R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
The other day a guy was watching me fish. He asked me how I was able to cast so far with just three false casts.
I told him it was 40 years of practice - nothing more.
Then I asked to see his own outfit. I could see his line was totally unsuitable - it was too light, and his rod was one of those cheap and nasty ones that felt like a length of sphagetti.
Distance casting means first of all having an outfit that is well balanced. You must feel the line load up the rod well. Secondly you must be able to impart energy and velocity to the line at the correct points in time. This also means being able to double haul!
I learned to double haul many years ago. It did not come as a result of casting instruction either, it came naturally as a result of a decent casting style and feeling the line pull in the air. You pull back at it.
Then there is the back cast. A lot of idiots will tell you that the back cast loads the rod in preparation for the forward cast. This might be correct if all you are going to do is cast no more than 15 yards on a river.
With distance casting the backcast sends the line out behind you and prepares the line in readiness for the forward cast! When the line is behind you, you drift the rod backwards slightly before you commence the forward cast.
And whilst you execute the forward cast you pull with your left hand and then release the line when the pull is at its greatest.
It's a bit like releasing an arrow at archery, and I did a bit of that over the years.
The big advantage with learning to cast distance is that you can fish in places on still water where the average guy can't by being able to cast into the wind. You can also cast shorter distances more easily with less false casting and less fatigue.
I told him it was 40 years of practice - nothing more.
Then I asked to see his own outfit. I could see his line was totally unsuitable - it was too light, and his rod was one of those cheap and nasty ones that felt like a length of sphagetti.
Distance casting means first of all having an outfit that is well balanced. You must feel the line load up the rod well. Secondly you must be able to impart energy and velocity to the line at the correct points in time. This also means being able to double haul!
I learned to double haul many years ago. It did not come as a result of casting instruction either, it came naturally as a result of a decent casting style and feeling the line pull in the air. You pull back at it.
Then there is the back cast. A lot of idiots will tell you that the back cast loads the rod in preparation for the forward cast. This might be correct if all you are going to do is cast no more than 15 yards on a river.
With distance casting the backcast sends the line out behind you and prepares the line in readiness for the forward cast! When the line is behind you, you drift the rod backwards slightly before you commence the forward cast.
And whilst you execute the forward cast you pull with your left hand and then release the line when the pull is at its greatest.
It's a bit like releasing an arrow at archery, and I did a bit of that over the years.
The big advantage with learning to cast distance is that you can fish in places on still water where the average guy can't by being able to cast into the wind. You can also cast shorter distances more easily with less false casting and less fatigue.