casting heavy flies

[Justice League]

I do a lot of ffing with my 3 or 4 wt for bass and blue gill with subsurface or weighted flies but often times they seem so heavy and my arm gets tired and my casting gets sloppy. I try to use nothing bigger than a size ten wooly bugger (for example). I fish about 3 or 4 times a week so I do not think that it is stammina. Could it be that I have changed my casting and not realized it? Could I be forcing things? Any help would be most helpful. Also has anyone ever used a braided leader before and do you like them.


Thanks
Jason

[BassYakker]

This could be due to a number of different things. My best recommendation to you is to have a buddy watch you fish and give you pointers on your casting, or even have someone film you while you cast. If you don't look like you are casting effortlessly, there is either something wrong in your technique or your outfit may be unbalanced (leader too long, flies too heavy, etc.) Are you false casting a lot?

My first gut response would be to go up to a 6wt and let the rod do the work, force yourself not to "power" your casts. I am a believer that you actually use less effort with higher weight rods.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Phil

[anglerdave]

Jason

Someone is sure to post that they throw #6 Clousers all day long on a 1 or 2 wt, using 6x tippet, without any problems. But with that said, fromt time to time,I throw small weighted flys with my 3 wt. It sounds like you could be forcing your cast. Also, remember to use the right leader for the flys you are using. For a #8 or #10, that would be a 3x. Also a shorter 7 1/2' leader helps.

Good luck!

[rrhyne56]

This could be due to a number of different things. My best recommendation to you is to have a buddy watch you fish and give you pointers on your casting, or even have someone film you while you cast. If you don't look like you are casting effortlessly, there is either something wrong in your technique or your outfit may be unbalanced (leader too long, flies too heavy, etc.) Are you false casting a lot?

My first gut response would be to go up to a 6wt and let the rod do the work, force yourself not to "power" your casts. I am a believer that you actually use less effort with higher weight rods.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Phil

Sage words, get a second opinion. Standing a bit turned to one side and carefully watching the entire cast can be good as well.

[DShock]

This could be due to a number of different things. My best recommendation to you is to have a buddy watch you fish and give you pointers on your casting, or even have someone film you while you cast. If you don't look like you are casting effortlessly, there is either something wrong in your technique or your outfit may be unbalanced (leader too long, flies too heavy, etc.) Are you false casting a lot?

My first gut response would be to go up to a 6wt and let the rod do the work, force yourself not to "power" your casts. I am a believer that you actually use less effort with higher weight rods.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Phil

Sage words, get a second opinion. Standing a bit turned to one side and carefully watching the entire cast can be good as well.

"Sage words?" I've been doing that for 40 yrs!!
Doug

[WarrenP]

First...Welcome to the finest fly fishing, fly tying, fly anything site on the web. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and feel free to offer your knowledge. This site is all about sharing.

You have received some good advise on the first part of your post, but, no one has responded on your question on a braided leader.

I have never used a braided leader, but, have read several posts here on them and most people do not like them. The biggest complaint I have read is that when you cast them, they spray water out onto the surface. I make and use Furled Leaders and I really like them. The braided leaders have a hollow core that fills with water and that causes the spray when you cast it. A Furled Leader is very similiar to a rope when constructed and does not have a hollow core to hold water so it does not spray water when you cast it. I cannot voice any complaints with a Furled Leader. I really like them. You can create one from 6/0 tying thread and treat it just like you do your dry flies and it will float very well for fishing dry flies. I usually fish nymphs, wets, streamers and buggers and I make my Furled Leaders out of Vanish fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon Furled Leaders really sink and carry your flies down deeper than a standard tapered mono leader. A Furled Leader really turns over your tippet and fly smoothly. I make my Furled Leaders 7 foot long and attach about 5 to 6 feet of tippet material and the leader will turn over everything very easily.

Hopefully, this helps with your questions and once again, welcome to FAOL.

[ROR-EYE]

I have a tendancy to want to throw bigger flies the moment I see or think I see a bigger fish in the area I'm fishing. If I've got a lighter rod, 3 or4 wt, I will typically open my casting loop a bit wider, by expanding the range of motion of my rod tip. The only thing about doing this is that you have to make sure that you have ample space in your back cast. "I throw a lot of size six and four Clousers with my four weight". I will also use this method when switching to big bass bugs with a lighter rod. If you have a med-fast or fast action rod, you can also try changing your line weight, going up a number, as the heavier line will usually aid in punching more stout leaders out, resulting in minimal loss of energy, transferred from the rod, to help turn over the leader and fly.

[Jed]

Welcome JL,
you said "Could it be that I have changed my casting and not realized it? "
I think that if you did not change your casting that might be the problem. Bigger flies need more energy to move the fly and may take more time to reach the end of their travel due to extra wind resistance.

When you cast, see if you feel the line coming to the end, then a bump after that, which is the fly coming to the end of its travel. If so, you need to wait for the bump.

If you can double haul or single haul that might help too.

jed

[BrookieAngler]

Jason, try a day with a 5 or 6 wt rod and a shorter leader and see how that feels compared to how you're doing it now.

[Jim Sentell]

Jason,

The heaviest rod I have is a Sage XP 590; that's my heavy bass rod. I use it for 1/0 Clousers, and bulky bass bugs in the lily pads, wood, etc. and strong windy days. Otherwise, it's the 380XP or 486XP for the usual LMB, pickerel, bluegill, yellow perch, crappie......

Continue using and enjoying your 3-4 weights. There's no need for 5,6,7 weight rods for what you describe as your usual fishing. Shorten your leaders for #8, #6 weighted wooly buggers and other streamers.

For example, with my 3wt. I use a 7.5' 2X leader, cut back to 7' and about 12" of 3X tippet for the fly.

anglerdave and ROR-EYE got it right on; open your cast slightly with heavier flies and you'll have no trouble enjoying that 3wt.

Regards, Jim