What the Body Does: Fly Casting, Biomechanics and Sensory Motor Learning

[Paul Arden]

Incidentally I thought I had the longest carry but watching Mikel Blomberg carry 100ft of Redfish in Cumbria last year I realised its possible to carry more. What impressed me the most however was not his running in socks technique, but his perfect tracking.

The 5Es are a matchstick construction like meccano, great for teaching and instructors, a sort of filter you can apply over the cast. The lightbulb moment for many is the variable arc. But I think they are often taken far too literally. Certainly I don’t build a casting stroke around them, instead a casting stroke should be built around fluidity and body motion.

I just don’t think biomechanics exists in flycasting outside of casting sport or those who both instruct and participate. The Masters IFF Distance is 85’. I can lay on my back and throw a tailing loop that goes further than this It’s only when you start pushing past 115-120’ that every little thing starts to become important.

In fact in the IFF masters they don’t want to see comp techniques! It’s outside the scope of the exam both for accuracy and obviously distance. That’s why you have to look at the casting sport teams. And while we are competitive we are all friends. There is very good cross sharing of information. I even share stuff with Lasse when he’s not being an arse

Cheers, Paul

[Merlin]

The bottle method (from Ritz, A flyfisher's life)

It is the only example I know of muscle training for fly casting. I use to practice the (B) case between 10 and 1 and not only between 6 and 9 as showed here. I never repeated that more than 10 times (and not 20 to 30 as written). I never filled the bottle with sand either.

The bottle showed here is specific to Alsace wines, I cannot tell if it exists in other countries outside Europe.

Merlin

[Graeme H]

I just don’t think biomechanics exists in flycasting outside of casting sport or those who both instruct and participate. The Masters IFF Distance is 85’. I can lay on my back and throw a tailing loop that goes further than this It’s only when you start pushing past 115-120’ that every little thing starts to become important.

And you don't think your good biomechanics allows you to make this cast on your back when a rank beginner has no hope of doing it?

I think good control of the body is vital to making a perfect cast at any distance. That's the very definition of the correct application of power. It's not only about distance casting, but control of every cast, from a gentle roll cast to a hauled single spey to an underpowered curve cast to a 120' distance cast.

Without mastery of the body's movements, mastery of the loop can't follow.

Cheers,
Graeme

PS: It's also at the heart of the 6 Step Method.

[Lasse Karlsson]

The best way to see if one applied the 5e's right, is to look at the products it makes, ie. the shape of the line after you've done your stuff. One of the reasons flycasting is so cool, we do something, and afterwards we get a direct result and everything can be traced back to what just was.

And I agree with Graeme, btw Paul, some of us can hit a target at 100 feet repeatedly with the wrong hand, laying on your back and only throwing 85 feet of a tail is not even in the game, me and Andy threw the MED5 over 100 on our backs back in 08 in scotland

The 85 in the FFI should be about how pretty and easy you can get there, but thanks to, I guess you, comp techniques have now been allowed.. You don't need those until you're carrying 85..thanks alot

And just to stir the pot, since you love that, the amount of comp casters with a crap short fishing cast seen to be growing, guess it's just evolution....

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

Hi Merlin, the best piece of advice I heard was from Lee about which muscles to train. After a weekend of casting work out which ones are sore and train them

My routine varies but bench press, chin ups, push-ups (if I don’t have a bench press), dead lifts, dumbbells are what I use when training. I’m getting much more serious about my fitness for next year, so I’m looking forward to that!

Cheers, Paul

Crossposted Lasse

Edit: I think they should play at accuracy too then!

[Paul Arden]

The 85 in the FFI should be about how pretty and easy you can get there, but thanks to, I guess you, comp techniques have now been allowed.. You don't need those until you're carrying 85..thanks alot

You’re welcome!

But come on, where do you place a “master”. For me it seems coaching the coaches of competitive fly casting clubs. That would really be a master.

And then the knowledge which does exist, would both filter down and advance! I’ve never understood this dumbing it down/ fear of advancement that exists in all these associations. If we’re not good enough then we get better! It’s progress. As instructors we have to always be open to learning and improving. Throughout our entire lives. Everything else is bullshit. And there is a lot of bullshit out there!!

Some day we will be the old fuckers. You first of course. But I will never be an old fucker who has stopped learning.

It’s a shame because now the development of flycasting has left the associations and moved to casting sport. That’s the natural progression. Why would we be contained by people who have stopped learning?

It’s a good subject however because it’s fractured and the information is not actually out there. I’ll collect it and get it out there. In fact it’s potentially an amazing resource.

Cheers, Paul