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Beginner Casting Problem

3K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Bob_Olson 
#1 ·
I've been practising overhead casting in the backyard, and it's not going terribly, but I am having a fairly consistent problem on the forward cast . I'm getting good loading of the rod on both the backcast and the forward cast, but about half the time my practice fly (yarn) hits the middle of the flyline before it's done unrolling. Any ideas on what the source of the problem is?

Thanks,
Bob
 
#2 ·
It's called a tailing loop and is a common problem. It's usually the result of trying to overpwer your forward cast. Try rotating the rod out from straight over your shoulder to 2 oclock or so. Also, try not to be quiet as agressive in the forward cast. Let the rod do the work.
 
#3 ·
A very common problem on the forward cast is to hit it early with power - you start right off hitting it hard. The term accelerate means to constantly increase in speed. The forward cast needs to start very smoothly and accelerate right to the final stop. You really need very little power on the forward cast - just smooth acceleration to a dead stop.

As mentioned previously if you start fast or hit from the top you cause the rod tip to bend immediately and if you slow down at all during the casting stroke it unbends some giving a tailing loop
 
#4 ·
If the yarn hits the line because the leader seems to whip, pull or fall downward as it unravels, it's a tailing loop as described by others.

There are several ways we can create one of theses little buggers, and to really correct root cause it requires some face to face with an experienced friend or instructor - but there are also some generalisms that are worth mentioning even without having seen it happening... (I'll refrain in this case from going technical stuff about path of accleration, tip deflection, application of power, etc)

Try this:

Make sure the rod tip "ducks" under the line coming over the top at the end of your forward cast.

In other words, as you come to the stop, make sure to turn the wrist so that the rod tip tucks just below and thus out of the way of the line flying overhead toward the target.

Not too far downward or it will open up your loop. If you practice this you'll find the right amount, just a bit will do it.

Try that first and we'll go from there.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks juro. I just read the same advice in Lefty Kreh's book "Advanced Fly Casting" from the library. The Elements of the Cast section of this book explain things quite well. I also have "The Cast" on order from Amazon. I don't mind getting to the technical side of casting - I'm an engineer. :)

Anyway, I'll try this when I get home tonight.

Bob
 
#6 ·
Well, it went quite well using this approach. I only had a tailing loop a couple times in my practice yesterday. I think the main thing that helped was in doing a better back cast. I followed Lefty Kreh's approach and concentrated on bringing my casting hand back in a straight line at an upward angle. I was able to get much better loading of the rod before the forward cast, and the forward cast seemed much easier to do without a tailing loop.
 
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