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Trout Now!

[scott tarp]

What is the easisest or best way to keep from throwing a tailing loop?

[flycast]

Tailing loops are caused by usually one thing. After making a forward cast you do nothing else with the rod. What's happening is the line is running into itself. What's the cure? After making your forward cast dip the rod tip just a hair after your loop unrolls about a rod length. Do not dip the tip too soon or or you'll open up your loop too much. Lefty Kreh, by no secret is my mentor, used this example: if you hit a numbered ball against the side wall of the pool table with the cue ball and you don't change the direction of the numbered ball what happens? It runs back into itself. That's exactly what happens to the fly line. There are a number of reasons that people say tailing loops happen: overpowering the forward cast, stopping the rod too soon in the cast or letting your back cast collapse then trying to make a forward cast. Remember just dip that rod tip a hair. Any more will open up your loop. That should eliminate your tailing loops even if you do any of the above casts.

[fishindoc]

Scott, I agree with flycast in his reply to your question on the easiest way to eliminate tailing loops...dropping the rod tip after the forward cast will be the fastest correction. An understanding of what causes the tailing loop might also be of some help as you analize your cast. The force applied during the casting stroke can cause the rod tip to travel in a concave path where the tip of the rod is lower in the middle of the casting stroke than it is at the beginning or end of the stroke. To better understand this let's look at the opposite, a convex rod tip path. Fly-casters who use too much wrist can cause the rod tip to start low, go thru a very high arc, and then end low with the resulting wide loop. Conversly when a rod tip follows a concave path the result is a closed or tailing loop. The application of power during the casting stroke loads (bends) the rod so as to make the rod tip lower during the middle of the cast than at the beginning or end of the stroke. The most common reasons for a concave rod tip path and resulting tailing loops are applying too much power too eairly in the casting stroke and/or not having a wide enough casting arc (holding the rod near verticle thru the entire cast). Try experimenting with these variables while casting and watch the resulting changes in your loop formation.

fishindoc

[Kent]

Fishindoc -

Yeah...it's what I call the "jerk-and-coast" as opposed to the speed-up-and-stop. Tailing loops or worse almost guaranteed.

The start of the cast should be relatively slow and gradual (to get all of the line moving in the same direction at the same speed) and then, at the end of the cast, a rapid, short acceleration to a sudden stop.

The "tip-dip" Robert refers to is a way to overcome the tendency to push the rod straight ahead at the end of the cast. I encourage casters (who cast with thumb on top of the rod) to make the final acceleration and at the end just push downward the slighest bit with the thumb.


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Kent
Flyfishing West Georgia & Beyond

[jeffg]

great points! also, watch your backcast. Everyone concerns themselves with what the line is doing in front of you, you gotta watch what the line is doing behind you.

Watching backcasts will allow one to see the loop play itself out and when the transfer of energy has taken plact (i.e. rod is loaded) and then when you move forward with the cast you will be able to see exactly when the tailing loop happens.

Plus by watching what your backcast is doing it will help one develop better and tighter loops.

[Chris England]

Good point Jeffg, and this is in no way a contrary viewpoint, although it'll sound that way at first.

On one of his shows Jose' Wajebe was talking about that very practice working against you. He was speaking in the context of bone and red fishing, saying that watching the back cast takes your eyes off the fish momentarily, and 90% of the time affects the accuracy of your cast. Bonefishing in particular is a game of inches where sometimes you'll only make a dozen casts in a day. Those little dudes just absolutely dissapear if they're still or moving slowly. If the fish or the boat has moved much during the back cast you might miss one of the only opportunities to had to hit the fish on the nose.

-- tight lines

[Kent]

Or, as Lefty says, "it's no wonder you don't watch your backcast - it looks like #@%!"

But Jeff, I think you mean the rod has unloaded as the "loop play(s) itself out."

Now, here's one for you. Most of us only throw tailing loops some of the time. If you really want to see what causes them, try to throw them intentionally. Once you can do this, you'll soon realize how to stop.

[jeffg]

kent, know what ya mean, when you try to create something, it never happens...murphy;s law just loves fishing.

I always have thought that the rod being loaded is when the line is ready to move forward. I have also have heard it referred to as you mentioned....but your explanation makes more sense.

Chris, I meant strictly when practicing either in the backyard, street or neighbors pond. Or when the fish just are not cooperating and you have nothing better to do than practice your casting.

You all have to admit...in casting you sometimes perform a cast by "instinct" rather than intent. This is where Kent is right, because you can never exactly recreate an instinct cast....no matter how hard you try.

[scott tarp]

Thank's to all for your help!! I think understanding why I throw a tailing loop will help me alot. A little Parctice should do me good..

Thanks to all!!!