Looking for tips on casting heavy flies

[coltranem]

Hi,
This past weekend I went out and tried my hand at casting some clouser minnows on my 9' 7wt. I was casting from my canoe and the main problem seemed to be getting the fly out of the water on the backcast. It kept slamming into the canoe (I popped the tungsten eyes out by the 3 collision). Was I not retriveing enough line prior to the back cast. Should I have roll casted to get the fly up higher in the water column (I tried this a few times and it seemed to help). I was using a floating line but I plan on going out next time with sinking tip line.

Any casting tips for sinking flies and sinking lines would be appreciated.

Mike

[rrhyne56]

[quote="coltranem"]...Was I not retrieving enough line prior to the back cast?/quote]

I would start there Mike. There is most likely simply not enough energy in the cast to get it high enough. of course this is all based on hypothesis after reading your post. if its not that then other factors could be smaller/lighter files or bigger rod/line.

But first try simply stripping in more line and shooting what you need to get the distance.

My humble two cents

Oh and on sinking line, be prepared to roll cast it up to the surface before re-casting

_________________
RRhyne56
http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com
http://robinsrumination.blogspot.com

[anglerdave]

How long of a leader and what pound test tippet were you using in relation to the size Clouser? When fishing a #6 Clouser, I noramlly fish a 2x and certainly no more than a 9' leader.

Robin's suggestion is a good one. Do you know how to single or double haul?

[okflyfisher]

It certainly can be done with heavier outfits, but I don't enjoy casting weighted flies with weight over 1/50 oz. We cast 1/60 oz and 1/50 oz flies all day when fishing for bass using 6 wt fly rods. We use 9' 0x leaders. Slow down your timing open up your loops (think smooth) and keep you back cast up


Your fly design will also make a huge difference on whether you can get your fly down to depth. the more hackle or stiff hair the slower you fly will get to the bottom. If you tie your clouser on with a nonslip loop knot.It will pivot and dive fairly quickly maybe with less weight

[flyandtie]

slow and open, like others have said.
and also make a good hard stop so that heavy fly doeant just fall outta the sky on ya.

the other week i took out a 1/30oz clouser for bass on my 6 weight, what a handful that was, haha but it still casted fine with the proper open loop, slow cast that you need for heavy flies.

[coltranem]

Thanks everyone.

I was using a 8' 1X leader. I am just starting to learn to haul so I was affraid of hauling before the fly came fully out of the water. I believe the fly was a #4 clouser...not sure the weight since I didn't tie it. I am going to learn to tie my own though.

[Sagittarius62]

Being a crappy caster myself my only advice is some I learned from Paul Arden at Sexlyoops. When lifting into the backcast instead of thinking "back", imagine you are trying to throw the fly straight up into the air. This helps me when casting heavy flies. I tend to not use a sinking line when fishing clouser type flies in rivers though. The loop knot advice is also good to help get that fly down when using floating lines and weighted streamers. I tend to get away with shorter leaders too. Maybe 6 to 8 feet. All of this and an upstream reach cast, then a quick upstream mend after the line lands gives the fly a chance to really drop before the line begins to tighten in the current. Casting across or slightly upstream that is.

[McManus]

I throw an eliptical cast, so that the line is not moving in the same line as my rod.

[pspaint]

Some great advice! I'll reiterate what others have said and what works for me. When you're done with you're retrieve, lift the fly to the surface and then use an open casting stroke to send the fly into the back cast and forward. A curved line (Belgen sp?) cast also works well, as it keeps the fly on an eliptical arch. I believe that's the same cast McManus mentioned.

[okflyfisher]

The eliptical cast is also a great cast to use for casting under over hanging brush ( weight or no weight). You just modify it so you can cast side arm (in a horizontal plane) Your backcast has to go under your rod. Then on your side arm forward cast the fly will stay low below the overhanging brush