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The next generation

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Paul Arden
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The next generation

#1

Post by Paul Arden »

It’s something that no end surprises me that at the prime age of almost 50 that I can throw further than ever before. Do we get better with age like fine wine? No of course not, or maybe? Fishing yes of course! But not casting!

So why is it then? Well I think it’s because we had to figure it out, together, and without a coach who has been there before. And you can see that when you teach youngsters nowadays who within two years throw what took us ten years to learn. Of course we are still “figuring it out” which is why we are constantly getting better.

But how would it be if we knew the techniques now with being 20 yrs old? What is the prime age to be a fly caster? Late 20s? I know that I lift weights and do triathlon and still bust my guts out physically because, after all, I’m a fly casting athlete! But physically 35 is over the hill in many sports - javelin being a close example.

Ultimately when we have stopped trying to outcast each other - which of course will never happen :p - so in addition; it will be interesting to try to out-coach each other. :D

I don’t think there is much more distance in it. But I could be off-base here. I believe we have hit the limitations of the physics involved. Certainly measuring to half metre with 6m wind variations makes records pretty much meaningless to anyone who knows the sport.

But it’s interesting not least of all because perhaps technical skill does appear to be critical and I have never once felt out-classed by physique.

I’m sure we will all be “over the hill” at some point but I wonder if it’s more of a mountain than a hill or if it’s that the guides are still being formed?



The third and final possibility of course is that we will become known as the fly casting gods. Distances that will never again be repeated. A bit like the Pyramids, thousands of years from now, they will be sifting through Board snippets trying to comprehend such terms as “Late Butt Rotation”. They will be throwing 5WT lines 105ft tops and say we must have been aliens from another planet to throw 130’ and more...

It’s all good!

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

Flycasting Definitions
Thomas
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Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 3:24 am
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Re: The next generation

#2

Post by Thomas »

Hi Paul,

Now, I don´t compete in flycasting but I find it very unlikely that the limits have been reached. The reason for this is simple - we have not yet seen what good and consistent training from early age would accomplish. I have a couple of friends that compete in flycasting and as far as I can figure out, almost everybody have started their training in their twenties or thirties. In all other sports and similar physical activities this is far far too late if you want to reach really good results. In many cases you have to start at a really early age. And you have to practice a lot under the guidance of great teachers. There is, as far as I know, only one flycaster in the world which has been trained in this way - Maxine Mccormick - and she has wiped the floor with every other woman and a lot of men as well AS A CHILD. That tells you a lot about Maxines talent of course. But it also tells you a lot about the general level of skill in flycasting. There is simply room for a lot of improvment.

Let me give you an example to think about. My fiance stared to train ballet at the age of 5. She then trained consistently under the guidance of great teachers until she was about 23. This kind of training is absolutely neccessary for anybody who want to be reasonably good classical dancer. Now, what would a flycaster be able to do (cast) if he/she had been trained in a similar way? If he/she was reasonably talented he/she would wipe the floor with every flycaster today.

Cheers

Thomas
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Paul Arden
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Re: The next generation

#3

Post by Paul Arden »

I can see that viewpoint Thomas, and something I also think could be true. I’m just surprised we haven’t seen it yet. But the problem is that there are not many youngsters coming in.

Where I think the limitations may we’ll be is the tackle. Personally I would prefer the rod stiffness was fixed too but that’s another issue. We have line which has a 68’(?) head. Right there is a restriction. Yes you can play with overhang, loop tightness, trajectory and of course speed.

Is it suddenly going to go further? It used to be the case when I was throwing 110-115’, that 120+ would happen, so I knew there was more. And I think around 135’ at sea level, no wind - and I mean no wind! - might just be the physical boundaries of an unrolling loop of this head length.

Unfortunately this sort of casting sport didn’t exist when we were kids ourselves. And I had no coaching from the ages of 10-25 and just copied what I saw on the reservoirs around me. But I would have thought that 25-35 would be the optimal age.

It was a shame that some of the younger Swedes gave up when they did because I would probably know the answer now :D

Incidentally if the head length wasn’t restricted then I would argue that there is more and we would ultimately be outclassed.

Hopefully time will tell. There is Maxine as well as youngsters coming through from some of the European countries. Yes Maxine is very gifted.

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

Flycasting Definitions
Torsten
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:34 pm
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Re: The next generation

#4

Post by Torsten »

I think Casting Sport is different than other sports, you can be still very competitive at 50. E.g. the Olaf Ebeling from our national team is over 60 and won last year silver at the WC / fly distance DHD T120, I've seen him here once casting over 90m. I don't know if you have really that much advantages as youngster, because many have started casting already at an age of 10 or even younger. That's on the other hand exactly the problem, the youngsters get discouraged, because it's pretty hard to beat the older guys of the national team. I've seen several given up casting when they got older than 20.
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