Jason Borger | Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Horizontal tracking errors during the casting stroke can result in problems with accuracy and efficiency. In some cases, where the tracking follows a distinct (and undesired) curving pathway a skewed or swinging loop can result. A skewed loop can create an unintended curve cast of sorts, which is not what you want when you are hoping to aim straight.
Subtle horizontal tracking issues may not inhibit real-world fishing success, but larger errors are a different story. Seeing errors yourself, or having an instructor’s eyes watching, can of course help you identify a problem. Another tool that can be useful is what I have in the past humorously called the Plane-O-Matic. It comes from Doug Swisher and the late Carl Richards and is a fairly simple way to pantomime your way out of horizontal tracking errors.
I first saw the Plane-O-Matic in Doug and Carl’s 1975 book, Fly Fishing Strategy. As a kid at the time, I sure had fun with the thing, and it has continued to be a useful instructing tool over the years. The Plane-O-Matic’s construction is simple: It’s an 18-inch square piece of cardboard bolted to the end of a foot-long dowel rod. You hold the dowel like a fly rod and pantomime with the Plane-O-Matic, skinny edge forward. If you curve of otherwise mis-track your casting stoke, you’ll feel air resistance from the flat faces of the cardboard.