Submitted by
Capt. Lawrence Piper
December 14, 2014 1:00 p.m.
Years ago the Federation of Fly Fishers dedicated fly casters set forth 5 principles for a good fly cast. They determined that many casters would have different styles of casting but in order to make a good cast they all will incorporate these 5 principles. Last week we covered the first principle, which was to Eliminate Slack in the fly line. In order to get maximum load (bend) in the fly rod there should be no slack in the fly line. Begin your back cast, slowly accelerating….which brings us to Principle Two:
Principle Number 2: Smooth Acceleration. Your casting hand should accelerate smoothly during the back cast or forward cast, increasing in speed as your hand travels through the casting stroke to a crisp STOP. You can imagine if you just casually waved your rod back and forth – the fly line would never load or put a bend in the rod and no energy would be built up. The line would just fall to the water. However if you accelerate the rod through the stroke the weight of the fly line causes the rod to load and when you STOP the stroke the rod unbends or unloads and the fly line propels forward in a loop. The energy of the unloading rod is transferred to the fly line and the loop which carries your leader and fly along with it. Some of the fly casting guru’s call this a Speed up and Stop. Others call it a Loading Move and Power Snap. Just remember, if you use too little acceleration the fly line will not load the rod and you will not be able to form a decent loop, if any at all. On the other hand, if you accelerate too fast your cast will be all jerky and again, you’ll form poor loops and possibly a crossing loop because the rod tip dipped. The proper amount of acceleration will also help you keep the rod tip following in a Straight Line Path which is next week’s principle! I’ll see you in the park practicing!
Capt. Lawrence Piper is an Amelia Island back country fishing guide and a FFF Certified Casting Instructor. Capt. Piper can be reached at www.TheAnglersMark.com 904-557-1027 [email protected]