More Problems

[THE GAME]

Ok I was having some problems with getting knots in the leader during fly casting.SO I got some advise . They told me to be sure and let the back cast straighten out before fireing forward with the forward cast.Now the knots are better, lines speed seems to be faster, distance a little better but my line keeps hitting the tip of the rod every so often.And that messes every thing up .
Any suggestions?

[JGH]

It happens. Part of "the game," so to speak.;)

Seriously, I'm no casting expert, but one step you might want to take to correct it is this -- after you come to the hard stop on your forward cast, drop the rod tip slightly. Others out there who know more than I may have better advice.

[Old Saltyfly]

Here is a suggestion, when going back on your backcast bring your arm at a 75 degree angle to your side to your right if you cast right handed, to your left if a lefty. On your forward cast cast at 90 degree angle. Looking down on you your line will be travelling in an "oval" pattern. At the end of the forward cast stop at 10 o'clock position.

Try this casting pattern and let me know how you are doing.

Armand

[bones]

And as Lefty Kreh teaches, the forward cast should be like "throwing paint with a paintbrush"..............the forward cast should be accelerated and then abruptly stopped, as if you are standing in front of something and wanting to sling paint onto. The beginning of the forward cast motion should be slower than that forward motion at the end...... with gradual acceleration.........and the cessation of that forward motion should be abrupt. The wrist is to be absolutely rigid.....practice this by wearing a longsleeved shirt, stick the end of the rod into into the sleeve. Use shoulder movement also..........gently pulling it backward in the backward cast and gently shoving it forward in the forward cast.

As far as leaders, I recommend tapered. It allows more accurate casting if you use 6-7-8wt gear..............I don't know about the bigger stuff. I ALWAYS use a flourocarbon tippet ~16-18" length which should be ~2# smaller test than the end of the tapered leader. Most of my windknots are on this replacable tippet. Also, when my leader gets kinky, I simply attach a hemostat or any other weight of a coupla ounces onto the skinny end and hang it from a nail in the wall.....Fat end next to the ceiling........after a time, kinks are gone!!

Ya might try tying your own tapered leaders. Gets really inexpensive that way. I don't remember the exact formula for the successively smaller taper,.....maybe some of our angler compadres can offer this. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can dig this up.

Give it a try.

[THE GAME]

Thanks for the advise people.I had a guy tell me that tapered leader "are so freshwater".And all this time I thought they are supposed to help your fly turn over better and be more accurate.Keep up the good advise.
Thanks