Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 21 March 2025
We postponed session with Paul from Sunday. As I thought I was not really conditioned to do it, weather was bad and that was also last possibility to deliver reindeer meat to customers. Even delivery meant driving 350 km but we also had to change, meet some friends and also had night over in hotel. Some relaxation.
This week has been really good with northern lights so if you have been around you had couple amazing nights. I had two ice fishing days with guests, not really success as some snowing during day and north wind. I'm hoping things change Friday as there have been two nice days and Friday should good also. Hopefully some action when ice fishing.
Thursday I had zoom session with Paul. I felt so good. I have had two really short session during winter, so small that you can hardly call it casting even. What I have been doing quite a lot is movement exercise. Basically each night when taking dogs out last time, I have been imitating casting movements, hauling etc.
I never really thought that it could be useful yet it felt that it kept some muscle memory alive. About session, accuracy was amazingly good, I even suprised myself. I think one reason was to keep position really compact and focused.
I had some warm up and did some drills before session. It felt good and gave feeling about what's coming. I made marks on line so I can measure some things as I had them last winter before line ripped on ice. And those came useful during session.
Backcast delivery was good, at least I consider it that, as I could easily do 27 m/88 ft with decent accuracy. Last winter I could carry comfortably 22m/72 ft during 170/distance casting. Now I was 25m/82 ft in start which was easy to carry, more or less. Some advice and drills I end up close 27m/88ft carry, not easy and comfortable yet, but when I got everything together is was not difficult.
My biggest issue is over-powering rod hand, not linehand/haul. When I reduced power from rod hand I easily got that 2 m/6 ft more on carry. This is something I need work on, it was my problem last winter, it was problem in summer and still is. That's easy part as I know what and how to fix.
Last summer I already saw benefits about distance casting during fishing. It might be that you caught lot of fish close but if fish are out they are out and then you need distance. Well that we all know but don't want to admit, as it means that we should work on our casting, or say that we are not good enough.
I still suck compared some other casters but I'm working on my casting and not necessarily to come better than some others, I want to become better for myself and improve fishing coverage. You never know where it leads.
Thursday evening I watched session and made some notes. Might be that I can't do practise Friday as there is guiding and some other obligations on evening. Saturday we have local reindeer race and absolutely heavy wind. Starting Sunday everything looks good so time to get ready for summer and practise.
Reindeer meat is drying outside and winter season is slowing down. Days are so long that there is easily daylight during evening and temps are plus celsius during late afternoon.
Time to be back in casting.
Have a nice weekend!
Mika from Finland