On one hand, my casting is getting better and better. I’m getting to the point where I can mend in the air and I can now do a reach cast. Last night I was in a tough position with brush to my right so I started casting downstream and then tossing the fly where I wanted it with my back cast.
However, I seem to be throwing a lot of wind knots lately. I think that part of it is that I’m trying to get more distance with my cast and I’m fighting that with a double taper line and an older, shorter rod. I’m also casting side arm a lot more in order to get around brush and trees. So my rod is quite often at a 45 degree angle instead of straight up and down.
But what would be causing me to throw so many wind knots? I keep catching my fly against the leader or wrapping it around my fly line. I’ve done it so many times that I can now hear and feel the difference in my cast when it’s tangled. There are times when I’m tangling every other cast and it’s getting frustrating.
By the way, on last night’s fishing trip to my local river I broke my own record for catching the smallest fish ever.
One of the most common causes of the “wind knot” (which could more correctly be called a casting knot) is applying too much power too quickly on the forward cast. This frequently occurs when trying to increase the length of the cast. Applying too much power forces the rod tip below the ideal straight line of travel which, in turn, drops the tip of the line, the leader and the fly below the main portion of the line creating the classic tailing loop which can, in turn, cause the fly to get hung up on the junction of the line and leader, or to throw an overhand knot into the leader or even into the fly line.
OK, I’ll try to make the forward cast smoother, more of an acceleration. I’ve been concentrating a lot on stopping the rod at 11:00 to let the rod do it’s job and toss the fly line and then following it with lowering the rod to get a gentle, low-splash presentation. That’s giving me more distance and better turnover of the leader and tippet.
It may very well be that since I’m more focused on stopping the rod correctly that I may be developing a more jerky cast. I have to remember : Smmmoooooooth
As far as distance goes: When I practice, I can cast about 40 to 50 feet before the system just seems to not want to do any more. I can roll cast 25 to 30 feet easily on my pool. Once I’m in the river it seems that 30 feet is about my max for a standard cast and 20 feet is a HUGE roll cast. I hope that will get better.
The BEST cure for wind knots is to fish more often which usually means you have more opportunities to cast and practice more.
Like most FF’ers; I had wind knot issues when I was a newbie but they mysteriously disappeared the more experienced I became. I didn’t do anything consciously; I just tried to perfect my casting and presentation and the knots took care of themselves.
Fishing is a great way to practice casting but the pressure to succeed can exacerbate problems. As a result; I almost always take a few minutes or longer at the end of day of fishing; just to make a few practice casts of a type that may not have come up in my fishing that day. It’s fun and it still helps me after all these years.
The BEST cure for wind knots is to fish more often which usually means you have more opportunities to cast and practice more.
Well, not to brag or anything (OK, I’m bragging a little bit) 8) But I’ve been fishing 3 times this week.
I went spin fishing on the American River on Wednesday but left when the rain and lightning started. Then I went fly fishing on both Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Oddly enough, I don’t cast knots when I’m practicing in my backyard. Everything changes on the river.
But more to the point, it might not (easily) “tell” you what you you need to do to eliminate casting knots.
Next time you’re out on the lawn practicing (if you don’t, please do that frequently) and you do a good back cast…straight back or better yet a bit ELEVATED to allow for some sink…FORCE that cast forward, abrubptly. Now undo the knot.
Repeat…get a good back cast but this time PULL your line forward a bit then punch it. Untangle again…
Next cast, when you pull the line so as to accelerate the forward cast…BE LESS JERKY and speed up to your STOP. This happens all w/in a second or so. It’ll take some practice to get the feel.
Hopefully this won’t tangle as much or maybe none at all.
Now keep the rod tip in touch (no slack) with the forward cast’s and practice that “smoooooth” for-cast, as Preston said. The tip won’t dip below your main line (if it does…the line will follow it and she’ll “tail”…) If you keep it smoooooth you’ll be much happier.
Sorry for the long explanation. But I just went thru this all of the last two seasons. It really does work!
Dru,
I forgot to add another basic and very important issue…that of being on the same plane.
Simply put, if your back cast sinks below the horizontal, don’t aim your presentation towards the water. Instead you’ll HAVE to keep it at 180 deg. otherwise it’ll tail too!
If your back cast is level with the world then your forward cast can only be level with the world. If you wish to present the fly to the fish at knee level, then that back cast needs to be elevated. (I’m talking to myself here, as much as I"m telling you!) I have difficulty and it’s still not quite natural.
Simple to say…but it’s something I struggle with in reminding myself. Old habits are hard to break!
Keep the same plane! It’s not simple to just correct, once you’ve been doing it for awhile. And it’s very important.
Next, work on maintaining the same place in your loop too! Then poetry will reveal itself and you’ll grin!!!
I see. All good advice. Although I admit to having a tough time picturing a flat line for the rod tip. Even on the DVD I have (Doug Swisher’s casting dvds) he talks about the importance of making the rod move in a straight line.
But if you hold the rod and bend the elbow (or wrist, or shoulder) then the rod tip will move in an arc. Maybe I’m taking it too literally, or maybe it’s the engineer in me. But when you rotate a stick it describes an arc, not a straight line.
You know what? I’ve read enough of Castwell’s stuff that I really do hear his voice in my head when I’m on teh river saying “Keepeth thy backcast upeth!”. Also, Doug Swisher’s DVD demonstrates how changing the plane of the cast wil cause a crossing loop. I think I’m being aware of those points.
It feels to me like the problem is a combination of the smooth acceleration of the stroke combined with too short of a pause on the backcast (It always tangles on the backcast).
Dang! I have to go teach tonight after my regular job. If only I could get out on the river to practice this stuff. I’ll have to wait until the weekend.
Hmm, night casting practice . . . That could work.
“Hmm, night casting practice . . . That could work.”…sometimes it’s good to close your eyes…seriously
“But if you hold the rod and bend the elbow (or wrist, or shoulder) then the rod tip will move in an arc. Maybe I’m taking it too literally, or maybe it’s the engineer in me. But when you rotate a stick it describes an arc, not a straight line.”
So don’t “rotate”…think of the forearm …the"upperarm" [actually is anatomically the “arm”] and the shoulder going backward and forward… straight…maybe like pull and push…and almost everyone [except Gramps ] will tell you not to rotate your wrist either…
Dru, that “straight line” thing gave my mind troubles too. I went through the same reasoning as you just did.
Here’s what helped clarify that. Forget…the straight line tip thing.
Lefty says to imagine resting your elbow on a plank, at the comfortable position for you. Now, when you cast, you simply slide that elbow along that plank! And for the most part don’t break your wrist!! Try tucking the butt of the rod into the cuff of your sleeve.
See!!
The rest will take care of itself!
That bit of advice of Lefty’s took my loops and tightened them up bigtime!
No Kidding! Wow, that’s a different way of thinking about it. Doug Swisher puts all the power in his wrist and Jason Borger talks about the movement as being 1) reach up and grab your ear: 2) Karate chop down (Let go of your ear first).
Actually, Swisher does do a combination of that “pushing” movement combined with the wrist snap which he calls “the microsecond wrist”. That always makes me laugh as it has NOTHING to do with microseconds but it sure sounds technical. Funny how other books and DVD say “Never bend your wrist”. I guess it’s each person’s personal style.
OK, I’m going to try that different motion and see if I can come up with a style that suits me.
I’m going to my 2nd job to teach music. My biggest challenge is to get my students to practice. So here I am being told “Go home and practice”. :lol:
When you rotate a stick the tip will describe an arc, but we’re not talking about a broomstick here but a flexible fly rod. As the rod is accelerated through the casting stroke, the rod bends and, ideally, the tip of the rod travels in a straight line. Mel Krieger’s casting video demonstrates this quite nicely in a slow-motion sequence with a white rod against a black background.
] will tell you not to rotate your wrist either…