Another reason why we drive the line into the water on our back cast is that most casters bring the line *over* the rod tip on the back cast. As a result, when the rod tip moves downwards from 12 o’clock to 2 o’clock, it pulls the line down.
However, if we bring the fly line just off to the side -- below the tip of the rod on the back cast – as long as the line stays below the rod tip until the loop is formed, the line cannot be pulled down during the second half of the back cast. The descending path of the rod tip simply pulls the line upwards less, and more importantly, continues to drive the line backwards.
When we make the back cast with the line below the rod tip, the loop may form a closed loop. For some reason, it is mistaken by many as a tailing loop. A closed loop merely tells us that the line was below the tip when the loop was formed. It does not signal a concave path of the rod tip. See Figure 5.
During the forward cast, I bring the line over the rod tip. The second half of the front cast is downwards in the same direction as my trajectory. Having the line come over the tip during the forward cast also makes aiming easier, especially if I don’t bring the back cast off to the side too much.
The second secret is to raise the rod during the second half of the back cast so that the rod tip does not descend. My back stroke is dominated by my elbow joint to rotate the rod. If I use only one joint to rotate the rod, the rod tip travels downwards in the latter half of the rod rotation. But, when I also use my shoulder to rotate (and raise) the rod tip, the rod tip’s velocity increases in a straighter, slightly upward path – and less of an arc. See Figure 6.
The combination of these two secrets allows you to have a longer back cast stroke without pulling any part of the fly line downwards. When executed properly, the two secrets enable you to carry more line with a back cast that has a tight loop with an upward trajectory.
Epilogue
For many years, I slapped the water behind me, and I have lost too many flies to the grass behind me. To be honest, my line still hits the water or ground behind me from time to time when I don’t bring the line under the rod tip, or I don’t use my shoulder, or I wait too long to come forward.
But when my line hits something low and behind me, I can usually figure out what happened. There’s always something to work on. Perhaps, now, you will have something to work on, too.
No matter how good you are (or not – right now), the fundamentals do not change.