Single Hand Rod Fly-Casting Notes for Fulcrum Fly-Casting Style
What is fly-casting?
Fly-casting is mainly about using leverage and the flexible nature of a fly rod to help project a narrow unrolling loop of fly line.
The fly line is a long, flexible weight and the weight is spread out along the particular profile or taper of the line. The fly line will create a lot of air resistance if the unrolling loop is not kept reasonably narrow. Excessive air resistance of the line will cause the cast to fail. The loop of line should unroll out fully without any tangling, skewing or collapsing until the line and leader are straight and the fly lands furthest away from the angler. When this occurs it is called fly turnover.
Changing the position and angle of the rod with arm and body movements is used to generate line momentum and to deflect or load the rod. The combined line momentum and tip speed from the rod unloading will ultimately project or unroll the fly line. The leverage and movements are directed, controlled and made so that the rod travels in a very smooth and progressively accelerating motion. The application of leverage generates line momentum and rod loading and eventually rod tip turnover speed. The unloading rod creates rod tip turnover speed. There is always a slight delay from the rod being loaded and stopped and it then unloading.
When the angle change of the leverage or loading move applied by the caster is stopped the rod will then undeflect or unload. The rod may continue to change position or angle in a relaxed fashion as the rod unloads. A fly rod only does one thing by itself, when it is deflected into a curve it will straighten when it gets the opportunity to do so. A little like a bow immediately undeflecting when the drawstring and arrow is released. When the angle change and acceleration of a casting stroke is stopped the rod will undeflect or straighten. As the rod is tapered it generates rod tip speed as it straightens/uneflects/unloads. The energy from the greater circumference and mass at the bottom of the rod blank traveling into an area of lesser mass towards the rod tip ensures tip speed is generated. The rod tip does not just straighten and stop but the tip turns over at speed and counter flexes before stopping. The energy is transferred into the line and a loop unrolls down the line.
The fly line is the weight that loads the rod and not the fly. Therefore the more fly line is outside the rod tip, the more weight is out and the deeper the rod will deflect into a curve or load. The deeper the rod deflects the longer movement and time it will require to fully deflect along with more power application when applying the leverage and acceleration.
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Single hand rod fly-casting starts with really understanding how the flex of the rod unloading generates rod tip turnover speed and how an acceleration is necessary to create the correct loop shape. We start by learning the key exercise of rod tip casting a short line from side to side using controlled wrist break and a very short stroke so that we can see and correct both back cast and forward cast loop formation.
After this essential technique is understood and fine tuned we then will learn how to execute the basic, foundation or fundamental overhead casting stroke.The tip casting technique being incorporated into the basic casting stroke at the end of the acceleration. A longer stroke is used and the cast is made back and forward rather than sideways.
For the basic casting stroke approximately ten yards of line will be placed outside the rod tip and we learn how to execute a technically correct cast with this length of line. This is an essential basic step otherwise future progress or potential may be hindered.
Single-handed fly-casting is about putting a few essential component parts of the cast together and blending them seamlessly into smooth, fluid motion to make the basic overhead cast. There are four main steps for progress in single-handed fly-casting.
1. The Key exercise - Tip casting a short line
Aerialising a short length of line first (8 to 10yds) working from left to right and not back and forward so that the back loop can easily be seen. The casts are made using mainly controlled wrist break with very minimal arm movement prior to and during the wrist break. This exercise really helps people to understand the rod’s properties and action better and then be much more able to execute the basic casting stroke correctly and with minimal effort. Once perfected the technique will then be incorporated into the basic casting stroke. The leverage applied to the rod by the crisp controlled wrist movement is fine tuned by feel to ensure tip action and rod tip turnover speed from the rod’s recoil reaction as it straightens. This fine tuning of tip casting is used as an initial learning exercise by aerialising a short line prior to learning the actual basic casting stroke.
The key here is changing the angle and position of the rod in such a way as to generate a little momentum and then cause the recoil reaction of the rod blank straightening to kick the tip over sweetly. It takes fine tuning and practice to get it just right. When the correct reaction from the rod occurs some people refer to it as rod "pop". The whole movement is done as smoothly as possible.
2. The Basic Casting Stroke
Mastering the basic or fundamental casting stroke is an essential step. The basic casting stroke is the foundation or building block of single-handed fly-casting. It should become an entirely automatic process, an established muscle memory in the style that you wish to use before further progress is attempted. Its purpose is to ensure absolutely technically correct technique using a short line.
Through mastering a basic casting stroke the angler learns among other things -
Not to reach. How the rod’s own unloading action and rod tip turnover speed will project the line from the correct application of leverage alone and without any reaching.
That fly-casting is not forceful or erratic. How a pure, steady and smooth overall acceleration and controlled power application is applied.
How all the arm pivots are used to bring the rod along an incline to the right elevation.
How excessive wrist break is avoided and the correct trajectory backwards and forward is used.
How to ensure there is fly turnover in front and behind with narrow parallel loops or V loops and no tailing loops, tangles, collapsing loops or wedge loops.
How prior loading takes place from ‘off rod’ leverage and acceleration before the ‘on rod’ fulcrum point leverage and acceleration is applied.
That one type of leverage seamlessly blends into both types being applied while maintaining the overall pure acceleration.
How loop morphology is maintained by the rod being allowed to unload itself, rather than being forced
How continuous motion casting is used for line height management behind and correct timing.
Keeping in plane ensuring correct rod tracking occurs.
3. Aerialising a slightly longer line
After the basic casting stroke is completely mastered we will progress to aerialising a slightly longer line backwards and forwards using rod action only without using the line hand or any hauling. We are still using the rods own action but with a longer length of line. We will use a more open stance and turn our feet to approx 45 degrees to the direction of the cast. The correct longer stroke length will become important and timing. Over longer lengths of line there will be a longer stroke, more arm movement to generate line momentum before the controlled wrist movement, slight upper body rotation, a loading move (or lead) and drift. When aerialising a slightly longer length of line with correct loop formation is an automatic, controlled exercise, then we can introduce hauling with the line hand.
4. Double hauling
A haul is a pull on the line with the line hand. It is made as a smooth acceleration and not an erratic movement or sudden tug. There is an immediate return of the hand steadily back upwards after the haul. A double haul is where two separate hauls are made with the line hand to increase line speed during the cast, one haul is made on the back casting stroke and one haul on the forward casting stroke. The hands start off close together, in order to make two hauls, after the first haul the hauling hand has to be returned back up towards the rod hand and the fly line fed back smoothly into the rod rings while under tension from the loop forming or unrolling out behind. The line hand is brought up slowly with line tension maintained so that slack line does not occur. A second haul can then be made on the forward casting stroke. The fastest part of both hauls should coincide with the fastest rod tip turnover speed and the haul is usually made over the second half of a casting stroke. Hauling is practiced with an open stance. Haul length is kept short and is usually 1.5 to 2 feet in length.
Double hauling allows a shorter stroke to be made with a longer length of line than would be used without hauling.
The best way to learn double hauling is to learn on some well-mown grass using a side casting stroke. You can learn at your own pace building up familiarity with the motion a step at a time. Initially use only one back casting stroke or forward casting stroke at a time and stop at the end of each back or forward cast. Do this until the line feed motion after the haul is automatic and your hands are back together each time. On grass if the line feed is forgot to be made it only takes a couple of side steps to bring the hands back together and drag the line taut again. Don’t worry; no safety net is required to learn double hauling on grass. You will then, in your own time, eventually do the line feed move on each cast. Then you will gain enough confidence to string a couple of casting strokes together to make one casting cycle. Once you can keep a couple of casting strokes going without stopping on each stroke to let the line fall on the grass you have a casting cycle. Then you will make a couple of casting cycles, then a few. it is then a simple matter to keep hauling and side casting. You will then be able to raise up the rod to a more vertical plane as you are hauling and change your stance to an open stance and face the direction of the forward cast.
Is that double hauling finished then? No, the arms alone will only take a person so far in casting distance using the double haul. Perfectly fine for most fishing situations. However to go for greater distances again then it will be necessary to use simultaneous body movement from weight shift and weight transfer with a longer casting stroke.
Fulcrum Fly-Casting
Continuous Motion - Economy of Effort – Ergonomics - Loop Morphology
This versatile style of single handed casting is based on ergonomics and makes use of the greater power of the arm to generate initial line momentum or break the contact of the line with the water. It then utilizes the speed of the wrist to make the final acceleration and provide maximum rod loading from the fulcrum point pivot. Continuous motion is used for line management or control of line height behind.
In this style the back cast is made along a straight line rising incline using leverage and an acceleration. After the controlled angle change is made instead of a dead pause this time or pause space will be taken up with continuing the rod hand along the incline slightly and back again. A rising drift and a loading move will then be used instead of a dead pause.
During the acceleration along the incline, the angle of the rod is changed by applying two different types of leverage. Arm leverage only is used initially and the rod is used as an extension of the forearm, the wrist is not used yet and the rod butt either maintains contact with the underside of the forearm or is held at a slight angle out from the forearm, the angle remaining unchanged for the first part of the stroke. The pivotal point for this leverage is positioned completely off the rod. It is also called prior loading of the rod before the more rapid angle change of the controlled wrist break is made. As the rod reaches about the half way point of the back stroke with the line almost cleared from the water and the rod hand approaching shoulder level, a simultaneous controlled wrist break is also made over the second half of the casting stroke. This controlled wrist movement creates the fulcrum point leverage. The arm continues moving to the correct elevation over the second half of the back casting stroke with the elbow also rising as the controlled wrist break is made. This fulcrum point is created on the rod butt at a position above the reel, at about the casters ring finger position. After the controlled wrist break and angle change is stopped the rod will then unload itself in the right trajectory. The angle change will have been made smoothly without any tugging or pulling down of the rod tip behind. There is a continuing motion of the now relaxed hand and forearm slightly upwards along the incline after the controlled angle change was stopped, made from a continued elbow lift which never stopped. This elbow lift is from the continued shoulder pivot and is then occurring as the rod tip turns over, and as the line unrolls out behind. This continued movement along the incline is steady and relaxed, it ensures that as the rod tip turned over it was rising. It is primarily to maintain line height management behind as it counteracts the normal sag in the line between the rod tip and the the unrolling loop caused by gravity. It creates continuous motion casting and smoothes everything out and eventually blends the back and forward casts together.
The movement of the hand along the incline, after the angle change of the wrist and forearm has stopped, which is from a continued shoulder pivot lifting the elbow, is then smoothly changed in direction into forward lead or a forward rod loading move in an ever so slightly elliptical movement. The direction change is a continuous and ever so slightly elliptical movement because of the arm leading forward initially at a slightly higher elevation than it went back. This initial forward motion then blends into the forward cast and the rod is pulled into the casting plane used for the forward stroke where the leverage and acceleration necessary is applied progressively. The forward cast also ends in a fulcrum pivot made by cocking the wrist forward. There is then a momentary stop as the rod butt touches the forearm again, or returns to the initial angle it was originally held at, and then a relaxed controlled follow through lowering the rod tip steadily as the line unrolls out in front and drops. Some of these important component parts of the cast are explained below in more detail.
Note: there are two ways of doing this cast however everything else is the same except for how the rod is held initially. The difference is whether the rod butt is held against the under side of the forearm or slightly off it. It is best to learn both ways (which is easy as nothing else changes) and then if longer heavier rods are to be used with heavier lines then the butt against the underside of the forearm method makes it more ergonomically efficient to handle the heavier outfits. Useful for Pike, saltwater or some Atlantic salmon outfits. Some people like this arm support method, which is the original style taught by Peter Anderson, for all fishing whether with light or heavy outfits. It is slightly more difficult to learn initially as it takes a little bit of discipline over the first few hours to ensure butt position is always correct. However it soon becomes a completely normal feeling to place the butt against the underside of the forearm.
1. A handshake grip with thumb on top is used to hold the rod. The wrist is cocked forward to start off with and the end of the rod butt should be touching the under side of the forearm. Alternatively the normal slight angle is maintained with the rod butt held slightly off the forearm. It is best to learn both ways. In keeping with ergonomics the arm does the initial lifting of the rod. The wrist movement is kept for controlled wrist break over the last part of the back casting stroke. The wrist is kept in plane with the forearm movement. The whole forearm and arm is moved or rotated to change rod plane used and not the wrist alone.
2. The thumb is raised to at least ear level in elevation. The only way this will happen is if the elbow is raised steadily from a shoulder pivot. All three pivots of the human arm are used to make the back casting stroke. It is a movement similar to answering a mobile phone except that you can still see your hand to the side. Wrist or elbow casting only without proper elevation is inefficient and tiring.
3. After a very small initial lift, the rod hand travels backwards and upwards along a straight line incline. The rod is raised steadily and the angle of the rod butt is changed. The back cast is a backwards and upwards cast. As the rod tip turns over it is rising.
4. A pure and acceleration is used on both the backward and forward casting strokes. This is absolutely essential to prevent tailing loops and knots in the leader. Also to ensure good fly turnover even into wind. There is no erratic movement or any hesitation whatsoever, it is an overall acceleration and to increase speed the overall acceleration is increased.
5. Controlled wrist break is used at the end part of the back cast’s acceleration to create a fulcrum point pivot of the rod butt. If you started with the rod butt tight to the forearm then the wrist is moved from cocked forward to almost straight on the back cast and from almost straight to cocked forward at the end of the forward cast acceleration. From the normal position to start with the wrist will be slightly past straight at the end of the controlled wrist break. The controlled wrist break is a short movement. With a short practice line the rod stops at about the 12.30 position on the back cast and about 10.00 position on the forward cast.
6. There is continuous motion used to control the line height behind. The elbow continues to lift slightly from a shoulder pivot after the stop of the forearm and wrist. The rod hand continues to follow the straight line incline as the rod unloads and the line unrolls out behind. Just before the line unrolls out fully the rod hand then changes direction and starts to move forward initially and down again blending into the forward acceleration.
7. No Reaching or over powering occurs Rod tip turnover speed created from leverage and acceleration alone is used to project the line, not tugging back, arm waving or reaching forward or using an overly forceful movements or excessive power application. The idea is to speed the line away with rod tip turnover speed and not try to force it away. Over powering with the rod hand is a very common casting fault and almost everyone suffers from it initially. The correct application of a smooth acceleration and controlled fulcrum point pivot eliminates the need for force as the resulting reaction of the rod blank unloading increases line speed and tightens the loop. It is a feeling and is fine tuned by feeling the reaction of the rod. The elbows are bent at all times and if the arm straightens on the fundamental casting stroke then you are reaching, (apart from on the follow through after the forward cast has been made).
8. Pure leverage is used to make the forward cast – pulling down along a straight line angle is used instead of bowling, pushing or shunting out. No shunting, bowling or reaching movement is made on the forward cast.
What is fly-casting?
Fly-casting is mainly about using leverage and the flexible nature of a fly rod to help project a narrow unrolling loop of fly line.
The fly line is a long, flexible weight and the weight is spread out along the particular profile or taper of the line. The fly line will create a lot of air resistance if the unrolling loop is not kept reasonably narrow. Excessive air resistance of the line will cause the cast to fail. The loop of line should unroll out fully without any tangling, skewing or collapsing until the line and leader are straight and the fly lands furthest away from the angler. When this occurs it is called fly turnover.
Changing the position and angle of the rod with arm and body movements is used to generate line momentum and to deflect or load the rod. The combined line momentum and tip speed from the rod unloading will ultimately project or unroll the fly line. The leverage and movements are directed, controlled and made so that the rod travels in a very smooth and progressively accelerating motion. The application of leverage generates line momentum and rod loading and eventually rod tip turnover speed. The unloading rod creates rod tip turnover speed. There is always a slight delay from the rod being loaded and stopped and it then unloading.
When the angle change of the leverage or loading move applied by the caster is stopped the rod will then undeflect or unload. The rod may continue to change position or angle in a relaxed fashion as the rod unloads. A fly rod only does one thing by itself, when it is deflected into a curve it will straighten when it gets the opportunity to do so. A little like a bow immediately undeflecting when the drawstring and arrow is released. When the angle change and acceleration of a casting stroke is stopped the rod will undeflect or straighten. As the rod is tapered it generates rod tip speed as it straightens/uneflects/unloads. The energy from the greater circumference and mass at the bottom of the rod blank traveling into an area of lesser mass towards the rod tip ensures tip speed is generated. The rod tip does not just straighten and stop but the tip turns over at speed and counter flexes before stopping. The energy is transferred into the line and a loop unrolls down the line.
The fly line is the weight that loads the rod and not the fly. Therefore the more fly line is outside the rod tip, the more weight is out and the deeper the rod will deflect into a curve or load. The deeper the rod deflects the longer movement and time it will require to fully deflect along with more power application when applying the leverage and acceleration.
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Single hand rod fly-casting starts with really understanding how the flex of the rod unloading generates rod tip turnover speed and how an acceleration is necessary to create the correct loop shape. We start by learning the key exercise of rod tip casting a short line from side to side using controlled wrist break and a very short stroke so that we can see and correct both back cast and forward cast loop formation.
After this essential technique is understood and fine tuned we then will learn how to execute the basic, foundation or fundamental overhead casting stroke.The tip casting technique being incorporated into the basic casting stroke at the end of the acceleration. A longer stroke is used and the cast is made back and forward rather than sideways.
For the basic casting stroke approximately ten yards of line will be placed outside the rod tip and we learn how to execute a technically correct cast with this length of line. This is an essential basic step otherwise future progress or potential may be hindered.
Single-handed fly-casting is about putting a few essential component parts of the cast together and blending them seamlessly into smooth, fluid motion to make the basic overhead cast. There are four main steps for progress in single-handed fly-casting.
1. The Key exercise - Tip casting a short line
Aerialising a short length of line first (8 to 10yds) working from left to right and not back and forward so that the back loop can easily be seen. The casts are made using mainly controlled wrist break with very minimal arm movement prior to and during the wrist break. This exercise really helps people to understand the rod’s properties and action better and then be much more able to execute the basic casting stroke correctly and with minimal effort. Once perfected the technique will then be incorporated into the basic casting stroke. The leverage applied to the rod by the crisp controlled wrist movement is fine tuned by feel to ensure tip action and rod tip turnover speed from the rod’s recoil reaction as it straightens. This fine tuning of tip casting is used as an initial learning exercise by aerialising a short line prior to learning the actual basic casting stroke.
The key here is changing the angle and position of the rod in such a way as to generate a little momentum and then cause the recoil reaction of the rod blank straightening to kick the tip over sweetly. It takes fine tuning and practice to get it just right. When the correct reaction from the rod occurs some people refer to it as rod "pop". The whole movement is done as smoothly as possible.
2. The Basic Casting Stroke
Mastering the basic or fundamental casting stroke is an essential step. The basic casting stroke is the foundation or building block of single-handed fly-casting. It should become an entirely automatic process, an established muscle memory in the style that you wish to use before further progress is attempted. Its purpose is to ensure absolutely technically correct technique using a short line.
Through mastering a basic casting stroke the angler learns among other things -
Not to reach. How the rod’s own unloading action and rod tip turnover speed will project the line from the correct application of leverage alone and without any reaching.
That fly-casting is not forceful or erratic. How a pure, steady and smooth overall acceleration and controlled power application is applied.
How all the arm pivots are used to bring the rod along an incline to the right elevation.
How excessive wrist break is avoided and the correct trajectory backwards and forward is used.
How to ensure there is fly turnover in front and behind with narrow parallel loops or V loops and no tailing loops, tangles, collapsing loops or wedge loops.
How prior loading takes place from ‘off rod’ leverage and acceleration before the ‘on rod’ fulcrum point leverage and acceleration is applied.
That one type of leverage seamlessly blends into both types being applied while maintaining the overall pure acceleration.
How loop morphology is maintained by the rod being allowed to unload itself, rather than being forced
How continuous motion casting is used for line height management behind and correct timing.
Keeping in plane ensuring correct rod tracking occurs.
3. Aerialising a slightly longer line
After the basic casting stroke is completely mastered we will progress to aerialising a slightly longer line backwards and forwards using rod action only without using the line hand or any hauling. We are still using the rods own action but with a longer length of line. We will use a more open stance and turn our feet to approx 45 degrees to the direction of the cast. The correct longer stroke length will become important and timing. Over longer lengths of line there will be a longer stroke, more arm movement to generate line momentum before the controlled wrist movement, slight upper body rotation, a loading move (or lead) and drift. When aerialising a slightly longer length of line with correct loop formation is an automatic, controlled exercise, then we can introduce hauling with the line hand.
4. Double hauling
A haul is a pull on the line with the line hand. It is made as a smooth acceleration and not an erratic movement or sudden tug. There is an immediate return of the hand steadily back upwards after the haul. A double haul is where two separate hauls are made with the line hand to increase line speed during the cast, one haul is made on the back casting stroke and one haul on the forward casting stroke. The hands start off close together, in order to make two hauls, after the first haul the hauling hand has to be returned back up towards the rod hand and the fly line fed back smoothly into the rod rings while under tension from the loop forming or unrolling out behind. The line hand is brought up slowly with line tension maintained so that slack line does not occur. A second haul can then be made on the forward casting stroke. The fastest part of both hauls should coincide with the fastest rod tip turnover speed and the haul is usually made over the second half of a casting stroke. Hauling is practiced with an open stance. Haul length is kept short and is usually 1.5 to 2 feet in length.
Double hauling allows a shorter stroke to be made with a longer length of line than would be used without hauling.
The best way to learn double hauling is to learn on some well-mown grass using a side casting stroke. You can learn at your own pace building up familiarity with the motion a step at a time. Initially use only one back casting stroke or forward casting stroke at a time and stop at the end of each back or forward cast. Do this until the line feed motion after the haul is automatic and your hands are back together each time. On grass if the line feed is forgot to be made it only takes a couple of side steps to bring the hands back together and drag the line taut again. Don’t worry; no safety net is required to learn double hauling on grass. You will then, in your own time, eventually do the line feed move on each cast. Then you will gain enough confidence to string a couple of casting strokes together to make one casting cycle. Once you can keep a couple of casting strokes going without stopping on each stroke to let the line fall on the grass you have a casting cycle. Then you will make a couple of casting cycles, then a few. it is then a simple matter to keep hauling and side casting. You will then be able to raise up the rod to a more vertical plane as you are hauling and change your stance to an open stance and face the direction of the forward cast.
Is that double hauling finished then? No, the arms alone will only take a person so far in casting distance using the double haul. Perfectly fine for most fishing situations. However to go for greater distances again then it will be necessary to use simultaneous body movement from weight shift and weight transfer with a longer casting stroke.
Fulcrum Fly-Casting
Continuous Motion - Economy of Effort – Ergonomics - Loop Morphology
This versatile style of single handed casting is based on ergonomics and makes use of the greater power of the arm to generate initial line momentum or break the contact of the line with the water. It then utilizes the speed of the wrist to make the final acceleration and provide maximum rod loading from the fulcrum point pivot. Continuous motion is used for line management or control of line height behind.
In this style the back cast is made along a straight line rising incline using leverage and an acceleration. After the controlled angle change is made instead of a dead pause this time or pause space will be taken up with continuing the rod hand along the incline slightly and back again. A rising drift and a loading move will then be used instead of a dead pause.
During the acceleration along the incline, the angle of the rod is changed by applying two different types of leverage. Arm leverage only is used initially and the rod is used as an extension of the forearm, the wrist is not used yet and the rod butt either maintains contact with the underside of the forearm or is held at a slight angle out from the forearm, the angle remaining unchanged for the first part of the stroke. The pivotal point for this leverage is positioned completely off the rod. It is also called prior loading of the rod before the more rapid angle change of the controlled wrist break is made. As the rod reaches about the half way point of the back stroke with the line almost cleared from the water and the rod hand approaching shoulder level, a simultaneous controlled wrist break is also made over the second half of the casting stroke. This controlled wrist movement creates the fulcrum point leverage. The arm continues moving to the correct elevation over the second half of the back casting stroke with the elbow also rising as the controlled wrist break is made. This fulcrum point is created on the rod butt at a position above the reel, at about the casters ring finger position. After the controlled wrist break and angle change is stopped the rod will then unload itself in the right trajectory. The angle change will have been made smoothly without any tugging or pulling down of the rod tip behind. There is a continuing motion of the now relaxed hand and forearm slightly upwards along the incline after the controlled angle change was stopped, made from a continued elbow lift which never stopped. This elbow lift is from the continued shoulder pivot and is then occurring as the rod tip turns over, and as the line unrolls out behind. This continued movement along the incline is steady and relaxed, it ensures that as the rod tip turned over it was rising. It is primarily to maintain line height management behind as it counteracts the normal sag in the line between the rod tip and the the unrolling loop caused by gravity. It creates continuous motion casting and smoothes everything out and eventually blends the back and forward casts together.
The movement of the hand along the incline, after the angle change of the wrist and forearm has stopped, which is from a continued shoulder pivot lifting the elbow, is then smoothly changed in direction into forward lead or a forward rod loading move in an ever so slightly elliptical movement. The direction change is a continuous and ever so slightly elliptical movement because of the arm leading forward initially at a slightly higher elevation than it went back. This initial forward motion then blends into the forward cast and the rod is pulled into the casting plane used for the forward stroke where the leverage and acceleration necessary is applied progressively. The forward cast also ends in a fulcrum pivot made by cocking the wrist forward. There is then a momentary stop as the rod butt touches the forearm again, or returns to the initial angle it was originally held at, and then a relaxed controlled follow through lowering the rod tip steadily as the line unrolls out in front and drops. Some of these important component parts of the cast are explained below in more detail.
Note: there are two ways of doing this cast however everything else is the same except for how the rod is held initially. The difference is whether the rod butt is held against the under side of the forearm or slightly off it. It is best to learn both ways (which is easy as nothing else changes) and then if longer heavier rods are to be used with heavier lines then the butt against the underside of the forearm method makes it more ergonomically efficient to handle the heavier outfits. Useful for Pike, saltwater or some Atlantic salmon outfits. Some people like this arm support method, which is the original style taught by Peter Anderson, for all fishing whether with light or heavy outfits. It is slightly more difficult to learn initially as it takes a little bit of discipline over the first few hours to ensure butt position is always correct. However it soon becomes a completely normal feeling to place the butt against the underside of the forearm.
1. A handshake grip with thumb on top is used to hold the rod. The wrist is cocked forward to start off with and the end of the rod butt should be touching the under side of the forearm. Alternatively the normal slight angle is maintained with the rod butt held slightly off the forearm. It is best to learn both ways. In keeping with ergonomics the arm does the initial lifting of the rod. The wrist movement is kept for controlled wrist break over the last part of the back casting stroke. The wrist is kept in plane with the forearm movement. The whole forearm and arm is moved or rotated to change rod plane used and not the wrist alone.
2. The thumb is raised to at least ear level in elevation. The only way this will happen is if the elbow is raised steadily from a shoulder pivot. All three pivots of the human arm are used to make the back casting stroke. It is a movement similar to answering a mobile phone except that you can still see your hand to the side. Wrist or elbow casting only without proper elevation is inefficient and tiring.
3. After a very small initial lift, the rod hand travels backwards and upwards along a straight line incline. The rod is raised steadily and the angle of the rod butt is changed. The back cast is a backwards and upwards cast. As the rod tip turns over it is rising.
4. A pure and acceleration is used on both the backward and forward casting strokes. This is absolutely essential to prevent tailing loops and knots in the leader. Also to ensure good fly turnover even into wind. There is no erratic movement or any hesitation whatsoever, it is an overall acceleration and to increase speed the overall acceleration is increased.
5. Controlled wrist break is used at the end part of the back cast’s acceleration to create a fulcrum point pivot of the rod butt. If you started with the rod butt tight to the forearm then the wrist is moved from cocked forward to almost straight on the back cast and from almost straight to cocked forward at the end of the forward cast acceleration. From the normal position to start with the wrist will be slightly past straight at the end of the controlled wrist break. The controlled wrist break is a short movement. With a short practice line the rod stops at about the 12.30 position on the back cast and about 10.00 position on the forward cast.
6. There is continuous motion used to control the line height behind. The elbow continues to lift slightly from a shoulder pivot after the stop of the forearm and wrist. The rod hand continues to follow the straight line incline as the rod unloads and the line unrolls out behind. Just before the line unrolls out fully the rod hand then changes direction and starts to move forward initially and down again blending into the forward acceleration.
7. No Reaching or over powering occurs Rod tip turnover speed created from leverage and acceleration alone is used to project the line, not tugging back, arm waving or reaching forward or using an overly forceful movements or excessive power application. The idea is to speed the line away with rod tip turnover speed and not try to force it away. Over powering with the rod hand is a very common casting fault and almost everyone suffers from it initially. The correct application of a smooth acceleration and controlled fulcrum point pivot eliminates the need for force as the resulting reaction of the rod blank unloading increases line speed and tightens the loop. It is a feeling and is fine tuned by feeling the reaction of the rod. The elbows are bent at all times and if the arm straightens on the fundamental casting stroke then you are reaching, (apart from on the follow through after the forward cast has been made).
8. Pure leverage is used to make the forward cast – pulling down along a straight line angle is used instead of bowling, pushing or shunting out. No shunting, bowling or reaching movement is made on the forward cast.
Controlling the line height behind. One of the most significant aspects of Peter Anderson Style.
An aspect of technique that really matters when wading in a salmon river or dry fly fishing at distance from a boat on the Lough. It also matters in general to completely cut out the nuisance value involved when catching on grass, scrub, bushes, fences, rocks or riverbank behind. Sometimes this will cause the hook to break, or close the gape of the hook.