I've watched several videos on the voo doo cast. Other than looking rather cool, is there any reason to use this cast if one has plenty of back cast room?
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I've watched several videos on the voo doo cast. Other than looking rather cool, is there any reason to use this cast if one has plenty of back cast room?
Like you, I see no reason for it except it looks cool and impressive but those are not reasons why I fly fish.
Have you ever fished for awhile with 1 fly and caught a lot of fish. In fact so many fish that you almost or did get bored? So, just for sh*ts, giggles and to experiment, you put on a few different flies? Well, maybe you just get bored with the same ole cast and decide to try another type. Yes, the VooDoo cast is somewhat fancy and I guess it has its place. I like viewing the demonstartion and have tried it on occassion but I get tangled or the line collapses on me more often then not. It's cool and if you can do it with effectiveness, more power to you.
Allan
I have often used a variation of the Voo Doo Cast when I end up with too much line all around me all of a sudden, like from a missed set when a fish goes for my fly. It is just a quick way to keep the rod loaded while I get the line back up out of the water to complete a proper cast. Would I use it all the time? Nope. But it does come in handy for me when I do need it.
Larry ---sagefisher---
It looks to me like an expansion of a method I learned to use to get a sink tip line airborne at the first of a cast. I strip the line in almost to the weighted section and make a roll cast to get the line to the surface or above the surface before making my cast to begin a drift.
I'm pretty sure that one of the casts on these videos is a VooDoo cast. Regardless, they are certainly worth watching. The videos are on YouTube. The caster is SDombaj. Title of the 1st is 'Flycasting Extreme' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QhDavr24xA
Title of the 2nd is ' Flycasting Extreme Pt.II (adhesiv casts)' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0ZJhum4_Q4
Enjoy. I did.
Allan
Of course many relate the Borger "Voo Doo Cast" to the movie and will call it showmanship but I can interpret the cast pre-movie and see an element which I have used in fly casting which was absolutely necessary in my fishing before the cast was given any kind of name like this. It relates to what we used to refer to as a pick-up and that's what I see the Voo Doo Cast as, a pick-up.
There are circumstances when you have to switch the rod and if the cast has to go over some high grass in the back, it's necessary to flip the rod tip vertically up and down after the switch to move the line and rod tip into position for the higher back cast.
The basic casting fundamental here is that the end of the line moves before initiating the backcast, or.. the backcast is made when the end of the line is moving. In some cases with obstructions behind but not too high to cast over, if you were to simply draw the line back and backcast, the path of the line would be too low an late for the cast to get high and you would snag the cast in the grass behind.
The essence of the cast needs another name, it's very practical. I'd say that if you are in the middle of no-where and made all of these gyrations to cast that would be an ego trip, but in my way of thinking there are places for these "fancy" rod moves if you would call them them that.
my 2 $
hairwing,
Now I'm getting a little confused - not that that is in itself a difficult task - Is the VooDoo cast the same as the Shadow cast? I thought it was the latter that Borger did in the movie.
Not trying to be smart. Aren't these two different casting techniques?
Allan
Aren't these two different casting techniques?
What are the differences you see between the voo doo cast and the shadow cast ?
Heck, I do something that looks like that all the time, but not on purpose :)!
Okay, I readily admit to being confused. Would someone please explain if the 'VooDoo' and the 'Shadow' casts are the same or are they different types of casts?
Thanks.
Allan
Allan,
I called an expert, a master certified casting instructor friend of mine, but he must be out on the water as he does not answer. If no one else gives a good explanation I will try him again later to ask him the difference, if there is one.
Larry ---sagefisher---
About the Shadow Cast. This was developed by Jason Borger just for the film, "A River Runs Through It". The cast was actually a Galloway Back Cast fine tuned and turned forward. The purpose of it was to cast a fly upstream as far as possible while keeping the line really close to the water and not having any of the line hit the water until the fly reaches its intended target. Jason did this because Norman Maclean remembered it as the best example of what his brother could do with a fly line and to allow the camera to capture all of the action of the line and rod. Gary Borger wrote about it in his book, just for info.
As for the VooDoo Cast, I suspect it is simply a version of the Shadow but called a different name.
Larry ---sagefisher---
Nevermind.
I saw a better video. Nothing at all like the jelly roll.
Like Hairwing, I see it as just a line pick up. I've been doing similar pick ups ever since I started fly fishing as a kid, and never even considered this had "a name". Typical fly fishing BS, everything must have a name, and a few people are probably arguing about who "invented" it (nobody...) and named it.
sagefisher,
You wrote:
"About the Shadow Cast. This was developed by Jason Borger just for the film, "A River Runs Through It". The cast was actually a Galloway Back Cast fine tuned and turned forward. The purpose of it was to cast a fly upstream as far as possible while keeping the line really close to the water and not having any of the line hit the water until the fly reaches its intended target. Jason did this because Norman Maclean remembered it as the best example of what his brother could do with a fly line".
Don't you see a conflict in the statements you made (see the italics). How could it have been developed (as in created or invented) if the cast was based on what someone else did? Now maybe you mean something else in which case I'll stand corrected.
Oh, and to be honest, it's documented that George LaBranche was making a very similar cast to create the illusion of an insect hatch way back in 1912 or earlier.
Allan
Allan,
Not to split hairs, however I have been known to split feathers, Norman Maclean was remembering what his brother did with a cast. Borger took a cast made by Galloway and modified it to fit what Maclean wanted it to look like, or so I was told. Not a conflict. Just an explanation of possible events leading up to the cast made in the movie. But I am not an expert caster, nor am I an expert tyer, nor am I an expert catcher of fish. But, I do fairly well on the latter one so that keeps me happy. :)
Larry ---sagefisher---
sage,
Okay, good explanation.
Now I ask, and of anyone - Is the 'shadow cast' the same as the 'voodoo cast'?
Not to nit pick and not to confuse anyone but the "Galloway" cast referred to is a "Galway" cast. Galway is in Ireland, noted by it's local for windy conditions. The Galway cast has been around for a long time. I'm not going to explain the cast, you can google it.
My response to the OP by Ole....quote: "I've watched several videos on the voo doo cast. Other than looking rather cool, is there any reason to use this cast if one has plenty of back cast room?".......IMO...No.
Okay, I just watched a few videos of both named casts. The one thing they have in common is the idea of quickly getting a tremendous amount of line speed into a cast while keeping the line relatively in front of the caster. The differences appear to be in the casters style, the line movement, back & forth versus up & down or a combination of these. In any event, the individual caster will be able to get the fly out there by practicing and developing whichever he/she feels better at doing or just prefers. JMHO.
I dunno. Maybe I am missing something, but to me, it just looks like a roll cast with a double haul. I don't see the advantage over a roll cast. But hey, whatever works for you, stick with it.