Casting - A couple of surprises

[Malcolm]

A week ago I was out testing a few rods at Loch Ardinning. As usual things drifted along and after awhile I mentioned that I was surprised at how long my very light 12ft double handed rod cast as a single hander this rod is quite old and is a genuine 7/8 weight unlike modern 7/8 weights which are really about 11 weights. So we tested it out against my 10ft Loomis Trilogy and a Bloke 9ft 8 weight. All with 8 weight lines - the result was a surprise: all 3 of us cast further, much further, with the 12footer than with either of the "casting sticks". I put the reason down to backcast where the long double handle allowed us to brace the rod against the forearm. I also know from using the rod this year as a single hander that it is less tiring as a single hander than the 10 ft Loomis. I post this observation as "Hopper" is shortly going to be using a rod with a long handle and I think it will make a fair difference to fatigue over a day.

Second thing I tried while out was something Alan said to me 2 or 3 months ago. I put a 3 weight line through a 6 weight rod. Rubbish at roll casting and with large flies as you'd expect. However if you are using small flies and have to cast in tight places with and overhead cast it really is quite amazing and the line control is exceptional, evrything is exaggerated. Curves and mends are much bigger. Well worth trying. 

[bibio1]

If the rod was made by a well known Borders rod maker then no wonder it won hands down. The quality and performance are faultless.

Cheers

Paul

[willie]

Maybe its the longer rod thats giving more distance

[Kelvin]

Does anyone fish for the Pike on the fly at Loch Ardinning? just thought it may be a good place for winter sport and casting practise for me until I get a season ticket next year on the Kelvin and a club water near Strathaven Ive been told about which only holds wild broons. It looks like the Pike fishing on there is free, is that right?
Cheers, sorry for all the ?

[Malcolm]

If the rod was made by a well known Borders rod maker then no wonder it won hands down. The quality and performance are faultless.

Cheers

Paul

It was indeed but it's not for me I can't cast short double handers very well at all at least not as double handers - I cast with them single handed which is hardly the point. I can't figure it out - once a rod reaches about 16ft I'm fine.

Does anyone fish for the Pike on the fly at Loch Ardinning? just thought it may be a good place for winter sport and casting practise for me until I get a season ticket next year on the Kelvin and a club water near Strathaven Ive been told about which only holds wild broons. It looks like the Pike fishing on there is free, is that right?
Cheers, sorry for all the ?

Very few people fish for pike there but they are there. Haven't seen a decent one though. I did some casting practice there a couple of winters ago and it's fine for casting practice. It's owned I believe by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. 

[Kelvin]

That rules out the Kype and Glengavel reservoirs then  :lol:

Davy.

Oops,  had heard the Glengavel was a wild brown trout reservoir. Take it thats not so Davy. Please feel free to pm me any wild brown trout lochs or reservoirs I could get a ticket for next year :lol:

Mark

[Kelvin]

Very few people fish for pike there but they are there. Haven't seen a decent one though. I did some casting practice there a couple of winters ago and it's fine for casting practice. It's owned I believe by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
[/quote]

Cheers Malcolm, it was more the casting practise I had in mind. At least there is no toy boats.

[fergie]

Theres certainly pike and perch in the loch .A guy from Milngavie used to fish it a lot with a inflatable dingy I never heard if he had big fish from it but he did fish it a lot so maybe. Anyone know the story behind the old boathouse ? was this a trout loch at one time  :? ?

[Kelvin]

Theres certainly pike and perch in the loch .A guy from Milngavie used to fish it a lot with a inflatable dingy I never heard if he had big fish from it but he did fish it a lot so maybe. Anyone know the story behind the old boathouse ? was this a trout loch at one time  :? ?

I just copyed and pasted this from the SWT website.

w6. BASE OF OLD CURLING HUT
Being shallow and at an altitude of approx. 132m (436 ft.)
above sea level Loch Ardinning regularly freezes over in winter
and it used to be popular for curling. This flat area is the base
of a rough-cast brick hut used for storing curling stones.ebsite.

Anybody do any curling

[fergie]

Thats that mystery cleared up.