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Monday: Paul Arden
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The difference between a none hauled and a hauled cast has been discussed ever since on Sexyloops. First it was Michael Heritage (I think) who started a discussion about fly casting pictures showing less rod bend in a hauled fly cast compared to a none hauled cast - casting the same length of line that was. At that time this was called to be a phenomenon since most fly fishermen would have expected to have more rod bend in a hauled cast. This I think still hasn't changed outside the Sexyloops world!?

Last week Paul said: "Tighter loops with haul because of two things: 1) The haul straightens rod tip path during unloading. & 2) For the same line speed less force with the rod hand and therefore less counterflex affecting the bottom leg of the loop."

Of course this wouldn't be Sexyloops, if not the whole discussion would have started again! :) Since I agreed with Paul (as did Lasse) about 2) and depending on the circumstances about 1) as well, I didn't jump in that discussion yet. Anyway I went outside and my girlfriend videolized (slow motion) quite a long casting session of mine comparing none hauled casting with hauled casting.

In order to compare both ways of fly casting I took a fixed length of fly line (outside the rod tip) to cast the fly to a specific target. To do that I aimed for the same max line speed in the same launch direction. So first I was casting without hauling and then I added the haul (both in the forward and the back casts).

Key conclusions:

1) When hauling I slightly reduced force application (angular acceleration) via rod hand. This meant less speed for the rod tip. But hauling speed (speed of the line thru the guides) on top and the over all max line speed was the same as in the none hauled cast. So the force acting against the rod tip due to the fly line (outside the tip) in motion was still the same. But less angular velocity for the rod itself meant less rod bend against its own inertia and less rod bend against air resistance (which increases squared to rod angular velocity). Paul was right (yes, hard to believe ;) ): In summary the rod bends less, when hauling (again: while achieving the same max over all line speed, no more). Less max rod bend means less max counterflex (over swinging after straightening), which makes for a tighter loop!

2) Hauling speed was 30% of the over all line speed. This allowed me to a) reduce force application via rod hand (as explained above) and b) to shorten the casting arc (about 25° in the test)! The smaller arc let to a straighter tip path for both acceleration and deceleration mostly. Additionally tip path during counterflex and just prior counterflex deviated less away of the main launch dircetion. So yes, again a HUGE pro in tip path for the hauled cast, resulting in a tighter loop either!

3) When hauling I pulled some line into the rings, thus reducing line carry outside the rod tip. This meant little less force acting against the rod tip for the last part of the stroke (compared to the none hauled cast). In the end of each haul my line hand was at reel position. So I had the same line length (to target) available again (as in the none hauled cast).

4) When positioning the (significant) haul during the last part of the stroke (casting arc), I agree with Paul (and Grunde Lövol), it slightly benefits tip path during straightening of the rod.

In summary the video session proved me to have hit the target with the same over all max line velocity both when hauling and when not hauling. In all hauled casts I achieved tighter loops. It also was easier to control rod movement when hauling due to the reduced force application via rod hand.

You may check the picture(s) of the day presenting a none hauled forward and a none hauled back cast as well a hauled forward and a hauled back cast.

Or you may check this VIDEO to compare.

Nice loops to all of you!

All my best

Bernd

p.s.: In both casts, the hauled and the none hauled one I STOPPED the rod and yes, this (and the art how I stopped it) was (and will always be) essential!

Pic Of Day

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