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October 13th, 1997
Casting Video Review:
I will be as objective as I can on this. It
is not easy. The opinions here are mine and mine alone.
It is time for me to take a stand on the subject of fly
casting videos. I don't own all of them, just most of them.
It seems anybody who can cast a rod and catch a fish
thinks they should make a casting video.
I guess they have the right. The problem is they all hype their video as the best thing
since sliced bread. Horse-pucky! Most are vanity efforts to self promote the caster and
skim a few bucks off the emerging fly fishers. I am sure they're not all that way, but there
are far too many. Just in my opinion, remember.
In most, I can't see the fly line. Since so many casters have their own style, all sorts of
anomalies appear. Some things I have seen are downright wrong and ridiculous. In a
valiant attempt to exalt themselves they all seem to have to invent new words for the
various parts of the cast. Give me a break!
To stop the production of any more casting tapes I will use all of the possible words
pertaining to the delay at the end of the cast as you wait for the line to unroll behind you;
pause, wait, delay, lull, respite, recess, stay, remain, tarry, linger, loiter, leave, abide,
retard, slow, slacken, and detain. There, now nobody can produce another tape on casting.
I just used up all of the words.
By this time you may be getting the message. My advice has been, "rent any two
tapes and watch them with the sound OFF." That way you are not influenced by the bull.
Then watch them once with sound on. In each you may actually learn some small thing
from the dialogue. I should point out that some are worse than others. Some are really
bad. Most are only poor.
Then there are the ones that seem to nearly get the whole thing right. They are few. I
will not list any of them, the good, the bad, nor the ugly.
I will give a report on the latest one I have
taken a hard look at. It is I think, the best of
any I have seen. And that is as it should be. I
think that if anyone was to make a tape they
should view the others and try to improve on
them. Joan Wulff has, in fact, done that. It is
called Dynamics of Fly Casting, produced by
Miracle Productions (406)683-6660 in
conjunction with Down East Books, (207)
594-9544.
I was not disappointed right from the start
by seeing that I had a short tape. It is a full one
and a half hours. Got my money's worth. It
opens with probably the finest section on the
general nature of fly casting I have seen. (Joan
... ya did good, kid.) Step by step she takes you
easily and gently from one element to the next,
mixed well with diversions, so you don't get
bored.
The sound and the editing are topnotch.
Quality is excellent. Subject is covered
completely. It is a fine tribute to fly casting, to
Lee Wulff, to the sport in general, and to the
reigning queen of fly casting, Joan herself. A
big "thank you" from your old friends, J
Castwell and the Ladyfisher. Some day
someone will make a better one, no doubt, but
it will not be in the near future! Congratulations.
~ JC
Till next week, remember ...
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