I have noticed that when someone expresses an interest in begining to saltwater fish, JC makes a point of relaying to the newbe that it is imperative that they know how to double haul.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial”>quote:</font><HR>If you can not DOUBLE-HAUL really good… LEARN NOW.
If there is some part of ‘learn’ or ‘now’ that you don’t understand, email me and I 'll try to explain.
Serousley… you must have it.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
He has expressed his reasons in the past and they are valid.
Without starting some pi$$ing contest or a mine is bigger than yours, I would like to know what kind of distance you all actually cast in your normal fishing day.
I am a self taught caster. I single haul without thinking, but if I want to double haul I have to concentrate. Even then …
I don’t own any fancy rods, my 10wt St Croix Legend (no ultra, no super duper) was $110.
Standing on a beach a normal cast for me will hit 70-75 feet.
If all the stars are in alinement, and I do every thing right,I can throw a whole 90’ line… no more
Most days I’m way short of this.
I still do alright and I enjoy my time on the water. While sometimes I would like to be able to cast as far as the guys with the big meat rods, that’s not why I’m out there.
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year”
Mark Twain
[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 03 April 2006).]
The entire fly line and then some quite often with the 8wt. I’d say 75’ with my 10wt while throwing a very large fly.
JC was right. Learn the double haul.
…just finishing my second cup, so I’ll join your contest…
…anyway, you’re probably doing the same thing I did for a number of years; practicing while fishing. You may not, but I have the luxury of a 75’X 175’ vacant lot next to me with no obstructions. But, I never made use of it until last year!
Like you, I’m self-taught, although I do have a couple of Lefty’s and Doug Swisher’s tapes. You MUST take the time, 10 minutes a day is sufficient, to practice. Do it nice and slow for the first several days; don’t even arielize the line: lay out 40-50 feet of line in front of you, back-cast/tug/feed, let it hit the ground. Forward-cast/tug/feed, let it hit the ground.
Increase your rhythm slightly each session and in a few days you’re double hauling with the “boys with the big meat rods” without thinking about it.
So, JC’s right, you gotta learn and it ain’t hard. It’ll cut down the wind annoyance that just seems to go with the salt.
Don’t aggravate yourself with concentration, make it natural and second nature the same as your single haul and you can get back to “doing alright” and having fun.
Okay, here’s the skinny from an old guide.
From my personal experience of fishing the flats of east central Florida for over 30 yrs, and guiding that area since 1990…
There are centain questions I will ask of my customers that plan on fly-fishing, especially from out of state.
“Do you double-haul?”
and, “What weight rods are you experienced with?”
We sight fish on the flats, and I can usually pole the skiff within thirty to fifty feet of a feeding (tailing) redfish, therefore, one doesn’t have to worry about long-distance casting, but have to be extremely accurate. In other words, you need to be able to put a fly in a five-gallon bucket at fifty feet. If the fish can’t see it, he won’t eat it. But on the other hand, if the presentation is too close, or too hard, it will spook the fish and he’s gone and won’t even consider the fly, or lure.
Sometimes the reds are laying down in the grass, so “blind-casting” is the only way to catch them, then distance becomes an important factor. The more water one can cover, the better chance to bring the fly to a fish.
Also, the flies we use are, most of the time, larger and heavier. Double-hauling builds line speed, thus getting the fly out there.
So, simply, if you fish the saltwater flats, accuracy and distance, not necessarily combined, but sometimes it is, then you need to practice. Oh yeah, and learn from someone that really know what they are doing…makes it easier.
I’ve been told that you can catch a lot of fish wading if you can cast 50’ … but you have to do it in the windy conditions you find in saltwater fishing. Of course, even at 100’, the fly caster is at a serious disadvantage against the surfcaster who can throw the length of a football field and maybe more. Way out there in any case.
Currently, I can do 70’ with an 8-weight under good conditions, but I’m working on it.
I also now own a kayak. Interestingly, some hard core wadefishers look down on this – “You don’t have to cast.”
Hardly bothers me – I’m hoping to seek out some places that the wade fisher and maybe even the boater can’t get to.
Maybe I should have added to my original post
that I’m not exactly a beginer
I’ve fly fished for close to 40 years, casually in the salt since around '79-'80. Salt addicted for around 12 years.
My double haul is really not that bad, just not someting I do on every cast
I do tend to haul with my line hand out to my side. I know that it would be more efficent to have the line hand closer to the reel.
I guess I do need to practice that.
More than advice, I was looking a opinions of what is really needed to get the job done.
Thanks to those who have responded so far.
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year”
Mark Twain
I?ve been fly fishing for over 20 years and was/am fortunate enough to have been brought into the sport by someone who teaches casting and I try and get at least one lesson a season. It gets rid of some of the nasties that I have picked up during the year and as was mentioned when you are fishing you are fishing and casting is a means to that end. About a dozen times in the season, much to the amusement of passers-by I will go for a cast in the park. All time well spent.
So far as double hauling, sometimes I have to remind myself it is not always required.
When fishing the salt from a boat or on
the inshore flats, I can usually get the job
done. Nothing to brag about but I do catch
fish.G But let me hit the surf, and the
on shore breeze picks up to a half gale and
the fish will be actively feeding 10 yards
beyond my best cast. Exasperating to say
the least. On those occasions, I tend to
beat myself up for not practicing more on
my distance casting.G Warm regards, Jim
it’s all relative. there are those days when 30-40 foot casts will do, and days when nothing but your longest cast will do. depends on the kind of fishing, too. when striper fishing, accuracy and presentation aren’t very important most of the time, but distance is–the more water you cover, the more fish you’ll catch. when site fishing for bonefish, etc, accuracy and presentation are more important. you will encounter winds, but i’d think that in windy conditions site fishing becomes more difficult, no? but one thing i feel compelled to say is, after taking sports out to cast new rods at the shop, and also watching anglers cast at the casting pools at fly fishing shows, your average fly fisher does not devote near enough time working on his casting skills. i recently had a sport who was going to patagonia to fish try out a new rod, and his casting was just terrible. so here is a guy spending $5000 plus to go on a big time fishing trip and he’s never bothered to learn to cast (and he wasn’t a newbie either). that just puzzles me…
Abe Lincoln was once asked, “How long should a man’s legs be?”
“Why, long enough to reach the ground,” Abe replied.
How long should a man’s cast be?
Long enough to reach the fish.
[This message has been edited by D. Micus (edited 04 April 2006).]
How far should you be able to cast. Just a little longer than you can, so practice, practice, practice. Most fish are 5-10 beyond my casting range, regardless of the situation.
With fishing any casting ability will catch fish. Better catches more. I have fished the salt and a 20’ cast was more than sufficient. Other days I just could not reach the fish, period.
The better your casting the fewer “can’t reach the fish” days you will have.
Dble haul desired … yes
Essential… no
Keep in mind, when fishing the salt you are often out on open water and a stiff breeze is more the norm than the exception. It can make casting much mroe difficult and those 70’ casts can be reduced to 35’. Always keep in mind where the wind is and try and position yourself to use it to benefit you rather than hinder you.
One thing I have not seen mentioned is with the double haul you are not working as hard as someone trying to muscle the line out 50 or 60 feet. I can hit the backing most days. But I work my butt off to do it. I am trying to learn to Double haul just because I do not have the strength I had a few years ago and trying to force the line out is a pain. I mean it a pain in the shoulder and a pain in the back.
I was hoping to take a lesson this year but the cancer has been too much trouble. I pray I can be double hauling before the next fish-in.
If you want to keep working harder do not learn to dh. But if you want people to watch you cast, (there are a bunch of people on this board that make me stop casting just to look at the ease they hit the backing) Flats is one of them, his style is wonderful to watch. MikeV is another that I love watching. I could name a bunch more but you get the idea.
So if you can hit the backing do not worry come on down and fish with us. Pirates do not care if you can dh… We just wait for your equipment to hit the yard sell.
If you cannot hit the backing bring a yak or some other boat, cause most of the time you will watch the fish laugh at you…
Remember pirates are lazy, you think most of them would dh if it was more work…
Harold,
Thank you for making the “I’m getting old” excuse. I know it is true for me, but I don’t believe it in your case.
The thing thats nice about watching someone (like Dude) cast alot of line is not the effort he uses to get out the line, but the effort he does not use. It looks easy and each of his casts is a mirror of the one before. Obviously it is more than a couple of hours practice.
Casting, like alot of other things is all in the timing.
OK, I’ve stayed out of this one because I keep shaking my head and muttering…
I’m an old bat. I’m female. I am not as strong as you ‘guys’. BUT - the double haul divides the work between both hands (and arms) and makes casting easier, less work, and less tiring. I don’t have a 1 wt. rod, I do have 3 wts, and I use the double haul with it too. I can dry a fly faster, be fishing more, with less work.
On distance? Yes, I can consistantly hit the backing if I need to.
And frankly, anyone can if you are willing to learn the doublehaul and practice.
i think the above has covered a lot of what I would have said, and a lot that I never would have known/thought of.
but the DH has done me a lot of good in a lot of situations and with each passing day I put a rod in my hand, it becomes closer to second nature to DH everytime.
its better to have and not need, than to need and not have
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - “WOW-What a Ride!”
Don’t take life too seriously, you’ll never get out alive.
I taught myself, by accident how to double haul…I used a 9 ft Monty 3 pc. 444 peach WF7F and a Hardy Zenith. The year was 1973 and the place with Agate Beach Hammersly Inlet, Puget Sound. I would fish for cutts and blue backs on the incoming tide. The beach was gravel, gentel slope out to 40 feet then deep drop-off into the current. Like J.C. say’s, the speed of the line through the guides, into the light breeze and out beyond the drop-off put the bucktail fly in the path of the cruising fish. I knew I had learned the feat and it felt good. The results were good and like L.F. says it took the tension off my hands and arms and made the day very enjoyable. Kinda like that first solo bike ride as a kid…hey mom, look at me! I will never forget that moment and I was alone. Jonezee
Hurrah for you - it is an awakening for sure.
We’ve taught so many how to do it, and the “look” is always the same…and something said like “so THAT’S how you do it.” I have never heard anyone say they were sorry they learned how.
Yeah I have to agree I love the double haul. I use it with all my rods fishing for anything, the same with a stripping basket. My flies usually look like whole chickens so I need the extra line speed just to get my bugs out to any distance at all. I don’t think that it is just for the older folks to use. I am only 25 and feel better at the end of the day using a dh than just fanning away. It is a bit tough using a dh in a kayak though because of the limited range of motion due to sitting so low in the water, so I had to modify it a bit. I found that by crossing my line hand in front of my casting hand on the forward cast gives me more distance to pull on the line, probably bad voodoo but it seems to work for me.
Who has time for stress when there are fish to catch.
Nick
