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Fly Casting Math From the Archive

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This is my answer to one of our Group members who is a big game salt water fly fishing expert (FFF CCI ) about to take the MCCI exam next month.

(If you are interested in the original quiz and answers you can find it at: http://www.mcistudygroup.com/mci/emailarchive/mlistarchive/msg00436.html )

My answer addresses his concern over the amount of mathematics needed to pass this test in view of the various formulae and equations which have appeared in our many Group messages over the past few years.

Also addressed, is his concern over the fact that he uses heavy salt water tackle on an almost daily basis, but will be taking the exam with the designated equipment  (7 wt. system or lower.)
Gordy

In preparation for your MCCI exam, I wouldn’t worry about the math at all.  You may not be asked any of it .

Some very simple arithmetic is all you need such as:

# The “rule of elevens” : (subtracting the X number of the tippet from 11 and bring it to the thousanths place for the diameter of the material)

Example:  Tippet label is  4X.       11 – 4 = 7  So the diameter is .007 inches.

# The “rule of nines” : (Subtracting the X number of the tippet from 9 to get the approximate pound strength of the material.)

Example:  Tippet label is 5X.    9 – 5 = 4     So the approximate pound test is 4 lbs.
(Of course, with more modern materials, this becomes far less accurate …. just rough approximations.)

# The “rule of fours ( or threes)” :  To approximate the size of your tippet to the hook size of your fly,  divide the hook size by either 4 or 3 .

Example:  Fly hook size is 12.     12 / 4     = 3   (or)     12 / 3    = 4    So I’d consider using a 3X or 4X tippet.

#  Loop speed related to fly (top) leg and rod (bottom) leg speed :  Add the speed of the fly leg to that of the rod leg and divide it in half:-

Loop speed =  Fly (top) leg speed + Rod (bottom) leg speed /  2

Example:   Fly leg =  80 meters/second.      Rod leg = 20 meters/second

80 + 20    =    100   / 2  =  50 meters/second loop speed.
(You probably will not be asked this one, anyway.)

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Since you are primarily a salt water fly fisherman (as I am) I’d not expect you to use the formulae above very often.  As a true Master, however, you need to know how to advise your students who ask you about fly tackle for trout fishing in the mountains, etc.

Some rough, “rules of thumb” for salt water leader material are probably already familiar to you:-  (Even so, I doubt you will be asked this.)  These are some approximations which, of course, will vary with different nylons and brands.

40 Lb. test nylon monofilament = 18.2 Kg. = .64mm diameter = .025 in. diameter.
25  ”     ”      ”            ”            =  11.3 Kg. = .54  ”       ”         = ..021″        “
20  ”     ”       ”           ”            =   9.0  Kg. = .47 mm    ”        =  ..018″        “
12  ”     ”       ”           ”            =   5.4 Kg   = .33 mm    ”        =  ..013″        “

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Fly lines:

You already know that fly lines are rated by the grain weight of the first thirty feet regardless of design and excepting some shooting heads.  Only tiny bit of, “math” to consider is that for most lines, every time you subtract 5 to 6 feet by carrying that much less line as you cast you are casting with one Wt. less line.

As you carry more line while casting than the first 30 feet, every time you add 5 to 6 feet you are really casting with one additional weight line.

Let’s use a WF6F long belly line as an example………

Example:  Casting with 30′ of a 6 wt. line  =  6 wt. line  (about 160 grains)
Casting with 40′ of the same 6 wt. line  =  8 wt. line. (about 210 grains)
Casting with 50′ of the same 6 wt. line  =  10 wt. line. (about 280 grains)
Casting with 20′ of the same 6 wt. line  =    4 wt. line.(about 120 grains)

The detailed calculus equations which have appeared in some of the past Group messages over the past few years are strictly the product of physics research of casting parameters.  They have no place whatsoever in teaching students fly casting and, therefore, will NOT appear during your exam!

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In the short time you have before your Sept. exam, you should do all the tasks on the exam many times over while striving for perfection each time.  Best to do these with the outfit you will be using at test time.

Going, as you are, from the daily use of heavy salt water tackle to the 7 wt. and a tiny yarn fly will be less of a problem if you keep practicing to perform the tasks with only the minimum power needed.  Some of these tasks require polishing your, “tip casting” techniques so rarely used in the salt.

Gordy

Task 3 by Dayle Mazzarella with Video by Bill Wheeler

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The article for preparing for task 3 can be found below. The accompanying video can be found at https://vimeo.com/196007308 Members will have received the password to view the video in the email notification. If you would like the password please contact me at mcistudygroup@shaw.ca

[embeddoc url=”http://wildoutfitting.com/testwp4920/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/How-I-teach-MCI-Task-3.pdf” download=”all”]

Professional Casting Instructor Workshop – January 21, 2017

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Professional Casting Instructor Workshop

(An opportunity to jump to another level.)

Continuing Education Program under the auspices of the
Casting Board of Governors / International Federation of Fly Fishers

This is your invitation to join other Casting Instructors in an afternoon chock full of effective approaches to casting instruction that will help you get behavior change in your students.

A Kaleidoscope of Casting Competencies — When Casting Instructors with unique specialties and from different disciplines come together; ideas happen, bonds form, you learn new strategies, and catch onto the latest trends that can completely revolutionize your casting instruction business or practice. This is a Fly Casting Instruction Practicum where you can learn, grow, share, and turn your vision into reality.

Saturday, January 21, 2017 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm in the Southborough Room of the Royal Plaza Hotel in conjunction with the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, Massachusetts

Macauley Lord – Classic Casting: This is where it all starts: Fly Casting’s ABC’s

Mac has always had an acute interest in developing teaching techniques that simplify the sport. His classic approach is “the standard” for the novice, intermediate and advanced casting student. Mac,the Dean of Fly Casting Instructors in the Northeast, has been awarded the highest distinction in the fly casting world, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the IFFF. He is author of the LLBean Fly Casting Handbook (Lyons Press), was a longtime editor of our IFFF fly casting newsletter The Loop, when he served on our Casting Board of Governors, and was for two decades the Head Instructor for the LLBean Fly Fishing Schools.

Jim Valle – Spey Casting: The fastest growing aspect of our Fly Casting

Jim holds every Casting Instructor Certification the IFFF offers (CI, THCI, and MCI) and currently serves on the Casting Board of Governors. With a specialization in both Single Hand and Two Hand Spey Casting , he has been the featured instructor at show clinics, a college course, IFFF Fairs and the IFFF Youth Program, Jim was singled out and recognized by the IFFF for his worldwide instruction and named recipient of the Mel Krieger Casting Instructor Award. He is a member of the G. Loomis Pro Staff and the Fly Fishing Pro at Woods and Waters in Wall, NJ.

Jean François Lavallêe – Fly Fishing Casts: This is really what people want to learn

Montreal resident and principal/owner of the Modulus Fly Fishing School, JF was the first Québécois to become a Board Certified Master Fly Casting Instructor . His climb to greater heights in Instruction led him discover the world of competitive fly fishing and his expertise is evident. In 2014 he won the individual title as the Canadian National Fly Fishing Champion while leading his Team EnDiables to the Team Championship title. In 2016 JF fished for his country (Canada’s Red Team) in the Ten Country Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships. He tied for first place in the number of fish caught and caught the biggest trout in the Tournament.

Louis Lortie – Putting It All Together: How can I get to Teach more?

Louis who lives in Quebec City is a Senior Captain flying world-wide for Air Canada, an accomplished CCI and holder of the IFF Fly Tying Skills Award. He decided that he wanted to have an opportunity to get more involved with Fly Casting instruction so he organized, promoted and facilitated a three day event which he called Rendez-vous Les Escoumins, and the event took off.

The Rendez-vous was held in the town of Les Escoumins ( pop 1,700-732 houses) up on the Côte-Nord (256 kilometers -4 1/2 hours) Northeast of Quebec City. 138 people registered for 12 classes or workshops, another 51 people participated in the Casting Games. There was a town sponsored Spaghetti Supper in the Community Center, Awards for Casting games, and the administration of two CI tests. Louis will share with you the story of how he did it (and probably invite you to this year’s Rendez-vous).

“The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, rather to hold a persons’s feet only long enough to enable them to put the other foot somewhat higher”…Bill Gove

You will need to do two things to take part in this Workshop:

1) Contact Rod McGarry at flyrodmcgarry@gmail.com or phone 207-615-4804 and ask that a seat be held for you …and

2) Mail a check for $22 ( payable to IFFF) and send to Rod McGarry, 22 Braddish Ct, Portland, ME 04013

“Hacks” by Bill Wheeler

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A few more “hacks”, really more pieces of advice. The Master’s exam is more than just getting the tasks done, its about really excelling at casting and understanding what you are doing and how to teach it.
1. Use small soccer cones as your targets, but put hoops slightly smaller than the 30 inch diameter buffer allowed the target around the target. Use the hoops only to make sure you were within the prescribed distance from the target. Don’t use the hoop as the target. As you get better put out smaller hoops, ie. overtrain.
2. Place your targets offset from the tape you use for measurements. Examiners often put them off the tape for the test.
3. Practice the roll cast, switch and spey casts on both water and grass. You don’t know which surface you will have for the test. Examiners are trying to do them more on water.
4. Tie a small knot towards one end of the yarn fly and tie it to the leader right below the knot not in the middle. This makes for a more streamlined fly.
5. If its windy, don’t stay home. Go out and practice your casting in the wind tactics. Same goes for rain and cold. You never know what your testing situation will be like.
6. If you are practicing on water, don’t forget to use floatant on your yarn. It is much harder to roll cast or spey cast a sunken fly than one floating on the water.
7. Don’t forget to practice with your non dominant hand. A good drill is to false cast alternating between the dominant and non dominant hand. Its initially tricky, but once you get the rhythm, it gives you a good tempo.
8. Continuously refine your teaching tasks. Work on making them clearer and more succinct. We are not talking about 3 or 4 revisions, but dozens to get just the right message across. Practice on real people and take every opportunity you can to teach.
9. Practice making a false cast or two after you have demonstrated a tail. Some examiners like to see you false cast after demoing the tail. Of course, some tails are so horrendous you can’t do this. I usually put a slight tracking error in my tailing demonstration so that the tail is visible from the side, but the two legs don’t collide to avoid a horrendous knot in my line.
10. Experiment with different ways to do things and try to make bad casts as you will have to demonstrate that. Think about what generates a good cast and what and how faults degenerate a cast.
11. Always think about what you are doing when you are casting. Don’t just do 30 false casts. I have seen students just get into the mode and false cast nonstop. Stop when something is wrong or different and analyze what happened
12. Never waste a cast. So many candidates just do a wide pick up or huge roll cast when they are repositioning the line just to get it over with. Use each one of those casts as a learning experience by trying to make a good cast.

13. If you are doing videos of your casting, wear a dark top with no pattern because it does not reflect back onto the screen and impair your ability to see the video. I sometimes take a coat and put it over the screen and my head like the old timey photographers.