In this post, we will watch a video of a caster picking up the line.
As in the previous post, the pickup results in a wide loop in the back that does not straighten out. Although the fly does not hit the water, it is again pulled downward as the caster comes forward.
The fly doesn’t hit the water in the second video (unlike the first one) because, as the front cast finally moves the fly forward, less line is angled toward the water and the bottom of the loop is higher off the water.
Notice that much of the subsequent forward stroke is used to eliminate the slack in the back cast.
When the fly is pulled forward after bottoming out, it is accelerated and overtakes the end of the fly line as it goes by the caster. A reasonable loop materializes with a downward trajectory. The downward trajectory is essentially a result of late acceleration during the remaining portion of the front cast – after the slack was removed.
To prevent the fly from hitting the water in front of the caster, the caster is forced to initiate the back cast before the front cast straightens out. Like the front stroke, much of the back stroke is used to eliminate slack until the rod tip becomes taut to the fly.
Once the connection between the rod tip and the fly straightens, the loop can be formed. Due to the angle of the rod at this time, any coherent acceleration this late in the cast can only result in a loop with a downward trajectory. See Figure 1.
In this case, the line slaps the water while the loop is unrolling. This is the hallmark of a late acceleration that drives the line into the water behind the caster.
Most casters don’t intentionally drive the fly into the water. They know better. It is typically the accumulation of slack that necessitates late acceleration in the back cast.
This post and the previous one, emphasize that the secret to casting farther is to practice forming tight (slack-free) loops at shorter distances. If the fly or the line slaps the water behind the caster, it is time to shorten the line. Focus on three aspects: strengthening your casting muscles, refining technique to form tighter loops with the correct trajectory, and eliminating slack.
Glen Ozawa, OD
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