The most powerful casting
position for the start of the forward cast is
what is commonly called the 90-90 position:
the upperarm is stuck out at 90 degrees to
the body and the forearm is at 90 degrees to
the upperarm. This the ultimate throwing
position; its how we throw spears, javelins,
stones, balls and flyrods. You must remember
to lead with the elbow, just as you would with a spear.
Directing the cast with the elbow gives (me) a much
smoother stroke.
I have said it previously but
let me remind you that one of the best ways
to learn distance casting is to stop crisply
into the backcast. So make sure you do just that: stop abruptly; don't concentrate
on a powerful backcast, but rather on an abrupt stop. We need that line to
fire backwards off the tip of the rod into a
narrow loop.
On the forward cast we really
need to concentrate on forcing a deep bend
into the rod.
One of the best ways of
forcing a deep bend is to aerialise more
line. Most anglers currently use
weight-forward profile flylines. One problem
that the beginner encounters early on with
this line, is false casting with too much
overhang. As soon as your cast gets beyond
the weight forward head section the line
starts to hinge and collapse. BUT we can get
away with an overhang on the last backcast.
By shooting 2, 3, 4 or even 10 and more yards
of line into the last backcast greater flex
can be forced into the rod, and hence greater
distances can be achieved. There are two
ways:
The first is the
method I use; with lots of practise
it is possible to feel your way
through the overhang
The second is a much
more precise method; a permanent
marker pen is used to mark the line
at the hauling hand, indicating when the tip of
the weight forward head is just
outside the tip ring. And then
another mark is made some two to
three yards further on down the line
away from the head. When retrieving
line, the first mark you come to is
gripped and the retrieve continued
until the second mark comes to hand.
At this point the caster knows, that
were he to lift off at this moment
and shoot the coiled loop into his
backcast, he would get a great cast.
But as I said I use the first method. But of course I practice...
