A few Instructors, myself included, use and teach an economy of effort style of fly-casting for practical fishing called Fulcrum Fly-Casting. The importance of loop morphology and ergonomics determine this style. Several practical elements combined define Fulcrum fly-casting style, most notably the use of continuous motion when overhead casting to ensure management of line height behind. Also ensuring that the rod tip is rising as it turns over behind, and making the casting stroke along a straight line incline. The classes of leverage used and when they are employed. A key point is allowing the rod to unload itself and avoiding wedge loops or any pulling down behind. The style emphasises economy of effort through understanding the rod's own inherent capabilities as well as ergonomically correct use of the body. To maintain smoothness the overall acceleration is increased rather than making any short, sudden increase. There is no dead pause space used. There is a stop of the forearm and wrist angle change, but then what would be the normal dead pause space or waiting time in other styles is taken up by a continued relaxed elbow lift moving the rod hand or top hand along the straight line incline used for the cast.
It is important that the arm is able to be used with the wrist cocked froward so that the rod butt is placed against the forearm for the first half of the back stroke. This is a most efficient way of casting longer single handed rods with heavier lines. Grilse rods, (or switch rods as the Americans refer to them). However the normal rod starting position may also be used with shorter rods and really the angler should be able to use both methods at any time. The two methods differ only in starting position and the controlled wrist break is made over the second half of the stroke, there is only arm movement over the first half of the stroke.
The fulcrum fly-casting style is firmly based on Scottish fly-casting techniques, it is taught and explained through the American FFF system of terminology. The FFF system defines fully what is going on from analysis and applying the use of suitable terminology. The FFF have an excellent system of teaching that can define elements of fly-casting mechanics, principles and the substance of fly-casting or a fly-casting style.
Fulcrum Fly-Casting is also taught using a system of specific exercises that concentrate on key areas of technique rather than trying to complete a whole cast initially. More rapid progress and a greater understanding of the rod's own properties and inherent capabilities is achieved through the exercise system. In Spey casting the incline exercise is the foundation of everything.
Peter Anderson's Fly-casting techniques always reflected the reality of the real life fishing situation. There is not much point in thinking that you are achieving distance when the line is actually coming off the ground behind you while practicing in a mown park or lawn, to then find on the river or Lough that the same drop down of the line behind kills the cast dead when it makes contact with the water, or causes major problems and extreme nuisance value from catching on bank side vegetation. Better to ensure line height management behind as a fundamental basis of your casting technique.
For taking exams the incline used ensures that the basic overhead casting loop is perfectly formed and narrow, even more so than the level required for taking exams. Why? because there is no pulling down of the rod tip behind at any time and the straight line incline is a perfect stroke path for the rod to create a straight line path of the rod tip and a tight V loop behind without any wedge shape or pulling down occurring on the bottom leg. The rod tip reaches the furthest position behind by rising back and up to that position.
This is an excerpt from an article highlighting individual styles with the double-handed rod
The difference between a Spey cast and a jump roll is that the Spey cast involves a change of direction. Some people call the jump roll a forward Spey or a switch cast. I never heard it called either when I was learning. A Spey cast always involved a change of direction and a switch cast was an aerialised Spey cqst made in a similar way to the single Spey except that the line never touched the water. Modern terminology and changes of word use can be a little confusing. I always understood a switch cast to be what some people now call an aerialised Spey cast. There is one very expert practitioner of the aerialised Spey cast that I know, though it is not executed like the one shown on the Mel Krieger video. It is a much more dynamic and lower level one than that.
The maestro of this particular technique is Frank Elliott from the Mourne. As they say in Ireland, he sure can whistle a line out. I have had the good fortune to see him in action a few times using this cast on the Lower Finn, once in a near gale. The line lands straight as a telegraph wire on the final delivery and with perfect fly turnover every time. He always used two flies, no wind knots though. The line glides upriver gracefully and only a yard or so over the water. It moves upriver in a tight loop and never touches down, it is like a good overhead cast loop made sideways and close to the river. Timing and power application are critical and the final delivery is made with the rod tip ending up close to the water. When the upstream side cast part of the cast has been made and the line is sent on its way, Frank immediately raises the rod to the firing position. Then, when the end of the line is just past Frank's position he makes the final delivery with the rod tip ending low to the water. A Concorde nose shaped V loop, of the type that would poke your eye out, stretches way across the river at speed and at the correct angle for presentation, the line straight as it could be. The cast relies absolutely on timing and tautness and the speed of final delivery. Frank of course employs the forty year touch when doing it, about forty years of experience of doing it goes in to every cast, hard to emulate that.
Frank's final delivery reminds me of the unique overhead casting style of another maestro who can whistle a line out gracefully. Kieran Bolster on the Cork Blackwater, and he employs an almost identical final delivery. I called it the Bolster overhead cast. Kieran overhead casts making a change of direction. He fishes the right bank a lot and overhead casts off his left shoulder with the right hand up on the rod. He lifts against the water loading and turning his body slightly as he uses weight shift and upper body rotation, he then casts the line back gracefully over his left shoulder in the most tight and perfect loop, one that again is arrived at from the 40 years touch. It rises up over the gravel bars behind and then with absolutely perfect timing he uses a type of back hand forward stroke. The rod ending down parallel with the water or closer and the same concorde nose V loop speeds across the Blackwater pools with perfect turnover every cast just as the line hits the water.
Just overhead over the left shoulder you might think, no not at all, not so simple when you see it done with the change of direction involved, the grace, the loop control, the directional control, the trajectory control, the timing, the length of line he lifts and the economy of effort and sheer perfection with which its all done time and time again, no mistakes. It is another forty years of experience at work. Kieran is a character and I remember him learning me the specific motion of this cast and I cracked a fly off, (a small copper tube) with wrong timing. Between smiles he stated if any of you guys with the certificates want to do any of the advanced stuff I’m willing to give any of you a few lessons any time …etc
There were no rule books years ago and these anglers techniques are products of their environment and their necessity to cover the water well in the physical situation of their fishing.
When mentioning style what I am specifically referring to here is the different styles of fly-casting employed to execute the same type of cast, using the same type of outfit. Different styles of overhead casting with a single-handed rod. Different styles of Single Spey casting with a long belly line and a Scottish style double-handed rod. Different styles of shooting head Spey casting with a double-handed rod. Not the different types of cast or different outfits.
To have formal training in a recognised, successful fly-casting style is something I would consider to be of great importance for a fly-caster. There is a purpose and ethos behind every element of a casting style. I consider myself fortunate to have learned Peter Anderson's fly-casting style with both single and double-handed rods, and a lot about loop morphology from him and others in both Scotland and Ireland.
A style is defined by the the particular ethos and nuances of the style, There are many styles. There is no one right way and if loop morphology is correct then the technique or style is working. Some people put more emphasis on a longer stroke, some shorter. Some on using the body more. Some on more vertical, some on more tilted rod planes. Economy of effort and ergonomics may be an overriding principle for some. There are some styles named after the originators like Hans Gebetsroither style or Lefty Kreh style. Lefty Kreh style becoming a standard of saltwater anglers. It is always useful to be able to cast in several styles, it increases versatility and understanding and you may find yourself using a certain style to suit a particular situation.
