How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
Practicing casting trying different things that I have seen on an overhead cast.. There seems to be those who briskly pick up on the backcast and stop past vertical, and those who pickup very slowly and make a pronounced power stroke at around 10 o'clock stopping just past vertical, almost flipping the fly behind and over their heads. Both seem to do the job. But I am a brisk lifter and am trying different methods on the pickup. I'm sure it could be dictated by circumstance... Just curious to see what you all are comfortable with.
Janus
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
FOr me the longer the cast the faster the back-cast(more loading of the rod)
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
Hi Janus,
I guess I use a steady acceleration on the pick up to back cast.
Think about it. If the back cast is actually identical to the forward cast, shouldn't it be a modulated power stroke?
A smooth pick up to back cast is actually one of the most difficult things to adjust in a caster (imho). There is a fine line between not picking up "briskly" enough and ripping the line and fly off of the water.
Through experience, I have found that many people who rip, ... are holding their rod too high while fishing and don't have a direct contact to the line (there is a belly in their line between the rod tip and the surface of the water). When they go to pickup, they have to lift all the belly out of the line before the line starts moveing and loading the rod.
(sound dumb, I know, ... I'll try to finds some picture to illustrate this problem).
Tight lines.
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
Hello fcch, far from sounding dumb....you're right on about folks having the rod tip too high at the beginning of the pickup ! Tip on the water almost and a short strip to tighten things up then start the pickup !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
First, I'm not the world's best caster. I catch fish but nobody would accuse me of having a pretty casting stroke.
I find when I lift the line from the water too fast, I frequently get a "plop" when the fly comes up (sounds like a bluegill popper when it's twitched).
If I lift slower, I do not get the plop. I guess I'm more of a slow to lift, accellerate through the back cast, stop when the rod is just past my ear and stop the forward cast when the rod is just past the front of my glasses (on a clock, that's about 11:00 on the back cast and about 1:30 on the front cast).
It works for me and for some reason, the fish do not seem to mind my lack of grace and coorination. Perhaps they just feel sorry for me. :D
Jeff
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
If I'm lawn casting for show, I pick up fast. If I'm trying to catch fish with an underwater fly, I pick up slow.
That slow pick up will, at times, entice a fish to hit the rising fly.
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fcch
Hi Janus,
I guess I use a steady acceleration on the pick up to back cast.
Think about it. If the back cast is actually identical to the forward cast, shouldn't it be a modulated power stroke?
A smooth pick up to back cast is actually one of the most difficult things to adjust in a caster (imho). There is a fine line between not picking up "briskly" enough and ripping the line and fly off of the water.
Through experience, I have found that many people who rip, ... are holding their rod too high while fishing and don't have a direct contact to the line (there is a belly in their line between the rod tip and the surface of the water). When they go to pickup, they have to lift all the belly out of the line before the line starts moveing and loading the rod.
(sound dumb, I know, ... I'll try to finds some picture to illustrate this problem).
Tight lines.
"Hello fcch, far from sounding dumb....you're right on about folks having the rod tip too high at the beginning of the pickup ! Tip on the water almost and a short strip to tighten things up then start the pickup !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose"
For sure...start your pick up with zero slack...a principle taught to me by Tom White....one of those "duh" moments 8)
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
This is a tough one! There is another method to use to lift your line for the backcast. JC himself showed it to me. Lift the rod a bit and make a quick circle with the rod tip. This lifts a lot of the line off the surface before starting the backcast. I think I'm in trouble here without photos to show how it's done. All I know is it works!
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
Jack,
Would that be a counterclockwise assuming you are casting over your right shoulder?
Re: How slow do you pickup on your backcast?
Yes. Called horizontal pick up, Joe Brooks.
Over??? This is to lift your line from the water... going into the backcast.