Slack line casts

[VGB]

I’ve been given a set of didactic exercises to practice with hand rotations starting with the rod vertical to drop the loop horizontally either side of the rod tip and bringing it gradually down to a side cast with the same rotations to position the fly in a curved presentation each side.

This is a great drill. I was doing this in the garden with the MPR yesterday before turning pink in the sun. Sekhars video is very good

[Paul Arden]

Paul,

One of the quickest ways I found of improving my accuracy in curve casts was when another instructor (I won’t mention names but his initials are PA) got part way through teaching a segment on curve casts and then said, “Actually, Walter will teach this part”.

Shocking!

[VGB]

Hi Walter

I use the climbing hook as a parachute cast but with my cast the fly lands last.

As I guess you know, the downside to the fly last is that your slack is disappearing downstream very quickly before the fly lands. I wish I’d known this cast at the last pool we fished together for the cutbows, it had a lot of pace on it.

Regards

Vince

[Boisker]

Just been practicing svirgolato…. I’d forgotten how annoyingly tricky it is
Currently slightly stuck at the point where it starts to flick back but doesn’t have quite enough energy to flip the fly right back over, it gets half way then gives up

It’s the first day I’ve practiced where the wind isn’t gusting about to 20 mph plus, definitely helps on a slack line cast to practice on a calm day

[Boisker]

I can’t edit the above post for some reason… and meant to ask a question…

Is there a particular leader design the helps?

The one I was using was fairly heavy, 9’- 30lb, 25lb, 15lb and 12 lb, with a fairly short 12ln tippet section, all chameleon…it’s more robust for repeated practice on grass.

Would it be better to have a fairly stiff butt section then more supple tippet?

[Graeme H]

Assuming you’re right handed, are you throwing your back cast out wider to the right than you’d normally do for a side arm back cast? That tracking error aspect is an easy one to forget.

Cheers, Graeme

[VGB]

Matt, I’d try what Graeme has suggested first but what rod and line are you using?

Regards

Vince

[Boisker]

In terms of back cast, probably not wide enough, I’ll try that tomorrow
Rod Scott gs 8’4” 4w…. This morning I had a Maxcatch gold on (seeing what they were like as a cheap grass practice option) or normal line SA mastery trout

[VGB]

It all sounds good to me Matt but Malik always sticks an extra 6’ of tippet to whatever I’m fishing with

Regards

Vince

[Mangrove Cuckoo]

Assuming you’re right handed, are you throwing your back cast out wider to the right than you’d normally do for a side arm back cast? That tracking error aspect is an easy one to forget.

Cheers, Graeme

Ditto on that!

For me, the key is to poke the back cast out to the right instead of straight back to 180.

Keep going further right until the fluff just clips your right ear on the presentation stroke, and then back off a bit.

Everything else will fall into place.

Paul... good luck with the popper... let me know if you get it to work. I think the cast is cool, but there are easier ways to curve a real fly in that direction.

Gary