Casting into the wind .... Question

Walter & Group:

 

My answer follows Bob Rumpf's questions.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

Hi Gordy & group,

 

                             I have a question about one of the sample questions in the Master's Study Guide. Under Appendix D - Representative Questions - Casting - there is a question that asks: Describe various methods of casting into the wind. Considering the way the question is worded, with the definitive word obviously being into, I can only assume they mean a head wind. Although we have discussed many times about making a high back cast to take advantage of the wind to "kite" the back cast and follow it with an accelerated, tight loop front cast aimed directly at the target, it seems to be the only one we discussed. In reality, the only way I can think of, or even heard of, casting into the wind is in this manner. Although I have many ways of dealing with wind from the casting side and several casts to cope with a tailwind, I only have the one mentioned for a head wind. Am I missing something.

                           Also, not to be argumentative, but I remember a recent discussion about the wind speed being less at the surface of the water, and how that no longer applies since new research has been applied. I of course do not  doubt the results of the research as it may have applied to the scenario of that test. However, as a long time guide, fly casting and fly fishing instructor on freestone trout rivers and streams here in the Catskills, I can tell you first-hand that crouching (along with other appropriate casting adjustments) to get below the wind when you have an 8 foot high bank behind you is a very sensible additional  approach to coping with the wind.

 

Regards,

 

Bob Rumpf

www.flyepenbooks.com

www.catskillflies.com

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Bob...

 

Valid questions.   You have just tackled my very favorite subject.....casting in howling winds. 

 

Let's tackle them seperately:

 

1.  You have given a very good description of a method of casting into a head wind.   I don't fault it at all. That's a good SHORT ANSWER.

 

 If asked to go into more detail, you could point out the variations over which one has control with respect to head and tail wind casting.  ie:

   a. Loop control  (Tight on the forward cast,  wider on the back cast )

   b. Trajectory (Launch angle or line plane)  (High on back cast, lower on forward cast with 180 degrees between the two, forward cast directed to the target rather than above it.)

   c. Loop speed  (Greater on the forward cast, less on the back cast.)

   d. Increased rod load on the forward delivery cast.

   e. Change of timing between forward and back casts.  (More time for the loop to unroll on the back cast, less for the forward cast.)

   d. When false casting, carrying less line until the final back cast. (Vice versa when casting with a tail wind.)

 

If asked, that is one way to teach it.  By breaking the solution into various components like this, it serves a good comparison to go further in teaching to cast with a strong wind from behind, for example.  (This also pre-empts the next question which might be, "how do you teach it."

 

2.  You could, also, have added a description of the, "Lefty Kreh Wind Cast"   also known as the, "Storm Cast" (by Charles Ritz) and the, "Thrust Cast" (by Gary and Jason Borger).  As you probably know, this adds a thrust at the conclusion of the delivery cast such that you don't stop until your elbow is extended as you, "run out of arm".  Done properly, this can generate tremendous loop speed while maintaining a tight loop.

 

3.  The answers, above would probably suffice.  If the examiners interpreted the word, "methods" more broadly, they might be looking for other things which would help with casting into the wind such as changes in equipment, ie:

    a. More dense fly line (smaller diameter = less wind resistance)

    b. Going to a fly line of different design  (Such as a short steep forward taper or a shooting head)

    c. Shorter leader

    d. Smaller, less bulky fly

    d. Increasing to a higher system.  (Such as going from a 4 wt. outfit to a 7 wt.)

 

4. You could even get into a discussion of finding and taking advantage of wind breaks.  (This would rarely be necessary) . You are correct that a good high wind break behind you does diminish even a wind blowing toward you.

 

5. Once in a while, while surf fly casting on a gusty day, we time our presentation cast to intervals between gusts.

 

6.  There are rare instances when I will make a super low side arm cast into a wind from literally below the deck of my flats skiff with the loop traveling only a few inches above the wave tops.  This DOES work for short distances.

 

7.  One highly specialized wind cast for into the wind presentation has recently been described by Joe Mulson.  Basically you strike the water with the line at high speed in such a manner that the line unrolls on the water with the loop just above it timed to turn over just before the target.

 

 

Gordy