Surely an essential technique for river fly fishers.
I am right handed and manage pretty damned good aerial mends to my right, but I do struggle doing them to my left for some reason. This is a bummer as more times than not I seem to be fishing from the right hand bank.
Any tips or suggestions?
Cast over the left shoulder Fred the practice.....practice...............practice :D :D Oh on grass so you dont have finny distractions. Try these
http://washingtoncouncilfff.org/NWFCE2006DanishCastingGames.htm
I'm not so good on longer casts to the left either Fred. I can manage OK on a shorter line, but start struggling as the line gets longer. Need more practice on the left curves and was doing that today a wee bit when fishing.
Peter, I like the look of those casting games. Alberto was talking about something similar in the coming weeks at the Glasgow casting extravaganza
Alex
Quote from: haresear on September 26, 2009, 11:18:41 PM
Peter, I like the look of those casting games. Alberto was talking about something similar in the coming weeks at the Glasgow casting extravaganza
Alex
I doubt I could make any of the casts needed to even have a crack at any of the casting games but I wouldn't mind seeing it done...
Pete
That's the point pete, you use these as practice for real fishing situations. We've used them inside as well as outside. Inside you have to drop a couple - moon shoot for instance but most can be done indoors. with scoring you can get fun competitions or handicap comps. sometimes distance casters can struggle and those who fish wee burns can excel
The casting games look fun, but there's nothing about acquiring the basic techniques there.
The Glasgow Casting Club is a great thing, you guys are lucky to have something that functions for its own sake and actually happens regularly.
I agree with Peter that you need a place with no fish distractions, Magnus said exactly the same thing. After a good start our last forum casting day fizzled out after an hour or two because of such distractions and I never thought it worth organising another after that experience. The venue was not really suitable and finding a good, central place that suits everyone is not easy.
For learning these curvy techniques, Sexyloops as always is a mine of such information. http://www.sexyloops.com/carlos/sexycurves.shtml
Alex
Once the season is over we will see if we can organise an event on a sunday it would be a challenge. Meanwhile practice and practice some more. Do it on grass water has to many distractions. What I do is use a tape that is the only way of being sure of distance. (zoomers 90 ft XS turned out to be 80ft against a tape) Then position cones at approprate distances and practice eventually it comes. My left hand is also rubbish
Alberto
Quote from: Blanefishing on September 27, 2009, 05:49:24 PM
Once the season is over we will see if we can organise an event on a sunday it would be a challenge.
That would be really great.
Just to clarify - I'm not talking about casting with my left hand - what I struggle with is aerial mends to my left with my right hand - if that makes sense.
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That's my problem too Fred. Try it with a really short line and gradually extend the line as you get to grips with it. I hear those Mataura fish are really fussy :D
Alex
Quote from: haresear on September 27, 2009, 09:37:40 PM
I hear those Mataura fish are really fussy :D
As if I needed an incentive............................... :D
I asume thats your good self in the 'small streams' video Fred. If so try to cast a narrower arc then follow through and turn the rod as you do so. You seem to be folllowing through quite quickly and finishing your casting stroke late/low which doesn't give you time to cross your body and execute the mend.
Quote from: rabbitangler on September 27, 2009, 09:55:31 PM
I asume thats your good self in the 'small streams' video Fred.
It is indeed Peter, you'll have noticed that from the stunning good looks and excellent posture. :lol:
I have been working hard to correct that fault you quite rightly picked up on since I made that film and it's better now, although far from perfect. What puzzles me though is why I only have this aerial mend problem in one direction. :?
I think I have cracked this ? far from masterful, but getting there fast.
Being right handed it?s a simple matter to move the hand a little to the right and back or inscribe a semicircle. Dead easy, bigger the movement, bigger the loop in the mend, sooner it is applied during the forward stroke the further up the line the mend occurs, width controlled by the period of the ?? cycle?.
Being right handed, to produce a left mend requires the rod to cross the body as well as add the amount of mend required. The overall movement is much greater.
Sounds obvious and it is, but that?s easy to say AFTER you realise it. Concentrating on the cast, the mend AND trying to analyse what the hell is going on all at the same time as freezing your nuts off in the Scottish perma-gale is not so straightforward.
A video camera would have helped. :D
Quote from: Alan on October 01, 2009, 10:53:48 PM
you got me puzzled with the bigger movement to the left
The target in the centre of vision -that is the target is in line with my nose, not my right shoulder, so the forward cast is always at an angle unless I bring the rod round and align the rod / casting stroke with my nose. It's not like pure distance casting.
That's my theory anyway..................... :D
Alan,
remember ............
casting angle = (distance shoulder to nose / distance to target) tan?1
........... and you'll never go wrong. :biglaugh;
Oh aye, and before I forget: as your cast length tends towards infinity the angle will get as close to zero as makes nae difference. :D
Quote from: Alan on October 02, 2009, 07:21:37 PM
cant figure why a movement to the left would be any differnet from a movement to the right other than the muscles not doing what the brain thinks they are
That's fair comment. I need to observe more closely and try to analyse what's happening. All I know right now is it works. :D
Quote from: Alan on October 02, 2009, 07:53:33 PM
good lets bin that one before you try to calculate how much line you can shoot into the mend at a given angle :lol:
now let's see..................... :think2
:D
Firstly, until about 5 weeks ago my curve casting was always done with the rod parallel to the ground and either overpowering or underpowering the cast to create a curve.
Hares Ear (Alex) showed me the technique of curving the cast to the right with the rod vertical. However, I've practised this now and am happy with the results, curving to left and right off either a roll (easy) or overhead (much more difficult) cast. I think I've now figured out why the left curve is more difficult ....... but without going into that, the problem disappears if you hold the rod with the hand 90 deg anti clockwise (assuming you are a "thumb on top" caster) and then do the cast - it feels much more natural. Worth a try at least - it works for me.
Long casts are difficult with curves but I don't have the opportunity to practice as a long cast on my river is about 18 yards.
[quotethe problem disappears if you hold the rod with the hand 90 deg anti clockwise (assuming you are a "thumb on top" caster) and then do the cast ][/quote]
Do you mean with the reel face upwards Malcolm? In other words, with the knuckles pointing left?
Alex
Have any of you guys tried integrating to get the area under the curve? I?m not sure what good it would do but I'll wager it would earn you some serious kudos on sexyloops. :D
Quote from: admin on October 03, 2009, 06:45:10 PM
Have any of you guys tried integrating to get the area under the curve? I?m not sure what good it would do but I'll wager it would earn you some serious kudos on sexyloops. :D
Help, I need an interpreter :?
Alex
Alex,
You may remember you tried out this grip and it seemed to improve your back cast? I remember you said that although you were casting very well it felt very unnatural - that's the grip! In other words cast with the palm facing away from your body rather than at right angles.
Fred,
It's fairly straightforward: the ideal curves for most purposes are y=root(x-1.5) and y=root(x+1.5) - remember to integrate vertically rather than horizontally, if you think of x=f(y) then the problem disappears. Hope this helps :)
Quote from: Malcolm on October 03, 2009, 08:25:14 PM
- remember to integrate vertically rather than horizontally
Yes, that should always kept in mind; unless you are performing a double inverse horizontal snake roll of course. :D
Quote from: Alan on October 03, 2009, 09:17:40 PM
you lot need to get out more :lol:
I think it may be something to do with the use of grass during casting practice. :D
Practice is a great thing. I can now do this without thinking about it. Maybe if I think about it I'll get more accurate, but equally it might all go tits up. I'm not saying I'm suddenly Mel Krieger, but I am getting there. I put it down to using lots of grass. :D
Quote from: Alan on October 06, 2009, 09:58:37 PM
understanding it lets you do anything, practice just confirms it.
"Once you know the why, the how is just a matter of practice." - Jason Borger's dad if i remember right :8)
Quote from: Alan on October 10, 2009, 05:19:38 PM
quite so, on the subject of aerial mends the upcoming casting competition looks to be a bit of an event, it strikes me that the tasks are about line control at various distances and dont know why this is not done more often, the tasks are more suited to river fishers with presentation(to the laminated troot) the aim, proper fishing skills.
Aerial mends are soooo hard with the left hand. Out on the Kelvin on monday, i was finding it very difficult getting my line where i wanted it across the current. Going by the way my hand is healing i'll be able to hold a rod very soon! It doesn't need to be able to move to hold the rod :lol: Just not be sore!
Quotefly-casting on grass is mental
Never heard of grass carp? :)
Alex
Quote from: Alan on October 12, 2009, 02:08:07 PM
can you smoke grass carp? im asking before fred does :lol:
Don't know, but I've smoked crap grass :)
Alex
I've put it on my birdtable as I don't like to leave terns unstoned.