line kick

[DARKSCOPE001]

Hello all. I recently put a new line on my 7wt for seeking bass and wanted to get back into fly fishing in a hobby.

I went outside my house and made a few practice casts and was using a small piece of yarn.

Went out yesterday and completely forgot my box of bass poppers and clousers at home. So I got to the river and tied on the biggest blue gill popper I had on me. I was using a RIO 10lb test 7.5ft leader. and started casting.

Every cast when the line would unravel when the fly reached the end and the leader straightened out the line would kick violently and make an L shape with the last few feet of the fly line and not make a night straight cast.

Today I went out and tried to practice again and was using small strike indicators and was still getting the same violent kick. I was only able to get a few casts that would result in the line straightening out into a nice cast. but generally there was such a fine line between underpowered to much and just enough.

So I have to ask what is it im doing wrong? is my leader to stout for what I was casting? do I need to step it down. is a 7wt to heavy for practicing with small strike indicators, and small popers? or is it a technique that needs to be mastered? it just seems like there is to much of a fine line between to much and not enough. Also every once in a while i was getting a small trailing loop on my back cast.

If anyone has a good idea that would be great.

Thanks
Sean Scott

[bonefishdick]

I may be wrong but it could be just a case of to much line speed combined with the weight of the popper that when line turns over it hinges at the end causes he "L"

Try slowing down the cast to allow the line to turn over and just drop. I would think that if you make the same cast without the popper and the line turns over and then bounces straight back rather than forming the "L" at the end it is a case of to much speed or power on the forward stroke.

[fredaevans]

Originally Posted by bonefishdick

I may be wrong but it could be just a case of to much line speed combined with the weight of the popper that when line turns over it hinges at the end causes he "L"

Try slowing down the cast to allow the line to turn over and just drop. I would think that if you make the same cast without the popper and the line turns over and then bounces straight back rather than forming the "L" at the end it is a case of to much speed or power on the forward stroke.

+1 here. You'll get the same effect with a 2-hander if the fly is too large for the line/leader to which it's attached.

fae

[Greg H]

There have been a lot of questions like this here and on other boards I visit. I agree, the short answer is 'Too much oomph' in the cast. Relax a little and let the rod sling the line out.
It just struck me the other day - near the beginning of the movie RRThoughIt, the father is teaching the boys to write. They hand in their work and he replies, "Good, now half as many words". So it is with casting, "Good, now with half the energy" ... just make a firm stop.