Knots / Tom White's distance roll cast / Style

Walter & Group.....

From Mack Martin....

Gordy:

 

Laurence's opinion and your experience are identical to mine. The Duncan loop breaks every time before the Uni-knot.

 

Mack

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From David Diaz:

 

See below:

 

www.tackletogo.com/duncanloop

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From Laurence Baggett:

Gordy: Interesting, I just looked up several "Duncan Loop" knots online. Several show the Duncan and Uni knot being the same thing. The attached link shows how I learned the knot, but the written description is of  a uni knot. I learned a Duncan (either from Flip or Frank Oblak) by making a loop in the standing part of the line before going through the hook eye, and then back through the loop 5 times and tighten. Thus, the "loop" is made in the standing part and tightens before pressure on the hook eye. A uni knot goes through the hook eye first and then a loop is made in the tag end portion after passing through the hook eye, a different and stronger knot. Now I know what "rainy day" time is all about!!! Talk with you when I return.

L     http://www.fintalk.com/fishing-knots/duncans-loop.html
 

G.Laurence Baggett, Esq.

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Comment:  Check out his link and scroll down for a clear picture of the tie.             Gordy

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                                                        Tom White's style for distance roll casting

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From Brian Nims:-

Once Tom had the D loop set up and the rod in the horizontal position, he would say "stop, have a cup of coffee".  This was intended to get the student to pause.  Then, to explain the "wrist flip"  Tom would have you notice the butt of the rod at a 90 degree angle to the casters forearm. And, as you rotate your wrist, imagine the butt of the rod slamming parallel to your wrist.  Also, he used the visual of opening a screen door where you push with your thumb and pull with your pinky finger, ring and middle finger to rotate the rod. 

Brian

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COMMENT:  During one of her Instructor courses, Joan Wulff used a similar technique..... just not as extreme a wrist flip.  She had a fly rod handle to which had been mounted a screen door handle which was activated by pushing with the thumb and pulling with the middle finger.  (A prop setup to make a point ...... teaching technique.)  A few years ago, I borrowed the idea when Dennis Grant and I  gave a workshop at a conclave on classroom tips and tactics.

Sometimes Tom would do this with such snap force that the butt end of the fly rod would literally make a dent in his forearm.

Joan called this wrist position at the conclusion of the stroke a, "straight wrist" in contrast to cocked position of the wrist at the end of a back cast which she taught as yielding a 45 degree angle between the butt of the fly rod and the forearm.  Tom took the, "straight wrist" to an extreme.  This yielded maximum ulnar deviation (wrist deviated in the direction of the little finger as far as the anatomy would allow.)

This style fit Tom perfectly...... large hands and big powerful wrists.   Not for everybody.

When making a water pick-up using heavy tarpon tackle, I'll sometimes use that wrist position at the start.  My wrist is deviated so far that the butt end of the fly rod (big game butt extension or, "tarpon ball") is literally dug into my forearm.  Gives me tremendous leverage and more power to lift a heavy line and large fly as I start my back cast.  I start with my rod pointing down in the direction of the line..... at the water surface  for max stroke length and rod arc. This technique also makes it less likely that my forearm muscles will fatigue in the event I'm in an unusual situation where I have to make these lifts repeatedly.  One reason for the use of this style is that I don't have big powerful arms..... so it's my own adaptation.   Perfect example of style as, "self optimization".  (I believe those were Al Buhr's words.)

Gordy

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                                                               STYLE = SELF OPTIMIZATION

Making the most of a caster's body habitus while not violating the essentials of fly casting.

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