Loop control

Several months ago I asked about part of Left's Principle Number Four "The size of the fly loop is determined only by the distance that you accelerate the rod tip at the end of the cast....."

The answer I received from you was that the article that you wrote for the last Loop would answer the question. I guess I am more than a little slow on this but I don't see what drift has to do with it. Can you clarify???

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

Jim... First, let's look at the direct quote from Lefty: ADVANCED FLY CASTING, Lefty Kreh, pp. 154 - 155. :-

"The size of the loop you cast is dependent upon how long the distance is that the rod tip moves during the final speed-up-and-stop at the very end of the cast."

"Loop size is determined by the distance the rod tip moves when accelerated at the end of the backcast."

A few years ago, Lefty and I got into a detailed discussion about that, because it seemed to contradict what we were teaching about the size of the loop being determined by the path of the rod tip. Tom White and I (and many others) had taken the position that Lefty was just plain wrong.

Lefty explained that his statement was meant to provide a concept to the student which he had found to work well as he taught. Those of you who were in this Study Group 5 or 6 years ago may remember Lefty's discussion of all this ..... some of you may have archived this.

He didn't feel it was necessary to go into more detail with the student, even though what he meant was that when the caster takes the rod tip through a long distance during the final speed-up-and-stop that the rod tip usually dipped way down below the oncoming line. That forms a convex rod tip path at the end of the stroke and yields a wide loop.

When the caster goes through a very short speed-up-and-stop, the rod tip does not dip down below the oncoming line nearly as far. This provides less convexity of the rod tip at the end of the cast and yields a smaller loop.

NOW: Let's try to answer your question as to what drift can have to do with the loop size:-

I think we can accept as fact that an (almost) straight line path of the rod tip (SLP) is needed to form a small loop.

One of the several factors needed in order to achieve that straight line path of the rod tip is a proper match between stroke length, rod arc, and the length of line carried out of the rod tip (length of the cast). Here is a simple formula:

#1. Too much rod arc for the length of line carried = convex rod tip path = wide loop.

#2. Too little rod arc for the length of line carried = concave rod tip path = tailing loop.

#3. Correct amount of rod arc for the length of the line carried = SLP = small loop.

We know that one of the accomplishments of drift is that it increases the available stroke length and rod arc for the following cast.

By using drift, we gain the option of control over the amount of rod arc we use for our next cast. Thus the caster can choose (#3) the correct amount of rod arc for the length of line carried. This achieves SLP and a tight loop.

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

"Layback" (Gary and Jason Borger) Jason Borger, THE NATURE OF FLY CASTING, pp. 232-233. and "Lefty's stab" or the direct bringing of the rod tip way back can have a similar effect as drift in that all three of these maneuvers increase the available stroke length and rod arc for the next cast.

There are many other factors which go into the formation of SLP of the rod tip and the sizes of loops. These include late changes in the path of the rod tip at the end of the cast, relationships between the use of power, the bend of the rod and the amount of rod arc, etc. We'll get into those things soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`