Pulling in to the gravel parking lot, I looked down the row of trucks and SUV’s lined up alongside me. Daybreak was just now approaching, but already I was behind the power-curve with the local fishermen. I took a quick count of the fishermen I could see at the dam, and compared that to the vehicles parked. Surely there would be at least a handful of folks homesteading at the Blue Creek hole already, which was my intended destination.
When casting a fly pattern that you have added weight to the tippet above the fly itself or to the fly patten, you should modify your casting with the fly rod tip angled away from your body on your casting side. Then you will not knock yourself out.
When you are casting and the wind is blowing from your casting side, you should cast with your casting arm and the fly rod angle across the front of you body, so that the fly line and fly are clear of your body on the opposite side.
This way your body will never be in the way of the direction of the cast…
Otherwise, might I recommend that you start wearing a construction helmet when fly fishing… ~Parnelli
Parnelli…I needed a construction helmet when I first started chunking steelhead rigs. Thankfully I survived long enough to figure it out. 
Two handed rod, Skagit line, a t14 tip, with a perry poke eliminates the need for shot and the temptation to knock one’s self out from a blow to the back of the head. Thanks for the story. I didn’t know whether to laugh or breath out in relief.