the rod tip. What did you do differently from the cast in 11.) ?
Ans. Wiggle the rod tip early and shoot the wiggle out to the target area.
AGREE. HERE, I TEACH : "IF YOU WANT THE WAVES OF SLACK WAY OUT NEAR THE FLY, MAKE THE "WIGGLE" MOVEMENTS EARLY AND HIGH."
13.) Does increased overhang help you to make on-the-water mends efficiently ?
Ans. No, it makes everything more difficult. Can't move heavy line with light.
CORRECT. IF THE LINE SYSTEM IS "TIGHT" (NO SLACK) YOU CAN PULL HEAVY LINE FORWARD OR BACK WITH LIGHT LINE, BUT YOU CAN'T EFFICIENTLY TRANSFER SIDE-TO-SIDE ENERGY VERY WELL.
I'D LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER LITTLE PEARL THAT I LEARNED FROM CBOG PHIL GAY: A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY OF INTRODUCING SLACK WHERE YOU WANT IT, IS TO USE A HORIZONTAL ROD PLANE. MAKE A FORWARD CAST AND BEFORE THE FLY OR LINE LAND, INTRODUCE ANOTHER FORWARD LOOP IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CAST BY FLIPPING THE ROD TIP FORWARD. TIMING THIS SECOND WAVE (PARTIAL LOOP) IS CRITICAL TO DETERMINING WHERE THE SLACK WILL APPEAR........AND TAKES LOTS OF PRACTICE. PHIL HAS HONED THIS TO PERFECTION.
LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BOB'S ANSWERS ARE REALLY CRISP AND CONCISE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PLANNING TO TAKE YOUR MCI EXAMS, THIS IS A FAR BETTER WAY OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS THAN ARE MY COMMENTS. THE LATTER ARE DONE STRICTLY FOR TEACHING PURPOSES, TO HELP OFFER A WIDE PERSPECTIVE AND TO ENCOURAGE Y0U TO READ AND TAP THE VAST KNOWLEDGE IN THE FLY CASTING LITERATURE.
ALSO: WHEN TAKING YOUR EXAM, IT'S BEST TO AVOID QUOTING AUTHORS, CASTING, "GURUS" AND OTHER NOTABLES. GIVE YOUR OPINION, AND HAVE YOUR OWN REASONS FOR DEFENDING THEM IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE ASKED TO DO SO.
HAVING SAID THAT, I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT ONCE IN A WHILE YOUR EXAMINERS MIGHT ASK YOU TO COMPARE OR CONTRAST THE TECHNIQUES, CASTING STYLES AND/OR TEACHINGS OF WELL KNOWN AUTHORS.......SO YOU DO NEED TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF OF ALL THIS.
Gordy