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June 8th, 1998
Pin-point Presentation
With a bit of apology I write this column on casting. In previous ones I
have attempted to cover things about casting I felt had been to some degree over-looked.
However, there are those of you who have not read 'everything' in print and for that reason,
I will try here to describe a method of casting a fly precisely where you want it to go.
It seems many have named this cast, therefore I will refer to it only as
a Recoil Cast. It is accomplished by stopping the rod somewhat high on the final delivery
and adding a slight 'pop' with the wrist causing the line to stop abruptly. At this time the
leader rolls out in a straight line parallel to the surface and 'recoils' back toward you with
a slight amount of semi-controlled slack. The line and leader then drops to the water with
slight wiggles. These give the fly a chance to drift a bit before the currents cause it to 'drag,'
and also keep the fly from dragging on its initial landing as so often happens with a
conventional cast.
A method for making it very precise is to cast 'off-target' a few feet.
That is, along side the intended target until you have the exact distance measured in the
air with false casts. Then adjust the angle of your cast, allow the necessary extra length
of line to make up for the recoil and drop a flawless slack-line cast just where you want it to go.
If it sounds complicated in print here, I have not done my job well. It is
not only a simple cast to perform, but will fast become a standard method of presentation, if
it is not already that. It can become a fun game for the back-yard practice sessions I am sure
you are doing... If you are not yet using the recoil cast you are severely limiting your fly fishing
enjoyment.
(Photo courtesy of Stackpole Books)
~JC
Till next week, remember ... |
