casting ?

[Rick Z]

The July/Aug 2009 "American Angler" magazine has an article on rod action in it. One of the quotes is from Jim Lepage from Orvis: "One of the problems is that everyone wants a five-weight to cast one hundred and ten feet."

How do you feel about this? I rarely cast over 40 feet. If I am fishing on the shore a longer cast with catch a tree most of the time. In the canoe I move the canoe to stay in better contact with the fly.

Rick

[bspitt]

Drive for Show - Putt for dough


Cast 110 feet for show, finess and correct presentation for fish!!!

Unless of course you are on salt water flats, stillwater lakes, etc..then I can see where distaince is important,, but still correct presentation is equally (or more) important

[Sonny Edmonds]

I'm a creek fisherman. So I'm not interested nor concerned about flicking a fly the length of a football field.
I move along slowly and as quietly as I can, sometimes dropping my cast to drift under the willows and brush along the banks where my quarry lies in wait of a bug falling from the branches above. Or working out a nice roll cast.
The places I love often don't allow even a short routine.
Nope, not interested in competition. I only compete with the fish, and who can outsmart whom.
And the more they win, the more fun it is.

[passlake]

I rarely find the need to cast more than 60ft. More often it is more like 30 feet.
Sometimes I wish I could cast the whole line when I am casting into Lake Superior, but I get along fine without that ability.

[wayneb]

Hi Rick;

I'm with you on this. I fish from a kayak and a sixty foot cast is about the limit under perfect conditions. A thirty to forty foot cast is more than adequate in a kayak.

Wayneb

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I use a 5 wt almost exclusivly and have often wondered how long a cast would be considered a good cast with it. I know that there are some who can cast the whole line with one but really I just want to know how far a competent caster Standing on a solid surface with nothing inhibiting his back cast, should be able to cast with a 5 wt. 50? 60? 70? etc.

I have read that if you are fishing the flats you should be able to flip it 80 feet to even have a reasonable chance of catching some of the more spooky fish. I assume that would be with an 8 to 10 weight rod.

How much farther does a 10 wt cast than a 5 wt assuming the same caster is using both with the same size fly?

[crappiecrazy]

Short Casts:


The first time that I took my son flyfishing, I paddled the canoe while he fished. I kept the canoe in "casting range" of the weed edges. It worked great.

[sjh]

I'm sure Jim was using the "110 feet" as a figure of speech. What he meant is that many casters are would like a 5 weight rod that that casts much farther than they can cast with their current rod. You need to consider the fact that the average guys gets most of his fish casting less than thirty feet or so, but I guess that's beside the point.

Concerning the question of heavier weight rods casting farther, that's true. A good caster using the double haul will cast farther with an 8 weight than a 5 weight. The 8 weight just has more power.

[appalachian angler]

I'm sure Jim was using the "110 feet" as a figure of speech. What he meant is that many casters are would like a 5 weight rod that that casts much farther than they can cast with their current rod. You need to consider the fact that the average guys gets most of his fish casting less than thirty feet or so, but I guess that's beside the point.

Concerning the question of heavier weight rods casting farther, that's true. A good caster using the double haul will cast farther with an 8 weight than a 5 weight. The 8 weight just has more power.

Not to take your point about doublehauling out of context, but there is no reason why a trout fisherman armed with a 5wt can't and shouldn't learn to doublehaul. I find my self doing it even with shorter casts; especially when dealing with wind or weighted buggers, or awkward nymph rigs with shot. I even make mini-double hauls with dry flies at "reasonable" distances...less movement of your casting arm required to make the cast means less fatigue at the end of the session.

[JohnLL]

There sould no reason routinely double haul a rod fishing for trout. If you do you have a rod designed for grass crap in the ball field or fly rod golf- not for trout fishing. Even on western rivers trout are generally caught within 60'. If you can manage that without double hauling sell the rod to some poor sucker and buy a real trout rod.