What's the problem??

[JD Squire]

I have noticed a problem in my cast lately mainly when I am casting 5o ft or more, on the forward cast when i am getting ready to lay the fly out my fly/line is turning over but catching on my line further up, is this a linespeed problem? It seems my fly side of the loop is falling under my rod side of the loop. Any suggestions??

[Robert Hafner]

JD Squire meet Mr. Tailing Loop.
I'll bet two things are happening. Number 1. you are probably trying to cast harder to cast farther. Don't. Most of us (including me) used to think that to cast farther we needed to just muscle through the cast. Take it easy. Start your cast slow and then end fast with a solid stop.If you begin a cast at warp speed, the rod tip will dip down in the cast (stroke) and create a closed loop (tailing loop). Number 2. Remember when casting more line, you need to have a longer casting stroke. Here's why: when your casting at a short distance, the rod bends (loads) from the weight of the line thats beyond the rod tip. When you cast more line with the same rod stroke you casted with a short cast, The rod will bend more from the added weight of line making the rod tip basically overbends (dip down in the stroke) creating a tailing loop. With a longer cast, you need to help the rod handle that additional weight with a longer casting stroke. Short cast, short stroke. Longer cast, longer stroke. Think of it this way, if I'm going to throw a ball a short distance I only need to move my arm back only a little. If I was to throw it a whole baseball field away I need to bring my arm way back and chuck it. I know this is a lot to throw at you at one time. Throwing a long line in fly casting isn't about sheer brute strength but about technique. I hope this helps. If it doesn't, let me or the others know.