Interesting predicament

[Kent]

Try just opening your stance up more - casting-side foot back, off-side forward.

[flyfishindawg]

I really learned how to cast in the laurel tunnels of the north georgia mountains stalking fish. That is to say that I learned how to cast crouched over with my elbow close to my side casting maybe 20 feet. I recently moved to wyoming and the waters out here are big, one problem I have had to overcome is keeping my arm too close to my side when casting out here when it is just not necessary, I am sort of having to relearn how to cast a bit. The other major change is that I am now casting with a 9 foot tip flex rod which is much stiffer than my 7 1/2 foot full flex rod that I used in GA. Does anyone have any suggestions on quick ways to retrain yourself to make these adjuxtments? Many thanks.

[flycast]

Fast action rods are not as forgiving with mistakes as slower action rods. Also work on your timing, as you can't feel the rod load as easily as you would with a slow action rod.

[The Ole Man]

FFdawg
If you want to slow that stiffer rod down some, put a heavier line on it. If it's a 5 wt, go to a 6 or a 7. Use it a while and as you get use to it, begin to lighten the line size for a faster action. Sci Anglers makes a line just for this purpose. Sci Angler GPX weighs 1/3 to 1/2 heavier than the AFTMA standard weight for a particular line size. Put a 6 GPX on on a 5 and you're at about a 6 1/2. As Ed Story says in the Feather Craft catalog, "use GPX to sweeten the action on fast action rods." Sweeten means make it bend more during loading and this slows it down. This way, you get a fast action rod and a medium action rod in one package. Fast for the wind or for sink tip/sinking lines; slower when you want to fish dries-just by tuning the rod with the line.

[fishindoc]

You've gotten great advise from our resident casters to open your stance and to upline your rod. I'm reading your question that on western streams you want to cast a longer line. While holding the elbow away from your body can help lengenthen the casting stroke (distance the casting hand moves forward and backward)you should be able to triple your 20 foot Georgia casts with your elbow held wherever you are accustom to holding it. The distance cast is a product of high line speed and tight loops. Try practicing continous false casting with a "comfortable" lenght of line while experimenting with variations in your line speed and casting arc "the angle at which you stop on both the forward and back cast". As you find yourself casting faster tighter loops let the line out one or two feet at a time while maintaining QUALITY casts. Changing from 20' Georgia casts to 60' western casts or 90' saltwater casts are fastest learned by incrinmentally lengenthen quality casts than by any other method. Also, as you let the elbow out from beside your body be carefull to keep your thumb hidden from your target by the cork (in other words keep the reel pointing at the target). Many who try to let the arm loose to get the longer casting stroke tend to rotate the wrist through the cast causing a curve in the leader as the line lays out to the target. Hope it helps.
Tight Loops,
Scott

[flycast]

Fishindoc has a good point about the positioning of the thumb when making longer casts. Before you make your backcast turn your wrist out 45 degrees away from your body. To know if you've done this right, make a backcast then stop before you continue your forward cast. Look at your thumb. You should only see half of your thumb nail. This will help keep your thumb behind your target as you extend your arm past your body for a longer cast.

[This message has been edited by flycast (edited 04-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by flycast (edited 04-17-2001).]

[flycast]

Let me also state, if your arm is extended well past your body on your back cast you shouldn't see any part of your thumb nail.

[flyfishindawg]

thanks guys, I was definetly rotating my wrist during my cast. I found that by keeping my rod on the same plane throughout my cast my loops were much tighter, naturally resulting in greater distance. A guide out here also helped me with timing my haul which has also been a great help. The fishing has been great on the Snake recently but the bears are out in force and I almost upset a mother moose the other day which still has me a little rattled. Yellowtone opens up on May 25 and I can't wait to fish some of the smaller streams up there. All of the tributary streams here are closed until August 1. It kills me to be hiking by the most picturesque stream you ever did see whith fish rising all over and there be nothing you can do about it but watch, I know it is a tough life I lead.
Thanks again for all of the adivice.
FFDawg

[Tom]

FFDawg: Sounds like a good move. Have only one question. You mention that the tribs "out here" are not open until Aug 1. Is that a new regulation for Wyoming? Are you referring to specific areas or streams? Not asking for names...just confused about the "regulation" Thanks and Tight Lines, Tom

[flyfishindawg]

Tom-
I am not sur if that is a new regulation or not. I did not move out here until last October, so they were all open by then. I am not referring to rivers that feed into the Snake (Hoback, Greys, Salt, etc.), but the smaller creeks (similar to Flat Creek). Sorry I can not answer your question more directly.