Backhanded Cast

I saw this post over at Deneki about backhanded casting.  I agree.  It is a great skill to have. I wouldn’t have gotten my Grand Slam in Belize if I didn’t have a backhanded cast.

One thing I noticed in South Andros was that my backhand cast is actually better looking than my forward cast.  The loop is tighter and seems to lay out flatter.  I don’t really know why, but my backhand cast is a thing of real beauty.  I’ve been trying to figure out why and trying to make my forward cast more like it, but I haven’t cracked that code just yet.

Anyone have that answer?

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7 comments

  1. let me know when you do, I have a similar issue.

  2. I can tell you one reason it MAY be the case. First, I’m no great caster myself, but I have studied the craft for a while and (like coaches who can’t actually play that well themselves) I have noticed a few things. So here goes:

    1st, it depends on whether you’re hauling or not. Based on your facebook pic up there I’m guessing you do haul. Ok, then it’s simple: your hauling hand is not moving as far or as fast on your forward cast as on your backcast. Remember, work is the energy of a force applied over a distance. So, (as I understand it) the longer the distance or the more force the greater the energy, or something.

    What I DO know is that if I make a longer haul I bend the rod more, just as much as if I make a shorter, faster haul. So, if I want my fore-cast to look like my back-cast, I have to be sure and make the same haul for my forward cast (all other aspects being equal: e.g. casting stroke, etc). If I want my forward cast to be better, then I have to haul faster and farther.

    My thoughts at this moment.

  3. Definitely find the same thing…always just assumed that since I’m looking at the loop before I shoot I end up doing a better job with timing and loading the rod

  4. Davin, that’s some good guesswork there and you may be on to something. It is an odd thing. I certainly notice that my casting stroke is different on the backhand cast, but I have a hard time replicating it. My stroke seems more open, which would make me think the loop would be more open, but it doesn’t work that way… it unrolls like wrapping paper.

  5. I maintain that the relative openness or closeness of a stroke does not necessarily dictate the effectiveness of the cast, nor the beauty of it. I feel it’s more a function of maintaining tension in the flyline. When you’re coming back you’re probably pulling more on the flyline (more tension) and probably stopping more suddenly (more energy). Either way, good on ya.

    This is something you see a lot with those old time Bahamian guides who throw a big loop but can blast it out there and land it on a dime in half a gale. In effect I believe they are pulling the line fly line out there, instead of throwing it.

  6. It is a funny thing, that back cast. I’ve spent hours trying to get my forward cast to resemble that back cast and I’ve largely been unable to pull it off. I need to video tape it to really see what is happening instead of what I think is happening.

  7. Had a similar issue a while ago and was given a tip that really has upped my casting game. Turned out I had massive grip failiure and the fix was to concentrate on griping the rod with the thumb and middle and index finger rather than my whole hand through out the whole cast if that makes sense. Critically this includes up to and including the final forward shoot where I sometimes have a tendency to try and over power in the heat of battle. It really has added flat pointyness and satisfying controlled power to my cast. I haven’t fully figured why yet, think it may be something to do with ensuring the plane of the rod tip finishes where it should but as soon as my concentration starts to wane and the tails start creeping in I concentrate on that and bam it comes back together. Realise that this may not be the issue for you but this little trick has fixed my cast to a huge degree. It feels a bit unnatural at first but Ive adapted it over about a year and it feels comfortable now even in real life fishing situations.

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