Wulff Wrist Lock

Advice…buy a Wulff Wrist Lock to practice casting. Saves a lot of time breaking bad habits from learning on the fly and doing it wrong. Perfect practice makes for perfect results. :cool:

Your shirt or jacket sleeve works too! My Grandfather taught me how to cast 45 years ago and he used masking tape and taped the rod butt to my wrist just below to reel…it works.

Just don’t attach it in front of the fly reel, as the flyfishers around the corner did with really no help on accuracy nor distance; always below the reel seat & you’ll see the improvement !

A clean handkerchief works GREAT! Knot it on top of the wrist.

Honestly I’m not wishing to be offencive, but for the many years I been helping folks learn to gain confidence with a fly rod I have yet to see the value in such contraptions. Then too I don’t accept the idea of folks haveing bad habits in learning manipulation of a fly rod. By defination a bad habit is knowing whats wrong but choosing to do it any way. If indeed that is the case than yes you can claim the title of having and useing bad habits. If however you simply haven’t learned accurate personal technique then don’t tag yourself as having bad habits. There is no shame in being a work in progress as most all of us are. Let you in on a trade secret, some of us are so good at covering up our weaknesses that you have to be a real grand master of “The Order of Line Shooters Extraordinaire” to catch us fudging proper protocol. But alas, the last of them is now gone and rumor has it the sacred scrolls were buried with him or her we don’t even know that for sure. As far as the use of an artificial devise to restrict your hand or wrist movements, unless you have some physical impairment that would dictate there use. I would suggest you have a void in your understanding of fly rod control and dynamic purposeful application that can be easily corrected by being ask the right questions and a willingness to give an honest consideration to answers plus the effort to apply suggestions. Well here I go again, fat man walking out on a slender limb. Were did you happen to come by the suggestion of a wrist lock?

You probably are casting with the thumb on top grip which aligns the fly rod with your thumb.

The wrist lock prevents you from flopping your wrist back (valgus hyperflexion) on the back cast. It often is the result of a former spin fisher transitioning to fly casting. Instead of contraptions, try changing your grip to the 3 point grip. It automatically creates the stop at the correct angle because it aligns the rod with your forearm rather than your thumb.

On of the requirements of cast is a positive and strong stop. A poor stop robs power from the cast and the more positive the stop, the more efficiently the energy transfer. The three point grip automatically creates a strong stop because the stop occurs at the limit of the wrist mobility. For the thumb on top grip, the caster must create the stop at the proper angle.

The advantages of the three point grip is that both the positive stop and the angle of the stop automatically occur at the correct position.

I wrote an article about the 3 point grip for the latest issue of Wisconsin Trout. See pg 23 below:

http://www.wisconsintu.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=s1tpzC1Sf0c%3D&tabid=58&mid=381

Jason Borger video shows how to position the rod in the hand:

http://fishfliesandwater.com/casting-mending/three-point-grip/

Jason Borger in FF Mag.

http://www.flyfisherman.com/content/threepoint-grip

The Loop, Spring 2008 discussion of grips.

http://www.fedflyfishers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=sCVeG6roAoI%3D&tabid=4469&mid=3361

Silver, kudos! I learned the 3-point grip from Gary Borger at a sports show in Utah years ago. My wife advocates that style grip for most women and it improved her casting so much that she jumped lightyears ahead in her skills after learning that one grip. I use it all the time for all of my fishing and there is no need for any wrist supports. Some will disagree, but I feel the ‘proof is in the puddin’.

Kelly.

Nice. I’m going to give this a try next time I’m out. Thanks for the links!

Well I don’t know if this would be considered disagreeing or not. As a saltwater enthusiast the techniques mentioned while worthy and situationaly may even be appropriate, are self limiting by there very nature as relegated to the lighter end of the fly rod scale. Then too if it helps some to gain the spark and further their interest, then bang on. ; )

I agree that the 3 point grip is not as strong a grip for most folks as the thumb on top grip. But, muscles will respond to being used and strength improves with use. Both Gary and Jason use the 3 point grip for Salt Water work and they are pretty good salt water fishers.

Truth be told, no matter what your grip, most fresh water fishers used to a 5 wt rod will have difficulty casting 10 - 12 wts. into a wind. Similarly, pure salt water fly fishers will have some difficulty when having to perform the specialty casts and mends in trout streams. Some fly fishers like Lefty have their feet firmly planted in both worlds. Kudos to them.

I also think you’ll agree that once a person uses a three point grip and he/she learns the feel and timing of a proper cast, it is not a big deal to then move to a thumb on top. Most folks that have learned to cast with a specific grip can change readily to another grip because they know how they want they rod to move. I can use a thumb on top, the key grip, the 3 point grip, the index finger on top grip, etc. Similarly even if your favorite rod may be a specific length or action, a good caster can use a soft flex, medium flex or a stiff flex rod.

Gary also taught me the forward thrust cast to get increased distance. In the thrust cast the rod is thrust forward as one would thrust a sword. One of the reasons why this thrust works is that it creates a sudden strong stop as your arm comes to a stop because it cannot extend any farther. This sudden stop at the end of the thrust creates optimum energy transfer . This is the same thing that happens with the 3 point grip because it automatically creates a strong positive stop at the end of the back cast. See pg. 7 in the club newsletter.

http://www.tbffc.org/pdf/FFC%2007-03P.pdf

Now look at Steve Rajeff as on the final forward cast he THRUSTS the rod forward and slightly up to get the maximum distance. Se how his arm automatically stops at the end of the forward motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbAi6g4eEPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgPOa5aw_io

Here’s Jerry Seim casting at a lower angle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYxBoXQ7zyA&feature=related

I agree that the 3 point grip is not as strong a grip for most folks as the thumb on top grip. But, muscles will respond to being used and strength improves with use. Both Gary and Jason use the 3 point grip for Salt Water work and they are pretty good salt water fishers.

Truth be told, no matter what your grip, most fresh water fishers used to a 5 wt rod will have difficulty casting 10 - 12 wts. into a wind. Similarly, pure salt water fly fishers will have some difficulty when having to perform the specialty casts and mends in trout streams. Some fly fishers like Lefty have their feet firmly planted in both worlds. Kudos to them.

I also think you’ll agree that once a person uses a three point grip and he/she learns the feel and timing of a proper cast, it is not a big deal to then move to a thumb on top. Most folks that have learned to cast with a specific grip can change readily to another grip because they know how they want they rod to move. I can use a thumb on top, the key grip, the 3 point grip, the index finger on top grip, etc. Similarly even if your favorite rod may be a specific length or action, a good caster can use a soft flex, medium flex or a stiff flex rod.

Gary also taught me the forward thrust cast to get increased distance. In the thrust cast the rod is thrust forward as one would thrust a sword. One of the reasons why this thrust works is that it creates a sudden strong stop as your arm comes to a sudden and complete stop because it physically cannot extend any farther. This sudden stop at the end of the thrust creates optimum energy transfer . This is the same thing that happens with the 3 point grip because it automatically creates a strong positive stop at the end of the back cast. See pg. 7 in the club newsletter.

http://www.tbffc.org/pdf/FFC%2007-03P.pdf

Now look at Steve Rajeff as on the final forward cast he THRUSTS the rod forward and slightly up to get the maximum distance. See how his arm automatically stops at the end of the forward thrust creating the positive stop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbAi6g4eEPA

I used to regret that I never had access to any type of instruction coming up. There were no shops, no books I could get a hold of, no family members , no friends to help and advise me, no internet (being twenty + years in the future) and it took me several years to get my hands on a fly rod at all. As I look back on it after all this time now and realize because of who I am and how I am, not having any of those things was the greatest blessing of my fishing experience. I learned how to learn, then how to teach, then learned how to learn about how and what to teach. As I sit here reading comments of this instructor or that name I smile and think to myself, not even close. You see I’ve worked with many hundreds of instructors but sadly cant remember all the names. Why some have never come face to face with me yet they send me pictures and stories. Husbands have taught wives, sons have taught fathers, brothers have helped brothers , you see they are my teachers. It is they who patiently allowed me to struggle in learning how and what to teach. I will neither agree or disagree with what ever you wish to think, because I know what my teachers have taught me is true to them.

… 'cause I’m a very wristy caster who can’t even tell you how I grip the rod ( except that it is somewhere on the cork ).:confused:

Oh well, guess I’ll have to go fishing to get over it.:stuck_out_tongue:

John

John, can you even imagine how many more fish you would catch if you paid attention to detail!;);):roll::roll:

Silver,
Many thanks for posting the comment about the 3 pt. grip and the links. I have dystonia in my casting wrist and it has become increasingly painful for me to cast and even to grip the rod with the thmb on top. Have even tried learning with my off hand and have made progress, although it still feels unnatural AND I have to switch hands and foot position to strip line. Went to back yard to try the 3 pt. as soon as I read your article in the magazine and the change will aid me tremendously in eliminating the wrist motion I was putting into the backcast.

HCR,

Thanks for getting back to me. I so very glad it worked for you,

Limp Wrist: Situation where the angler during the cast, flicks the fly rod, by movement of the wrist, during the cast. What this wrist movement does, is destroy the lever action of the cast. There is a time and place to flicking the wrist, only at the end of the casting motion when the fly line is released so the fly line’s tippet, lands on the water fully extended.

During the false casting the reel of the fly rod remains, tight up against the underside of the wrist/arm. The fulcrum point is at the elbow. This leverage gives you a 11:1 ratio of power multiplication of the casting motion. The fly rod and your forearm are the lever, the elbow is the fulcrum.

The “Limp Wrist” comes into play at the end of the cast. As you extend your arm movement, to lay the fly line/leader/tippet/fly onto the water surface, you flick your wrist. This helps the fly line/leader/tippet/fly, to extend outward with no slack in the line.

To practice this “Limp Wrist” flick, take a clean paint brush, and fill up a bowl with some water. Then wet the brush bristles and practice you casting motion, casting toward the side of your house of outdoor shed. You are attempting to have all the water on the brush bristles, hitting a spot on the wall of the building. You do not want to see a long line of water spray, running down the side of the building. The flicking will cause all the energy of the cast to be concentrated toward one specific point…

I have taught this to spin-cast anglers, who immediately improved their casting distance and control. It also works with fly anglers.

A inexpensive wrist device is some Velcro strips (hardware store) that can be purchased by the foot unit. Just attach the two sticky sides together and wrap the combined Velcro around your forearm (just behind the wrist) and the rear of the reel seat…

as a person with very slender wrists and very little arm strength when i started out, i found the Wullf wrist thingy really helpful with big rods on salt water. it helped me keep my wrist locked, which made sure all the force of the cast went to the top of the rod. jmho…

Contrary to Steven’s comments, it has been my experience that the problem that 99.44% of the students I have worked with have is that they open their wrists up on the backcast, letting the tippet hit the ground. It is this casting fault that prompted the Wulff’s to develop their “Wrist-Lok”; not because of problems on the forward cast.

One can also extend the arm, increasing the length of the lever, and transfering the fulcrum to the shoulder; greatly increasing one’s distance casting capability (a la Lefty Kreh). The very same principle of physics that the see-saw is based on; or that of a pry-bar and fulcrum.

As Lefty says; there is more BS about fly casting and fishing than there is in a Kansas City feedlot.

aged sage

Aged sage,

I think you misunderstood Steven’s post. As I understand Steven, he is saying that you should flick the wrist (what Doug Swisher calls the “micro wrist”) only at the stop and NOT throughout the entire casting stroke. The “micro wrist” just at the stop functions to flip the rod tip over getting it out of the way of the fly line so that you do not get a tailing loop. Whether on the forward cast or back cast, as the rod unbends, the functional length of the fly rod rod gets longer. The functional length is the distance of the rod tip to the hand; and this shortens as the rod bends, and lengthens back to normal as the rod unbends during the casting stroke. If you did not compensate for this at the stop, you would tend to get tailing loop. The degree of the wrist flip controls loop size.

See the FFF Master Casting Clinic Study Guide below:

http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Portals/0/Casting/Master%20study%20guide%20articles/Al%20Kyte/forward.pdf

“The wrist is better suited for quick, final movements than for those requiring sustained, evenly applied force. ------- Other instructors believe this wrist action is so important that they emphasize it in their teaching. Lefty and Joan Wulff cast with different styles, yet both have stated that they use large muscles to provide force and direction to throw the line, but a late, quick wrist movement to control the size of the casting loop. ------- Longtime East Coast instructor Bill Cairns has similarly described this wrist action. Doug Swisher has taught it as a “micro-wrist” movement and Joe Humphreys as a “tap”. ------ On the forward cast, I want to build in wrist action as part of the stop. To do this, I need to channel a student?s wrist movement into a late time frame within the cast.”

The use of a paint brush is a good way to teach this wrist flick or micro wrist as Steven says. See pg 3 of The LOOP, a mailing to Certified Casting Instructors.

http://www.fedflyfishers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=r0CcF7T7Gq4%3D&tabid=4469&mid=3361

You want th student to stand in front of a wall and stop and flip so the water lands on the wall at about eye level.

What you are saying is that you should not open your wrist on the back cast and that is true. I believe Steven is saying the same thing by saying the only time you should cast with the wrist is at the stop and then with a “micro” movement.

I see no problem with either description. Steven says wrist flip only at the stop, and you say no wrist movement during the stroke. Same thing describing different phases of a cast.