Help with casting problem please

[rookie]

I was fishing last Sunday. Some wind but not much and not gusty. I was casting a fly and it was laying out very nicely. I switched to a popper and couldn't get the tippet to lay completely over. I did realize there was more wind resistance with the popper. I tried casting a little harder, slower, faster, softer etc, etc. I was using a mono tapered leader. What was I needing to change? Thank you in advance for your help.

Steve (rookie)

[This message has been edited by rookie (edited 06 April 2006).]

[Mike Thomas]

Sounds like you need a stiffer but section in your leader set up, have you tried poly leaders from airflow, they are very good and last quite a while.
all the best.
Mike

Were you using trout tapered leaders? Try bass tapered leaders.

[Turk]

What size was your tippet? What Wt. rod are you using? Without knowing this its hard to answer but I would say try using a larger tippet.
Turk

[rookie]

In response to the rod, I was using an Orvis, Clearwater series, 9',2 piece 6 wt. Line is a 6wt. dt floating. I honestly can't remember what the tapered leader was. I believe it was #4. I felt at the time it may have been the leader but wasn't sure.

JC, probably the only question I can answer that you posed is I have not been fly fishing very long and am most appreciative of the people on this site and their willingness to answer "Rookie" questions.

Kind regards
Steve

[CovertFly]

Rookie - Steve,

My thought on your delema would be to use as suggested a stiffer butt section and then a straight leader section, dont know the quality of the orvis rod your using (havent used one of them before) but the other week my mate and i were fishing for our Australian Bass out of Kayaks with 5wt rods with popper style flies as well as small Deer hair Dahlbergs and cicada style flies with out any problems from the wind.
We used a straight 6ft leader section of 12lb flouro carbon (due to the inherant lilly pads and weed on/in the small lake we were fishing)and had no problems turning the flies over.

The lenght of your leader may have also been a contributing factor in your problem as well. Try a shorter one next time would be altermately my first suggestion as well as using a shorter tighter casting action. If your rod is capable that is. If it is a slow action rod i cant help as all of mine are fast action ones.

I hope my info helps a bit

Cheers

Craig

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"Fishing's an Art form, an Art form worth your learning"
Craig

[rookie]

Thank you Craig,

there have been several comments refering to my leader selection. I will give this a try and again, thanks to all the help.

Steve

[rookie]

JC,

Thinking back, to the best of my ability, I do believe you are 100% correct. I believe I was possibly "following through" vs. " stopping on my foreward cast". I thank all of you and your kindness in assisting me to identify this problem. I will learn.

Kind Regards
Steve

[Ralph Tomaccio]

There is a great article about casting heavy flies in the current American Angler magazine entitled "Thinking Big" by Macauley Lord, author of LL Bean's Fly Casting Handbook. You may learn a lot from that.

Basically, shorter leaders, over lining, bigger loops and slower casting all seem to help.

[LadyFisher]

Ralph, he already has a slow rod, overlining is not advised.

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL