Examples of slack

 

Walter & Group:

These are some of the answers on slack (Got 47 answer lists on this question .....couldn't very well send them all.) :-

Gordy

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Forms of slack....from Jim Penrod:-

1. Lifting the rod before beginning the cast

2. Pulling line from in front of the rod hand

3. Lack of a constant lift-starting too fast and then slowing down

4. Lack of energy coming to the stop

5. Too much power at the stop (often creates tails) but I find that people

who do this frequently have a long speed up to a stop, i.e., the rod trip

travels a long distance so they end up with a big loop that sags.

6. Too much power at the stop followed by a drift and an underpowered

forward cast

7. Trying to pick up too much line

8. Carrying more line than the person is capable of handling

9. Lack of acceleration-big loop that frequently has slack

10. Casting back into a strong wind and getting the cast high instead of

horizontal or slightly down.

11. Losing grasp on the fly line and trying to rescue it.

Jim

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From Jim Valle, we have his list of hiding places for slack:

Hi Gordy and Group.

 

Slack Line Hiding Places:

 

1. Excess line between the rod tip and water (or ground) >>> wastes a lot of Very Valuable Rod Movement >>> nothing happens till the Tip of the fly line moves (Lefty)
2. Unrolled Loop (“U”) >>> movement of the rod (in opposite direction) prior to the loop unrolling completely, is Wasted Valuable Stroke Length, >>> Again nothing happens to the cast until the tip of the fly line is moving in the appropriate direction ( Lefty)

3.       Hauling Slack >>> any movement of the line hand in the same direction of the rod hand during the power application is Slack!   Kills the cast… same principle as above

4.       Shooting Line prior to loop formation is slipping line … a slack like substance!  >>> a real Cast Killer!

 

Hope this helps!

Jim V

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From Gary Eaton:-

Slack Is Bad -

Including -

Too low a back cast with non-loop,

incompletely unrolled loops before change of direction,

raised rod tip at start of back cast (then lowered= slack),

underpowered cast leading to slack,

uneven application of power with loss of acceleration giving a slack wave

in the loop,

too early a haul unloading the rod or "cocking" at beginning of roll cast

= forms of slack,

too late (and maybe too early) a shoot can cause slack,

stopping at too high a launch angle (especially into the wind) as could

occur with too open a loop inot wind.

Gary Eaton

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From Jerry Puckett: -

1- Slack in a non stretched line prior to casting due too coil effect on the reel; especially important in casting for distance. (subtle but still slack)

 

2- Slack between the rod tip and water on initial pick-up for first cast. Tom White points out that the tip is waterproof so a slack preventive measure is to stick the tip in the water if necessary to prevent slack.  Leaning forward and placing the line hand as near the first stripping guide aids in a slack free first stroke.

 

3- Slack between the line hand and the first stripper guide while casting, a matter of timing and maintaining tension with proper hand spacing.  Subtle when single hauling or double hauling.

 

4- Slack created be CREEP on the forward cast or back cast, the old tailing loop saga!

 

5- Slack created while carrying line generated from a stroke that fails to maintain loading tension. (The opposite of tight, in Joan Wulff's words).

 

6- Slack created from too short a casting stroke for the amount of line carried. 

 

7- Slack created from a weak stop or non stop.  Usually related too weak wrist control.

 

8- Slack created by wind while casting.  Corrective measure is to look at the forward cast and especially the back cast in order to make adjustments to maintain line tension from a fully extended line.

 

9- In a moving water environment (wading or drifting)  slack can be created by current movement.  Sometimes slack can be created by current movement and wind simultaneously requiring aggressive line control with the line hand and the rod hand to remove or prevent slack.

 

10- Then the most dreaded of all--- "MENTAL SLACK"  can occur at any time and for some all the time.  Only God knows the corrective measures!   HELP!

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From Gary Kell :-

Gordy,   Slack List - kinda quick and dirty!1

 

Slack is line not straight or under tension from rod tip to the fly - can't make a good cast until fly is moving

Static waves or coils of line on water/lawn...

High rod tip at begining of cast creates a concave shape - inefficient cast. Keep rod tip low and pointing toward fly. 

Line Hand moving into or toward the rod hand during power application feed slack into the system .... generally very minor problem!

Timing issues:  Pause too long - line drops into a concave shape creating slack,  Insufficient pause - the fly leg of line not straight behind rod tip is slack

Jerky application of power creating waves in rod leg are inefficient  .. or creating a tailing loop often results in slack needing to be pulled straight to make next cast.

Stops too far apart creating very wide loops or line moving in a wide arc .... inefficient    Stops too close create tailing loops or inadequate power to straighten line.

Significant variance from straight line rod tip (lack of loading move -- often wrist casting and/or stationary elbow) can create line moving in a very wide arc where very little line is straight behind rod tip -- inefficient casts with little control....

Significant variance in Rod Plane during power application can cause horizontal curves/waves or slack.

Horizontal wrist rotation during power application creating curves/waves in the line.

Insufficient power/speed to straighten line results in slack for next cast.

Wind blowing fly line out of place!

 

Gary