Adjusting to a fast action rod

[speedbird]

I quite like my new Boost Blue. I can feel it load my rio outbound short much better than my Base, and while they still need improvement I am able to double haul, which i struggled to with the Base.

That said, I've noticed my casts have gotten a little shorter, from a 50-70 average down to a 40-55. Are there any specific considerations to keep in mind casting a faster rod?

 

[EB590]

Rio Outbound Short isn’t a long distance line; it is an easy distance line. Once the 30ft head is out, all you can do is give it a haul and shoot the line. There isn’t a whole lot of nuance to it, in comparison to a long head fly line. The fact that you’re able to cast the distances that you mentioned indicates that you’re not doing anything terribly wrong. If you’re not getting the distance that you desire, there’s really only a few possibilities…

1. You have too much/little line out.
2. You’re hauling too much/little.
3. Your setup isn’t capable of doing what you think it is.

With practice, you will figure out what the issue is. I don’t think anyone would be able to speculate, meaningfully, over the interwebs.

You can eliminate #3. Both setups are cable of casting a shooting head more than 70 feet.

 

[speedbird]

What weight is your new Boost rod and what weight is your OBS line?
SF

Both are 6!

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

You could post a video of yourself casting - you'd get a lot more productive input that way.

 

[Stonedfish]

Both are 6!

The OBS is already overweighted, but it seems the Boost is a super fast rod from what I gather.
Not saying it will help things but we are taking beach fishing here. It you know somebody who has a OBS 7 wt line or similar line, you might give that a try to see if it helps. Some salty 6 wts are actually 7 wts in disguise.
SF

 

[SurfnFish]

The OBS is already overweighted, but it seems the Boost is a super fast rod from what I gather.
Not saying it will help things but we are taking beach fishing here. It you know somebody who has a OBS 7 wt line or similar line, you might give that a try to see if it helps. Some salty 6 wts are actually 7 wts in disguise.
SF

x2...easiest way to 'slow and load' a fast rod is overweight the line

 

[Chucker]

Some salty 6 wts are actually 7 wts in disguise.

Some of them are 8 weights! None of them are what a 6 weight was when the system was defined.

A rough way to test whether your line balances your rod appropriately is to lay out 30’ of line on grass behind you, and then make a forward cast starting from that position (or vice versa for a back cast). Some people call it a “pick up and lay down” cast.

 

[_WW_]

The few times I have tried to give some casting lessons I always did two things.
Refer to the back cast as an up cast.
Show them how little arm strength it takes to actually make a cast.

And I agree with the suggestion to watch your back up cast to help with the timing.

 

[Zak]

I've got a weight forward 7-wt saltwater flyline if you want to borrow it and try it out on your new rod. I'm in Lynnwood/Mill Creek. I think it is an Orvis All-Rounder, but I'm not positive of that.

 

[skyriver]

Lots of good advice. I'll just add that the Base is sold as a med-fast, but it's WAY slower than your Boost Blue. And it sounds like you were comfortable (and proficient) with the speed and action of the Base. Med-fast may be your sweet spot for rods.

Having said that, you gotta juice it up for that Boost Blue man. Faster & quicker. Let it rip, but do so without a lot of extra movement. Several have already said it. Quick strokes, quick stops, not much movement. It's completely opposite of what your Base has conditioned you to do. It's a different vibe for sure.

And I'll just say it...it's ok to not like fast rods. There, I said it. Haha!
You don't need a fast rod. I like fast rods. I also like slow rods. You might need a fast rod for some saltwater fishing, but you really don't need it for the sound.

 

[Greggor]

The OBS is already overweighted, but it seems the Boost is a super fast rod from what I gather.
Not saying it will help things but we are taking beach fishing here. It you know somebody who has a OBS 7 wt line or similar line, you might give that a try to see if it helps. Some salty 6 wts are actually 7 wts in disguise.
SF

I agree, give it a try. I think results will vary by individual, much like golf clubs.

I have both a Boost Blue 6wt and 7wt. I use OBS lines on both. So, I was able to try overlining the 6wt with an OBS 7wt. For me personally, not a good fit. Felt disconnected at times, along with some clunky rebounding if that makes any sense. Maybe a timing issue on my part.

I have a gut feeling the 7wt might be more accepting of an overline. I don't see near the tip deflection on that rod when casting. I like both rods.

The Boost Blue in my opinion is fast, but has a soft tip, in particular the 6wt. Not sure how that changes the typical dynamics of a fast rod. Fun rod to be under-gunned with roping larger salmon!

As always, your mileage may vary.

 

[Driftless Dan]

I recently bought an Edge, which I consider to be a pretty fast rod. I'll concur with what I've read above. I need to be pretty forceful to get the most out of the rod. A half-assed cast will only result in a puddle of fly line 20 feet away. Sharp starts and sharp stops are what this rod requires.

 

[jaredoconnor]

All Echo rods are true-to-weight, AFAIK. I wouldn’t over-line the rod, personally; OBS is already at the limit of what any true-to-weight rod is supposed to handle. Just work on your casting a bit more. The suggestion to post a video is a great idea.

 

[speedbird]

Thanks for the advice, I'll get a video posted next time I fish. Yesterday I got my casting up to a consistent 60ft (Depending on the definition, I include leader length and rod length in my casts)

 

[Kfish]

Getting videos of yourself casting in the park will help tremendously, try to get some background like dark trees so you can see what your line is doing too (loop forming).
Work up slowly and get a feel for the rod and line combo, make consistent loops with just a little beyond the head out before increasing the distance.
I have found the video myself in the park thing helped a lot, still some days my casting is just shit

 

[Tom Butler]

still some days my casting is just shit

You're not alone! I usually only fish 20-50' (maybe 40-70 on a lake) and unless I focus things fall apart quick. I hold my line in my off hand with a spin rod, not against the cork with my finger, and my fly casting ends up looking like a worm lob with spin gear if I get lazy (at least the open loop keeps things from tangling). Just a mess

 

[speedbird]

Took me a couple months but I finally got a friend to record a video of me casting. I attached a video of me with the OBS and one with my friends softer action scientific anglers rod fitted with a kit floating line. Funny enough I think I am casting the cheap line further, albeit with more false casts. Looking at the video, I am grossly underestimating the amount of false casts I make: I thought I was doing 2-4, looks more like I am doing 6-8!!! I also notice that I am bringing my front cast a little further than the back cast. Thank you for all the offers of feedback, I will greatly appreciate any and all that can improve my casting skills.

iCloud Photos - Apple iCloud

View, organize, and share photos and videos with iCloud Photos on the web. Changes will sync across your devices with iCloud.

share.icloud.com

 

[Jake Watrous]

Took me a couple months but I finally got a friend to record a video of me casting. I attached a video of me with the OBS and one with my friends softer action scientific anglers rod fitted with a kit floating line. Funny enough I think I am casting the cheap line further, albeit with more false casts. Looking at the video, I am grossly underestimating the amount of false casts I make: I thought I was doing 2-4, looks more like I am doing 6-8!!! I also notice that I am bringing my front cast a little further than the back cast. Thank you for all the offers of feedback, I will greatly appreciate any and all that can improve my casting skills.

iCloud Photos - Apple iCloud

View, organize, and share photos and videos with iCloud Photos on the web. Changes will sync across your devices with iCloud.

share.icloud.com

I think it may be how my phone is displaying the video, but how long are you waiting on the back cast? The way it's playing it looks like no pause.

 

[speedbird]

I think it may be how my phone is displaying the video, but how long are you waiting on the back cast? The way it's playing it looks like no pause.

Looks to be approximately one second...too fast?

 

[flybill]

You don't have to wait until you fish! Take a video out on the lawn if you have room or in a park nearby. Generally slow down, but the key is to watch your backcast and see how the rod loads. Once the rod is about to load then start your forward cast and as the line and loop are about to straighten start to lower the rod into the fishing position.

Are you double or single hauling? Try it without a haul and see how much line you can shoot or don't worry about shooting line.

Something is affecting your timing if you can normally cast that much further.. too many variables to diagnose without seeing your cast in person or at least on video.

In general I say slow down and let the rod do the work.. however other factors can be wrist, pushing the rod too hard. Plus others. If you can make it to Fall City Saturday mornings then there are guys, including me, who can help you diagnose the problems.. not tomorrow though as the water is too high and the beach non existent!

 

[Scudley Do Right]

I'm not an expert but if l am working on my cast I'll do it at the park on grass. I find it easier to focus rather than while fishing. I agree it seems like you could slow down.