PLEASE NOTE: In order to post on the Board you need to have registered. To register please email paul@sexyloops.com including your real name and username. Registration takes less than 24hrs, unless Paul is fishing deep in the jungle!

Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

Moderators: Paul Arden, stesiik

Phil Blackmar
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:57 am
Answers: 0
Location: Corpus Christi, TX USA
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#151

Post by Phil Blackmar »

Hi Paul-

From Oct 24 you said "Second is your backcast looks to be tilted over the side? While that’s often useful it’s also important to be able to throw directly over the rod tip, both back and forwards. This is far more efficient. I would recommend working on that and if you need to tilt the casting plane while fishing then do so then!"

Prior to Sexyloops, I was a side armer. For the past 3 weeks I have worked diligently on throwing a 12/6 loop with good alignment and tracking. I have succeeded and I love it. I am even starting to get pretty accurate and really like how it feels

Today I went fishing for redfish. I had a few shots early with no wind in 14" of water and I had chosen a 5 wt. I was really bummed, when armed with excitement to put my new over the top accuracy to the test, to see fish bolting from the sight of my line still in the air and prior to anything touching the water.

Looks like I have to go back to sidearm for fishing....LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Cheers
Phil
Mangrove Cuckoo
Posts: 1038
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:51 am
Answers: 0

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#152

Post by Mangrove Cuckoo »

Phil,

It is quite possible to cast low side-arm, but still keep the loop legs vertical. It really is not that hard... its not the rod angle,its the tip path. You can even throw an underslung loop where the legs are inverted.

Snook in shallow water are even tougher than reds, a snook has its eyes on top of its head and spooks even easier from movement in the air.

Learn this and you will catch many more fish in the shallows.
With appreciation and apologies to Ray Charles…

“If it wasn’t for AI, we wouldn’t have no I at all.”
User avatar
Paul Arden
Site Admin
Posts: 19528
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:20 am
Answers: 2
Location: Belum Rainforest
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#153

Post by Paul Arden »

Absolutely. Virtually all close range shots require a side cast. I’m always surprised when anglers on the front of the boat don’t crouch when a close shot looks like presenting itself. There are certainly many times when the loop needs to come in low.

Here for example!
77366FE4-7B4E-444F-B36A-5F0397BA6E72.jpeg
I suppose a good analogy would be that when you practise your golf swing you don’t always play the ball in the rough :)

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

Flycasting Definitions
Phil Blackmar
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:57 am
Answers: 0
Location: Corpus Christi, TX USA
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#154

Post by Phil Blackmar »

Hi Paul-

My note was my attempt to sarcastic humor. You have helped me tremendously with my casting, so much in fact, that I now love throwing for accuracy over the top, quite the change of face for me....Thank you so much.

With that said , here are a couple casts from 75-80 ft with a 9 wt.



This is my sidearm cast with the fly turning over 12/6.

This one is just for fun. It is an underhanded loop where the fly kick upwards and lands softly at the last minute. It is also from the same range with the same rod



Anyone who throws a fly rod every single day for 4 months has to be a bit wacky in the head, I suppose. I am looking in the mirror when I say that for it is me I am describing.....I think there is a scientific malady associated with such behavior.

:) :) :) :) :) :)

Have a good night, all the best.

Phil
Phil Blackmar
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:57 am
Answers: 0
Location: Corpus Christi, TX USA
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#155

Post by Phil Blackmar »

BTW

Those Snakehead look like a blast....Fun game
Phil Blackmar
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:57 am
Answers: 0
Location: Corpus Christi, TX USA
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#156

Post by Phil Blackmar »

Sorry Paul, the second video appears to be the same as the first....here is the intended second one

User avatar
Paul Arden
Site Admin
Posts: 19528
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:20 am
Answers: 2
Location: Belum Rainforest
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#157

Post by Paul Arden »

Ha! Sorry yes I know. Actually it’s a good point however because many ask why distance when the fish are close? Why straight line casts when you need slack? Why over the tip when your crab might break the rod? And so on :D

4 months casting sounds perfectly normal to me, Phil :D Hardly a day goes past when I’m not casting - or fishing for that matter. Snakehead have been hard recently but I think it’s all about to happen. And just in time as well :) I lost a really nice fish just after that spat the fly. Next week we are filming for an Asian TV show so I’m really hoping for some nice fish to the boat. On the flip side it means I’m not chasing them hard these last days.

I’m also expected to catch a Gourami. Now there’s a challenge!! It’s one thing to catch a Snakehead on demand. Quite another to boat a Gourami. Sometimes I don’t see one all week :D

Videos look good. That’s a very similar force application to how I use to bend the line. What is your typical practise session format?

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

Flycasting Definitions
Phil Blackmar
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:57 am
Answers: 0
Location: Corpus Christi, TX USA
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#158

Post by Phil Blackmar »

For a while it was simply working on alignment and throwing 12/6 then it discovered if I put my rod hand virtually on top of my shoulder with the reel in the same plane as the target and rod that I can be extremely accurate. I also discovered when throwing with no weight for a fly, in the wind, I had a hard time with the wind blowing my layout off line. So I started bringing the top line on a downward angle so the loop looks like a big V all the way back to the rod. I could then aim the V short of the target on the ground and drive the fly thru the wind to the bucket. Then for a softer presentation, ie fishing, I would lower the top line to more parallel with the bottom line and the layout is softer.

My practice sessions always start with this type of work. 20 minutes to an hour. In order to do this well, I had to improve my back cast in an upright plane. That took some work. I finally figured it out I was doing too much with the rod hand and not enough with the haul. I took some wrist out, delayed my haul and went to a slightly slower but longer haul which narrowed my loop and straightened the top line so the backcast layout was better. (critical to throwing down wind like you often do here).

That means a big part of my sessions always include backcast work whether for accuracy or distance. But, I can't resist the distance thing either, so I will always revert back to some distance casting. I am really intrigued with a distance cast where I put my rod hand on my shoulder and raise my elbow to the horizon while I tilt back. Then I start forward with my legs and body to get the feel of the pull of the line straightening out and moving. Then my elbow starts down and my hand starts forward. I'm still working on the left leg brace/ wrist/hand squeeze/haul timing. My backcast with 80-85 feet of line is still a little inconsistent and this hampers my forward cast work.

As I get tired, I go back to accuracy then back to distance etc. IMO, Accuracy gets me tracking better which is paramount for any cast. Next comes backcast because you can't make a good forward cast if you can't throw back. So my sessions take on this sort of appearance.

One other note, sight fishing visibility is best to the north and west here with our sun. Most of our wind is from the SE. A good layout on the backcast is critical because nothing sucks more than starting forward and feeling only slack.....
Phil Blackmar
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2020 4:57 am
Answers: 0
Location: Corpus Christi, TX USA
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#159

Post by Phil Blackmar »

Paul, on another note-

You have been very generous with your time in helping me. Should you make you way back to Texas, I would be my pleasure to put you up at my home, pole you around looking for fish and/or spend some time on my houseboat....I'm very experience with the working end of a push pole.

Cheers
Phil
User avatar
Paul Arden
Site Admin
Posts: 19528
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:20 am
Answers: 2
Location: Belum Rainforest
Contact:

Re: Tracking ... tracking ... tracking

#160

Post by Paul Arden »

Thanks Phil, we will certainly meet sometime!

Something I find very important if you have a strong tailwind is to make the first backcast a side cast. Trying to throw from low front to low back with vertical rod/loop planes is physically impossible. After the first backcast has been thrown low and off the side, then everything can be moved to the vertical.

There does seem to be rather a lot of people casting with the wind nowadays :D Me personally I’m not impressed with anything that is wind assisted. I feel like I’m in a minority here but that’s not going to change. That’s just a case of who has the biggest wind :laugh:

Structured training sessions become quite important. I divide casting practise into four disciplines - Accuracy, Distance, Speys and Presentation casts.

With Distance for example I’ll work on the cast from the ground up. Weight shift, tracking/sighting, delayed rotation, haul, CARRY, and maybe or maybe not the Launch.

But there are also overhead drills: casting planes, backhand or cross-shoulder delivery (very important!), PUALD, trajectory adjustments - there are a lot of casting drills that are fun and break up the cast.

Switching to Accuracy I will usually throw at targets “cold” in a measured round. I’ll work on pickups, hover, different delivery methods, sighting away from the target (eg can’t see the fluff straighten aligned to target because of glare). I’ll go round and round and round, in a zen-like trance. And eventually I’ll throw another measured round or find Enlightenment.

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

Flycasting Definitions
Post Reply

Return to “Flycasting”