Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 8 April 2022
Last weekend weather was not really on our side. It was a heavy wind and cold one also. Luckily on Monday wind settled and we had time to go practise. We took our snowmobile and drove to our lake to practise. As you can see from photo is covered with snow and ice of course. Two months from now it will open for sure, probably little bit earlier.
We set up our rods and I put bomber fly on the line. I was hoping that it will give some resistant on snow. I could not be wrong more, snow was little bit packed because of wind so basicly fly was kind of floating on snow. Anyway we did our practise session around slipped lift pick. As I told earlier, I have used when fishing sometimes. Well, it didn’t feel like that. Lot of my fishing casts are coming from spine, I don’t really think about those. I just cast in style which fits best on that situation.
I remember in my early fly fishing caree, that I asked from my friend how certain cast is made, he replaid that you have been doing that for 30 minutes allready. So I do things from spine.
Back to slipped lift pick –cast. I just open it little bit, you might have seen video from sexyloops and you know how to do it. Our goal is start with 2 meter flyline out and go 16 meters or more out in cast. So you slowly lift rod and line is slipping longer, then short touch on line, when going on backcast, shoot longer (during backcast), and then forward, haul and voila! You line is 20 meter out, it is so simple. Shortly it is like that, sounds really simple and then not. It is all about timing and touches, rhythm…. just like any casting. In this case you really need friction somehow. I tried with bomber fly which was not success really.
I talked with Paul about this. He was kind enough to open technique little bit while chatting which I appreciate a lot. Also I sent some videos to him to judge and we got some good tips. I'm looking forward to have Zoom lesson also from Paul, you can never be over prepared. Paul suggested to use popper fly so there would be friction in beginning. When missing water and having snow instead you need to be creative. With grass there would be some help, with snow nothing. So I had to think about little, because I don’t have right kind of popper flies. So I will re-built one from lure which is similar with popper. Hopefully I get some friction so beginning of cast starts to work, that is crusial one.
I was happy to see once again how nicely Satu can cast with her Ladyshaman –rod. It so much different what she did earlier, I think she really feels like home with the rod.
It has been snowing more or less every day this week and will keep doing that until Sunday. Hopefully on Sunday we will have another session and I have found solution for friction.
have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika the Legend