Casting Styles ... changes

Walter & Group......

On changing a student's casting style, from Capt. Pete Greenan:

Gordy,

I am a careful observer of people because I have been guiding for so many years.  I can see if they have an uncomfortable stance or if their bodies seem out of sync with their casting motion. 

Novice casters are easier.  I use just two styles; basic over head and a 3/4 arm position.  Some of the other styles are too closely related or too complicated for a novice to grasp.  Differences can sometimes be subtle.

Pete

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From Rick Whorwood on whether or when he'd introduce the concept of casting style to his students :

Hi Gordy

If they have never had a fly rod in their hand before, not likely. This might be done after a few lessons. If they are struggling with a style of their choice then possibly. I would do it more as a demo, to give them a better understanding. Get them to think outside the box.

  

Here's an Interesting point, after teaching Spey Casting for a number of years and many different students. I'm always amazed, if I'm teaching a Double, Snap T as the main cast in the program, but I use (let's say) a Snake Roll to clear line, sooner or later I have students trying to do a Snake Roll. Even if they are struggling with the Snap T and or a Double . This make me think that if we see different styles at shows or 

situations, we'll eventually try them.we'll eventually try them.

 

On when he'd change his own style :

 

To answer your question below : wind, sink tips, on a skiff, would be a few

I'm off to the Bahamas this morning, looks like we're going to see some lousy weather.

Rick

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Rick ..   I think you and Bruce Chard are going to get into some really nasty weather at South Andros unless hurricane Paloma gets well diffused by the Cuban mountains.  It is a catagory IV. storm this morning !    Gordy

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From Ally Gowans:

 

Hi Gordy,

 

To beginners I explain how to make a basic cast and why they are being taught to make it in a particular manner. I then also explain different ways of moving to make the same cast which I guess is what we call different styles? Example: If right handed I cast with my right foot forward is that a different style from casting left foot forward? I don’t teach that as a different style because foot positions are often dictated by terrain and eventually I hope that my students (if they are interested and persevere) will be able to cast from what I call extreme open and extreme closed positions, in doing so their “style” perhaps will have to change depending on how we define style. That there are various styles is sure but drawing the line between style and adaptation is very grey! Another grey area exists between style change and fault rectification.

 

Do I change my style when fishing? Certainly I do and without even thinking about it and I also improvise a lot! Anything for efficiency (depending upon the definition of style) and whether one’s style can be many “styles” or not! If you are not confused by all of this you probably didn’t read it correctly!

 Best wishes,

Ally Gowans

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Ally...   To answer your question (which I highlighted in your text, above) :-

This raises a good point.  Some look at casting style as:

Anything the caster does which doesn't violate the essentials of fly casting.

I don't quarrel with that as a bare bones definition.

As one gets more deeply into this, however, we can add many things other than what the caster does as he moves through a casting stroke such as how and where he stands, his hand position (s) on the grip (s), .  Al Kyte, as you know, wrote the article on elbow styles.  Others have pointed to the use of various casting planes as manifestation of style.  Some have called attention to specific maneuvers to increase stroke lengh such as, body motion, back drift (Joan Wulff), "Lay-back" (Gary and Jason Borger), Bringing the rod way back to a stop (Lefty's "stab") as differences in style.  I see foot position as ranging all the way from style to survival.

Other things like the "wrist flip", "body blocks", a step forward with a distance cast, a true jump forward when distance casting have also been used as examples.

Then there are "default styles" which I see as the way a caster casts most of the time under ordinary fishing and casting circumstances.

I learned more from Dennis Grant who spent time coming up with many other things which represent gray areas a to whether they are a matter of style or not.  Perhaps we can get him to share those thoughts with us after he returns.  His work on this is a real brain teaser.

Gordy