On March 22nd the Atlanta Fly Fishing School held its first ever Advanced Fly Casting course, designed specifically to zero in on subtle issues plagueing the intermediate caster or beyond.  From our experience, verbal suggestion may not be adequate for all students, especially those who need some type of visual reference.

The eight hour course includes digital video from two separate angles, simultaneously, and use of the Sage Casting analyzer.  At the beginning of the class it is encouraged to throw the “Ego” out the window, because of this.  Each student is then filmed prior to any input from the intructors or recording devices to get a beginning Benchmark for reference.  From the taping station each student will be asked to perform casts at both 30 and 40 ft while being recorded by the Casting Analyzer.  During this process the split screen video recording is edited and synced.

When all of the data is compiled, students return to the classroom where each individual will have his or her cast revealed, possibly for the first time.  Interestingly, comments like, “Now I know what I am doing wrong”, is commonplace.  Students will also receive a two page print out from the Casting Analyzer, citing specific issues on which to work on.

After the lunch break time in the field is spent on the most challenging of each of the students problems, usually a violation of one or more of the Six Essentials of Casting taught there.  At conclusion of this field time the students are then run through the process of video and data recording again to compare with their initial benchmark.

When this session was complete on screen comparisons were made and incredibly all students improved one or more aspects of their respective casts.  The common denominator was that all casters accomplished the same tasks with an astonishing 15 to 20 percent less energy!

We at the Atlanta Fly Fishing School can’t stress enough the Six Essentials of Fly Casting, whereby if any are violated you could expect frustrations with your casting.  They are as follows…

FLY CASTING

SIX ESSENTIALS 

1. THE ROD TIP MUST MOVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE PATH 
2. THE SIZE OF THE CASTING ARC MUST VARY WITH THE LENGTH OF THE LINE PAST THE ROD TIP 
3. POWER MUST BE APPLIED IN THE PROPER AMOUNT AT THE PROPER TIME IN THE STROKE 
4. THERE MUST BE A PAUSE AT THE END OF EACH STROKE, WHICH VARIES IN DURATION WITH THE AMOUNT OF LINE BEYOND THE ROD TIP 
5. SLACK LINE SHOULD BE KEPT TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM
6. A SOLID STOP AT THE END OF EACH STROKE IS NECESSARY TO TRANSFER ENERGY FROM THE FLY ROD TO THE FLY LINE

I can promise you that if you took the time to understand and practice these Six Essentials, you will likely eliminate a lot of your own casting problems.  For some going through the paces of a casting school such as this may be the answer and we welcome you to give it a go.  For more info on the Atlanta Fly Fishing School visit  http://atlantaflyfishingschool.com/index.htm

Popularity: 43% [?]

Every now and then my clientele includes a guide or two and such was the case this past Tuesday/Wednesday. I felt honored to have had the opportunity to entertain respected Florida Keys Guide Captain Dave Denkert, his lovely bride Linda and their daughter Brooke for two days at Blackhawk. They had bid on ond won this trip generating funds for Chron’s Disease research through a fund raiser in South Florida.

Capt. Dave is a backcountry and Flats specialist from Tavernier Florida whose pursuit include Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit, Redfish Snook and Trout. He will put his clients on fish using Spinning, Fly or Casting equipment. For this trip they were equipped with 7wt fly rods, light in their hands, heavy by North Georgia standards.

On day one rain was expected which is a blessing for the drought stricken Southeast and we layered accordingly. In the back of my mind I knew there was potential for a blowout from the forecast, but we gave her a go anyway. Arriving at the river I quickly set everyone up on a couple of spots anticipating that we would have to move quickly and watch the rising water. Hook-ups came quickly, however so did the increased water volume.

The rain was now relentless and it was necessary to move my guests to safer water, and to finally call it a morning after only 90 minutes! The plan was to make a go of it the following day.

The following day revealed that the water had risen to as much as 5 feet in some areas, but was down to fishable levels by 10:00am. With great anticipation my clients were eager to go as I assured them they could expect a good day today. Big bugs were the game with Zonkers, Sculpins, Chuck and Ducks, and my own Frosty the Conehead with supplemental weight. A somewhat slow start in the upper section gave way to a spectacular afternoon, including a “Stream Slam”, by each family member as Dave described it. A Stream Slam equals both Brown and Rainbow trout in the net!

It became so busy that most of us didn’t care about the numbers, but more importantly how much we were laughing and cutting up during all this action. I can tell you that Brown’s up to 21″ and Rainbows up to 22″ were caught and were a blast in the heavy high water! Maybe those 7wts were the right choice after all.

Hope my guests had fun, I know I did and would love any opportunity to entertain them again!

Popularity: 64% [?]

I have had the good fortune to have been involved with Fly Fishing Schools for many years now and never seem to tire of it.  When I see the smiling faces at the end of my sessions it brings a great sense of joy to my life.  Such was the case this last Saturday in North Georgia at one of the Great Georgia destinations near Clarkesville known as Blackhawk.  Blackhawk has been in the business of tropy trout management on their private stretch of the Soque River for some time now and is my favorite place to spend time as a part time guide.  We have done a few group sessions and a few informal schools there but had not really refined the program.  As the customer base became more interested a decision was made to sort of re-invent what a school should look like or consist of at Blackhawk.  Simple is best so I develpoed a day long program with a half day indoor classroom study and a half day on the water with the potential of actually hooking up.

Last Saturday’s students consisted of a Father and his two son’s who were extremely excited, and had received this opportunity as a Christmas gift.  We followed the agenda I had prepared, and what I loved about the classroom study was the amazing amout of questios coming from the youngest at 11.  You can’t help but become inspired about this kind of enthusiasm which seemingly makes the day much shorter. 

After lunch we prepared ouselves for our afternoon on the water with great anticipation.  If there is any down side to the time on the water is that most students, especially young, prefer to fish as opposed to learning technique.  With recent rains, a real blessing for Georgia, the fish were eager and we hooked up within minutes!  As the afternoon progressed I chose to act as a coach and on occaision offered instruction while my students enjoyed their day.

Numerous Rainbows and Browns were captured on film and the highlight was a Brown of 23 inches taken by the 11 year old youngster! 

Can’t think of a better way to end the day with a great fish and to pass along a gift for life!  

Popularity: 72% [?]

In the event that you haven't heard, Atlanta is host to two special events this weekend.  Both the Atlanta Fly Fishing Festival and Outfitters and Guides Day.  The Atlanta Fly Fishing Festival will be held at the Gwinnett civic Center both Saturday and Sunday.  Outfitters and Guides Day will be held at Bass Pro in Lawrenceville on Saturday the 26th.  Each will feature area and national pro's in their respective fields, and because of their close proximity it will be easy to attend both.  Yours truly will be present in the Atlanta Fly Fishing School booth at both locations on Saturday.  I look forward to seeing you all there!

Popularity: 100% [?]

After some time I have put together a Fly Rod/Reel package and line that epitomizes High Performance.  As mentioned in a previous article, I received a Winston BIIMX 5wt with a fighting butt, and promised a test ride.  The package includes a Galvan Torque T-4, backed with 100yds 30lb Gel Spun backing, and a Scientific Anglers Sharkskin 6wt fly line.  This combination provided me with the in the hand balance I like but may not be for everyone.

First and foremost, as you would expect from Winston, the craftsman ship is flawless, and the new Fighting Butt reel seat is a pleasure to look at as well as its ability to houze a reel with rubberized compression rings between the lockers.  This rod, held comfortably at your side, feels extremely lightweight for a 5wt.  Without lining it, it is noticeably stiffer than the Winston you are familiar with.

For testing purposes, I chose Airflo's Ridge in 5wt, Orvis' Wonderline Easy Mend in both 5 and 6wt, and Scientific Anglers GPX 6, Expert Distance 6, and of course the New Sharkskin in both 5 and 6wt.

Generally the biggest suprise was how easy unrolling loops in various sizes is given the fact that this is a very fast rod, touted as Winston's fastest 5wt ever built.  For overall performance I preferred 6wt fly lines, however the 5wts worked well especially when the carry was extended to the 55ft range.  Loading for distance with the 5wt lines was accomplished easily by quick rotation with the 55ft carry and easily shot an additional 25ft of line along with it.

For maximum performance at range with the least amount of effort, I prefer one of the 6wt lines, and hands down it was the Expert Distance or the Sharkskin.  These lines with their compound heads unrolled well at all distances, and it was possible to clear the Sharkskin from the rod tip from time to time.  With a little work I may be able to clear the 10ft longer Expert distance with this rod.  Although this rod can go long, what I enjoyed most is the incredibly tight loops accomplisged at close range.  No question that extreme accuracy is possible with this rod, and if casting in the wind has been a problem you will really enjoy this rod.  I am a bonified "Big Ugly" streamer guy and look forward to "Throwing Bulk" with this stick which I expect will be handled easily.

If you haven't, regardless if you are in the market or not, go to a shop and give it a whirl.  My guess is you will be pleasantly suprised. 

Popularity: 92% [?]

As luck would have it, I have just received my copy of Winston's BII MX in Full Wells, Fighting Butt, 5wt.  Touted as Winston's Fastest 5wt ever produced, I am looking forward to lining it up this evening and putting it through its paces from my dock.

As you would expect from Winston, the craftsman ship is flawless, and the new Fighting Butt reel seat is a pleasure to look at as well as its ability to houze a reel with rubberized compression rings between the lockers.

Almost can't imagine it out-performing its predicessor the BIIX as 90 footers were possible with that models 4wt!  Will keep you posted with the performance update.

Popularity: 73% [?]

I have had the good fortune of being associated with the Fly Fishing Industry for some time, and never tire of it.  Through it I have made a number of great friends and business relationships.  As an instructor I have had hundreds of opportunities to witness the joy of someone experiencing good casting habits after attending private lessons or all day schools.  I have yet to tire of those experiences as well.

As I put time in the field I often witness individuals donning some of the most expensive gear that the industry has to offer with very limited ability to cast properly.  They somehow expect that the most tecnologically advanced equipment will solve all of their casting frustrations, however usually makes the situation worse.  This same person likely has spent hundreds maybe thousands on golf lessons to help perfect that game for them, but would never consider lessons for Fly Casting.

Admittedly, I was and remain a gear junky, and found it hard to throw the ego out the window and get help.  I had Fly Fished for many years prior to haveing my casting evaluated, dealing with many of the same frustrations that most suffer from.  When I accepted the constructive critisizim, it was a true revelation, and I can still hear my mentor reminding me of my personal challenges.

So why not give the gift that keeps on giving?  There are so many options out there today, however for Atlanta area residents I am going to suggest The Atlanta Fly Fishing School.  There the curriculum includes instruction in Fly Fishing/Casting from beginner to advanced.  See http://www.atlantaflyfishingschool.com/ for details.

Let's face it, friends shouldn't let friends make bad casts!

Popularity: 59% [?]

Let's consider another factor perhaps contributing to the condition known as "Creep".  I like to refer to it as "Waving the Wand", but a lot of my mentors in the past made reference to a cars winshield wipers.  Imagine a material such as Fly Line attached to a set of windshield wipers and what effect it would have upon it.

Essentially the Fly Line has to follow the path of whatever it is attached to, therefore it will react just as erratically as the tool manipulating it.  So lets throw in a couple of "Casting Essentials" to straighten things out.

1.  The Rod Tip must move in a straight line path, both vertically and horizontally.

2.  The length of the Casting Stroke/Arc must vary with the amount of Fly Line Beyond the rod tip.

3.  Solid stops at the end of each stroke are necessary to transfer the energy from the rod to the line.

Additionally, more often then not, most casters suffer from weak backcasts and attempt to over power the forward cast.  If you ever have the opportunity to observe a very good caster you will notice that the application of power is nearly equal, and observed on the "Casting Analyzer", you would see a mirror image of both the forward and backcast.

I have often suggested that the most important part of the cast is what goes on behind you, and if performed correctly the forward cast will likely be a lot easier.

I will leave you with a suggestion, stay within you current comfort zone, in terms of your casting length and you will probably remain less frustrated.  Let's face it, most trout are caught within 25 feet anyway! 

Popularity: 69% [?]

No I am not referring to any of my students over the last ten years, however some have suffered from it.  Widely referred to in the Fly Casting world, “Creep”, is a condition which plagues most entry level Fly Casters, and can progress into Intermediate Level Casters if left un-diagnosed.  Simply put, “Creep” refers to angular rotation of the Fly Rod early in the Casting Stroke with little or no application of power.

A number of factors can be looked at which can cause this condition, but is easily recognized by a quick ramp up in the application of power, almost too late, and inefficient loop formation usually ending up on the water in an un-straightened heap.  Sound familiar?  I thought it might, and if you were to view it on the “Casting Analyzer” graph, you would see a shallow hump followed by a relatively long depression, and suddenly the line on the graph would rise significantly.  A sudden surge in power application.

For this writing I will suggest that one of the causes is likely the presence of slack Fly Line somewhere along the length of the Fly Rod or beyond the tip.  Consider this, that if no slack line were present and the Rod was held parallell to the casting surface, a load would be placed on the Fly Rod immediately by simply lifting it.  From this initial lift a smooth application of power could be applied to a point where the Rod should be stopped in either the forward or backcast.  On the “Casting Analyzer” the graph would appear as a fluid continuous upward curve, no rapid rise, indicating considerably less effort to accomplish in effect more work.  Sounds simple, and it really is, however as mentioned, there are a number of other factors that could be involved as well.  More on the subject to follow….  

Popularity: 83% [?]