Shooting line while fishing

[Paul Arden]

Originally it was a small booklet I wrote when I first started giving lessons at Ardleigh back in 1996. I think I made 1000 copies. They are pretty rare

Cheers, Paul

[carlz]

Paul,

Do you have a video of your line hand while shooting?

My simple approach, when I remember to do it, is to just stop the shoot so the line fully turns over.

[Paul Arden]

Hi Carlz,

There are two shots in this video. the first I actually let go of the line on the shot. Whether this is because it was a long shot or it slipped out my hand I don’t know and can’t remember! Anyway I found it again at the fir first guide ring. The second is a much closer shot and I stay in touch with it.

The first clip incidentally shows me slipping like at the beginning of the forward cast. That was the first time I realised I did this, but I’m now very much aware that I do it on most casts.

Cheers, Paul

[Graeme H]

The first clip incidentally shows me slipping like at the beginning of the forward cast. That was the first time I realised I did this, but I’m now very much aware that I do it on most casts.

Cheers, Paul

When I was training myself to make that cast, I worked out that slipping some line during the translation phase of the forward cast helped tremendously. I still don't how that works.

[Paul Arden]

That’s what is commonly called “Slide Loading” Graeme. Possibly there is the benefit of the “boing” but also more significantly (for me anyway) is that there is more line beyond the tip.

Cheers, Paul

[carlz]

Thank,
So much to think about. Slipping line during the cast and then managing the tension on the shoot.

[Paul Arden]

This particular shot is really quite difficult to learn. I’ve been teaching it for about 5 years since if you can’t do it here then you won’t catch free-risers and rarely do you have time for a false cast with parents.

To teach it I break it down. Pick target (not the fish). See back target in your mind. Slip lift. Just touch the line on the backcast and shoot to back target. This bit needs practising and there is no point in doing anything else until significant line is being aerielised into the backcast.

Then I teach the forward cast (I don’t teach Slide Loading here because that’s too much to take in). At some point with someone who has the shot dialled in I teach Torque Twist). But what I always teach on the forward cast is to control the shoot, turnover and to reach up to the stripping guide to do this, so that you can strip immediately when the fly lands. That last bit comes quite quickly.

The main problems are not slipping line on the lift, holding the line for too long at the beginning of the backcast, not enough force at the beginning of the backcast - and then of course there are sighting problems and the mental side. It doesn’t help that on a typical day you might get 3-5 shots and a great day is 10. And you normally get one shot to get it right. Certainly the shot needs to go in early. Every once in a while the second shot works, but mostly not

There is a lot more to this game, both casting as well as boat positioning. But that’s the basics.

Incidentally to learn to check the shoot for all fishing, try practising by shooting to targets. I use floating shoes. Shoot to the target with the line through the fingers and feather it to a stop to turn the fly over to hit the target. It should become natural quite quickly.

Cheers, Paul

[Graeme H]

That’s what is commonly called “Slide Loading” Graeme. Possibly there is the benefit of the “boing” but also more significantly (for me anyway) is that there is more line beyond the tip.

Cheers, Paul

Forgive me if I don't use that term. It seems totally non-sensical in this context.

Like you, I think it's effective because I get more line outside the tip before the tip starts directing the line through space.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Paul Arden]

Well in this case it’s Slide Slip, or Slide Shoot anyway. I agree that the term is misleading. Fortunately it’s not essential.

Cheers, Paul

[Bernd Ziesche]

Hi Paul,
good point (in your initial posting). I agree many instructors will miss to teach this.
I have been teaching fly fishing for coastal Sea trout for 20 years. Here I always taught to have the first casts for covering a new spot not aiming on highest possible, but for immediate connection to the fly as soon as it hits the water. Having that immediate connection or not decides whether you spoil the (often one) fish of the day for the whole rest of the day (by missing the take due to slack) or catch it.
For having that immediate connection I taught (and still teach) to only take an amount of line you really master and then slow down the final turn over by closing the line hand after guiding the line shoot.
Lefty Kreh btw. did recommend this in his old books 5 decades ago.
No need to tell, that I not only teach this for Sea trout. But it was here where I found out the importance myself.
Oh btw checking Lefty's book and 2 of his old Videotapes I found him allowing the main shoot to go without line hand guidance while he only had the last part of it in his line hand. After all he was a fantastic teacher way ahead of most in his time!
Cheers
Bernd