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becoming a good fly caster

Moderators: Paul Arden, Bernd Ziesche, Lasse Karlsson

Stoatstail50
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becoming a good fly caster

#31

Post by Stoatstail50 »

I have caught falling bird shit on pure unconscious reaction
Jeeze man...
Casting Definitions

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
Snake Pliskin
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becoming a good fly caster

#32

Post by Snake Pliskin »

I know. Ninja.
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VGB
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becoming a good fly caster

#33

Post by VGB »

Can't walk on rice paper though, got flat feet
Casting instruction - making simple things complicated since 1765

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Bernd Ziesche
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becoming a good fly caster

#34

Post by Bernd Ziesche »

VGB wrote: I had a lesson when I started fishing and then fished for 10 years
VGB wrote: I believe I can train these out of myself but it is slow going.
Hi Vince,
fishing for ten years without having a serious focus on learning the details of fly casting easily may lead to a strong muscle memory including those movements which may cause some trouble like your tails. Even when understanding the causes it may take extra will (time) to change/optimize those movements though.

What makes me think:
VGB wrote: I believe there are 2 reasons why I tail, creeping and hitting the cast hard from the outset
Do you believe to understand those two reasons or are they the two causes for your trouble? :cool:
That is exactly the point at which I think the good teacher comes into play and can help you to step up the latter much faster. The first step in solving a problem of course is in recognizing there is one. The second step is in understanding the cause. The third step is in having a solution/correction and then in step 4 we need good and regular practise.

I have seen a lot of people failing in step 2 and 3 (myself included more than once!).
Seems to me like step 2 often is the most difficult one. But once we have made it, it becomes the easiest one within seconds.

Hi Will,
nice diagram. I like it!
Matches well with my experience.
Thanks for sharing.
Greets
Bernd
http://www.first-cast.de
The first cast is always the best cast.
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VGB
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becoming a good fly caster

#35

Post by VGB »

Hi Bernd

The creep and power application is what I was doing in a lesson last year and have some video of me doing it. I was given some exercises to to do, particularly the PUALD that seemed to cure it. However, I did not practice last month because of a muscle tear and now the tail is back. So I think your locked in muscle memory idea is probably correct and perhaps I should wind the clock back to the earlier exercises until I have everything running smooth again.

How do those of you who have been doing this for years structure your practise? Mine often seems aimless and I often degenerate into seeing what I can do with a rod/line combination rather than having a particular aim.

regards

Vince
Casting instruction - making simple things complicated since 1765

https://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/ ... f-coaching
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Will
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becoming a good fly caster

#36

Post by Will »

VGB wrote:perhaps I should wind the clock back to the earlier exercises until I have everything running smooth again.
Really good plan Vince.

In structuring practise it's a great idea to start with the basics and slowly build up. It's never brilliant to just dive in straight away on new skills or pushing boundaries.

So ideally, if I was practising say distance it'd go something like:
1) Warm-up/stretch exercises (5 mins)
2) Simple PUALDs (couple mins)
3) Simple unhauled false casts with 30 ft of fly line (couple mins)
4) Hauled casts with 40-50ft of line out of the tip (5 mins)
5) Extending line - gradually to max carry.
6) Couple of goes at shooting to max distance
7) Loosen up with some unhauled false casting or cheeky curves/mends as a break. Do some stretches.
back to (4) to (7) until I've had enough.
8) Warm down with some smooth false casting for a few minutes and some stretches.

Key things are:

- Use a tape and try to keep casts straight
- Don't move on up the progression until you're happy with your loops (nice and smooth, straight, minimum effort etc.). Be picky.
- If at any point in the progression it's not working, STOP, go back a step to where it was working and think about what it is that's different and that may be causing the problem. Don't just keep battering away at something that's not going well. If you can't sort it have a break, ideally talk to someone about it and get advice.
- Don't overdo it. Two hours intensive practise can be hard - I'd go for a minimum of half an hour and a max of 1.5 hrs. (I find this hard to stick to though and it causes me pain!)

As I say, this is an ideal. I don't always take my own advice though. :blush:

W.
Lineslinger
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"The only advice it is necessary to give the angler… is to avoid any approach to foppery, as trout have the most thorough contempt for a fop…”
WC Stewart
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VGB
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becoming a good fly caster

#37

Post by VGB »

Thanks Will, that's excellent. I've been using the white lines and the posts on a rugby pitch for the reference points but the bar stewards are going to put affordable housing on it :evil: Warm up/downs is something that was not taught to my generation and I'm paying for it now.

regards

Vince
Casting instruction - making simple things complicated since 1765

https://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/ ... f-coaching
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Marc Fauvet
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becoming a good fly caster

#38

Post by Marc Fauvet »

woW, for the first time ever i have to disagree with Will. if you hurt yourself last month the last thing you should do now is work on distance. (otherwise, it's all good stuff. save it for later :D )

read this http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/adjus ... efly.shtml print it and bring it to the field.
best drill there is :)

cheers,
marc
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VGB
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becoming a good fly caster

#39

Post by VGB »

Thanks Marc, that is a seriously good read.
Casting instruction - making simple things complicated since 1765

https://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/ ... f-coaching
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Will
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becoming a good fly caster

#40

Post by Will »

Yep, Marc's right (damn it!) :D :blush:

I should have been clear that I was only using distance practise as an example of a progressive session. If you're in pain the best thing is to get professional medical advice, rest, recover, and start back slow.

But hopefully you get the idea that this progressive format for training can be applied to any training goal, be it speys, rolls, curves or even distance.

Cheers

Will
Lineslinger
Barrio Pro-team
SGAIC
AAPGAI

"The only advice it is necessary to give the angler… is to avoid any approach to foppery, as trout have the most thorough contempt for a fop…”
WC Stewart
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