Thinking about casting…

Andros South is in… 21 days (until I leave, 22 until I get there) and I’m starting to think about getting that new Rise 8 wt. out on the grass field at the local school.  It is occurring to me that I need a little bit of stick time before I am presented with my first cruising bonefish or 2011.

Hey buddy, I'm not going to go cast myself, ya know!

I found this bit on the Deneki site from Bruce Chard about casting in the wind.  Thought it was worth reading again (as I’m pretty sure I posted this when it first went up back in 2009.

Here is a little except from a piece I wrote about my Grand Slam down at El Pescador.  It highlights a couple of really, really bad casts I put out after some bonefish…

As I stood on the deck, thinking back just a few minutes to me botching a good permit shot, the guide spotted two bonefish cruising the mangroves. I was very conscience that I had a 10 weight in my hand and I was thinking that the presentation would be too heavy. It is a dangerous thing, thinking. I made the first cast to the bones and tried to ease up on the power so the line wouldn’t smack on the water. Totally underpowered, the cast landed in a heap. I cast again, but my head was too much in the game and the result was the same.

My friend Shane, who is a certified casting instructor, couldn’t hold his tongue. “Those are the two worst casts I’ve ever seen you make.” he said. It was pure truth. Those casts were just horrible. I couldn’t help but give a little laugh at the ridiculousness of the casting and the degree to which I could rain on my own parade. It was also glad that Shane had just shown that he wouldn’t hold back the truth and when you are out there to learn, you need the truth.

Yeah… maybe I should get out sooner rather than later to chip off the rust.

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9 comments

  1. It’s just like riding a bicycle.

  2. bonefishbjorn

    I tried to get out to the part today to do some casting, but my daughter had a meltdown that had us turn around and head back home… no park for whiners!

  3. Finally… got out on the field… the Rise 8 wt. felt really good. That’s what I needed…

  4. Dude, check this out: http://vimeo.com/20309677. I know, I know, that’s me on there, but forget that for a moment and watch. If one simply stays connected to the flyline then casting in the wind becomes MUCH easier.

  5. Ya know, I had that running through my mind as I was out there on the grass today. I like that vid.

  6. Also, I don’t catagorically agree with most of the stuff Mr. Chard says on this matter. Not to take anything away from him as an instructor, but these pieces of advice are good up to a point, and that point is that they require a person to do an awful lot of thinking while casting at a fish (the very site of which has just shut down most of their brain… at least the part in touch with their arms and legs). On the other hand, staying in touch with the flyline is a matter of FEEL, and you don’t have to think at all.

    For example, if I keep my line tight I can certainly shoot line into the wind (and not because I’m such an amazing caster… all of my angling buddies constantly put me to shame there), it’s simply a matter of pulling the line to the target rather than trying to throw it there.

    Tight loops are great, but certainly not essential. They are nothing more than a visual cue that your final acceleration and stop were performed over a short distance. This does provide a smooth transfer of energy to the flyline, but you can cast just as far without a tight loop… so long as there’s no slack in the line. If you cast the typical way–10-2–then tight loops are your friend. But 10-2 usually means that at the end of each backcast and forward cast you’ve got to actually “catch” the flyline before it starts to fall. This requires timing or watching your cast or exquisite feel for that little tug on the end of your cast… all of which are tough to learn. However, casting around a curve with a looong haul allows you to feel the line all the time so you never have to catch it again.

    Finally, I completely agree with the low and to the side thing… except for the final cast into the wind. I believe that should be aimed down and the rod should stop pointing at 9 o’clock. Presenting like this means the line will be in the water before the wind can grab it. If you go low and to the side, the tendency is to drive the cast very slightly upward which allows the wind to take control of it.

  7. Some good advice there.

  8. going to try out the rise 7wt on some belize bonefish next week!

  9. Nice. I’ll be bringing my Rise 8 to Andros. Good rod, me thinks.

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