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?

 

[flybill]

Every time I take a guided float on a river I'm grateful that I have good many trout lakes nearby, and very little convenient moving water to tempt me into dealing with the challenge of line and fly management. Even a well executed long cast on a river is a line mending nightmare.

On a lake, sitting fat and lazy in my kayak, short casts of 30 to 50 feet to trout completely unaware of my presence, or watching an indicator, and lack of anything to grab a fly on a backcast make a day on the water a rewarding and relaxing experience.

See I'm the opposite.. I prefer rivers over lakes.. maybe when I get a pram or other boat it will change.. but probably not!

 

[krusty]

See I'm the opposite.. I prefer rivers over lakes.. maybe when I get a pram or other boat it will change.. but probably not!

As a youngster I preferred streams, but they all became hobby farm access nightmares over the past 60 years.

 

[flybill]

As a youngster I preferred streams, but they all became hobby farm access nightmares over the past 60 years.

Maybe I'll get there sometime.. probably just get eaten by a bear on some remote river..LOL!
FlyBill
(Trash Panda named Rocket)

 

[krusty]

Maybe I'll get there sometime.. probably just get eaten by a bear on some remote river..LOL!
FlyBill
(Trash Panda named Rocket)

I thought about that a lot last June in SE AK.

 

[Matt B]

I do not believe I’ve ever watched my backcast in 27 years of fly fishing. Does that make me weird?

No that doesn’t make you weird.

I guarantee I’ve saved myself a future neck surgery by only focusing on one direction lol.

But I think that does!

 

[Creatch’r]

No that doesn’t make you weird.

But I think that does!

Busted!

 

[Hem]

Random comment, late to the game.
Personally I feel the OBS is better suited to an 8 wght or better, fast action rod. I use mostly 10 wght rods with this line. IMO the line is not really meant to be cast, per say, but more like hurled or launched. Shoreline fishing of lakes or rivers I usually keep the head clear of the rod, and the remaining line of my comfortable casting distance clear of the reel. The " cast" is get the head in the air by loading the rod off the water in to the backcast, one forward cast( or two) increasing line speed rapidly and launching all of the loose line for the final forward cast. Playing with line speed will reveal the sweet spot for the load and launch. This isn't lazy casting. It's aggressive extension of the casting arm to elevate the line from rear obstacles and powering the line to roll over on itself.
I don't care much about pretty, more about function. I also prefer to keep the cast off to the side. Less chance of getting hooked in the head with a direct overhead cast....
Anyway, just another explanation from a big fan of the OBS.

 

[flybill]

These things can't be diagnosed on the intraweb.. with a decent video, maybe. I've done private casting instruction for decades, taught Orvis 101 and 102 classes for 9 or 10 years, started off as a volunteer prior to working at Orvis.

Worked with Aaron Riemer, Mike Kinney and many others from the FFF. I'm actually going to start working, on my cast with Todd Sosmel of the FFF next year!

Casting and fishing are different, trying to diagnos your cast while fishing is tough. Practice your casting prior to your trip, whether its for a day, week or month! Golfers go to the driving range, prior to playing golf, particularily a new tough course or if you haven't been out in a while.

Hunters do the same, sighting in their rifle, shotgun, handgun or bow, black powder.. whatever..

While fly casting can feel like "riding a bike"! It really isn't. IMHO...

One of the main things I do as a casting instructor is to help my student learn how to diagnose their cast. Golf is the same, when you're out playing...

And watching your backcast, and the lift and the pulll of course, is VERY important if you want to become a better caster. While the fish don't give a crap about your backcast, timing, speed or whatever doesn't matter. The better you can cast, the better and more efficient cast you'll have.

Watching videos on YouTube or wherever is great, but only if you are watching someone who knows what they are doing.

Whether you choose a private lesson or six is up to you.. but I would recommend it.. with me, or someone close to you. Check your local fly shop, the FFF casting instructors or take videos of yourself and figure it out.

Just my 2 cents, after years of doing it.. actually more like Austin Powers... 1 million dollars! LOL!

 

[the_grube]

This was a fun thread to read through. Lots of great help and tips. My 2cents (practically worthless in this inflated economy)
I find that it's hard to monitor the casting rules in real time; my brain can't process that much information in the time a forward cast takes. I'll do lawn casting exercises to work on 1 maybe 2 of the 'rules' at a time. When I'm fishing I concentrate on loop formation and leader-tippet-fly turn over. If those things are working I'm confident I'm following most of the rules.

One other thought. For me, there's an interesting paradox. Focusing on distance will almost always lead me to 'wind' knots, tailing loops and other assorted dark places. Focusing on good tight loops that roll out to the target alleviates casting faults and generates longer casts.

 

[Otter]

I can’t see your line in your videos, but my vision is not good. If you‘re casting an OBS, and you already have the head just outside of the tiptop at the start of the videos, try just making one backcast to load the rod. Then make your forward delivery, which should pull the big loops of running line out of your line hand or stripping basket.

If you’re casting a regular line with a longer head, you can make several false casts, and let a bit of line slip out at the end of each stroke. You will find a limit to how much line can be “carried” in the air without it falling. Once you get familiar with that limit (which depends on the line-rod setup), you’ll automatically make your forward delivery before the cast collapses. Personally, I don’t make more than 2 or 3 false casts. Any more than that gives me no benefit, and also increases my chances of a lousy cast.

When my casts start having problems, I try to think of two things. Maybe you already know these tips:
One is to smooth out my movements.
Secondly, I imagine I’m holding a big paintbrush that’s loaded with paint, and I’m in a small room with a low ceiling, and I want to flick paint only on the wall behind me, and on the wall in front of me, without getting any on the ceiling. This imagery helps me make good firm stops at the end of each stroke, and equally important, keep my line in a straight-line path. If you’re getting paint on the ceiling, that means your rod tip is making a big arc, and your distance suffers, because the line follows the rod tip.

 

[Divad]

If you rip skin it’s too fast (no pause and/or momentum gradient) if you only poke n tug that’s the right speed, just need a beach with sun-tanners behind you to let you know

 

[Jake Watrous]

If you rip skin it’s too fast (no pause and/or momentum gradient) if you only poke n tug that’s the right speed, just need a beach with sun-tanners behind you to let you know

We still talking about fly casting?

 

[Divad]

We still talking about fly casting?

Indeed

Tbh, I need to record myself this seems like a good practice.

 

[Herkileez]

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.

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I just watched the videos. I would say you're much too fast, getting ahead of the rod before it has a chance to load properly. Slow down, and allow the rod to load, with the line straightened out behind it. (Yes, turn and watch the line straighten out). ( one o'clock stop) Then move the rod forward to an 11 o'clock stop. Allow the rod to supply the power, not your shoulder. It doesn't matter whether a fast or slow action rod, the principal is the same.

 

[Herkileez]

I do not believe I’ve ever watched my backcast in 27 years of fly fishing. Does that make me weird?

All the cool kids are watching their backcast...just sayin'....

 

[Porter2]

I watch my backcast a fair bit, especially when going a bit longer. I also use my backcast as my presentation cast ( hence making my forward cast inland and it becomes my backcast, if that makes sense?).

I especially watch my backcast when I have bushes/trees/steep bank behind me to make sure I’m keeping it in between or above the shrubbery behind me. It’s not fun bringing your forward cast full go when you have wrapped your line around a twigg behind you.

 

[SteelHeadDave]

It’s good to watch your backcast every so often, especially when fishing from the beach. Rock hounders, whale watchers, small children and the odd buzz bomber have a knack for showing up out of nowhere and standing right behind a fly fisher.

 

[Nick Clayton]

Have you checked to see if you're standing on your line? I find out in the boat that when I'm struggling with casting distance I'm almost always standing on my loose line. This is particularly common when there are jumping fish in the distance to cast to.

Pro tip.

 

[Jake Watrous]

Have you checked to see if you're standing on your line? I find out in the boat that when I'm struggling with casting distance I'm almost always standing on my loose line. This is particularly common when there are jumping fish in the distance to cast to.

Pro tip.

It does give your cast an extra crisp stop, though.

 

[speedbird]

Doing a little more casting, I think with my Base and Outbound short, I get a longer cast, but the BOOST blue gets me a more efficient cast up to around 50ft