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  #1  
Old 05-18-2022, 05:41 PM
mrcrossbow mrcrossbow is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Cluny AB
Posts: 316
Default just need advice. ( pike set up )

So hey there. i got into fly fishing 2 years ago. strictly pike. i fish on the bow west of bassano. most the fish i get are in the 2 to 15 lb range with most around 7 to 9 lbs. any ways i use a cabelas prestige in a 8wt, medium 8wt sinking line some 20lb monofilament line (5ft long) and a 2 foot long titanium leader then a #6 wooly bugger green or black with a bit tinsel added for flash. has worked well as i rarely go home empty handed. but i cant seem to cast far maybe 25ft on a good day and all the videos and things i read have so many different ways of set up and all claim to be the right way. so im looking for any advice to help my game ie set up properly. ie line set up. my cast is good , nice loop behind me and i start forward right as hits end of the rear casting loop. so i dont think thats my problem for distance. my roll cast is decent i quess , a work in progress one might say. any ways any friendly help is appreciated, or criticism, i can take it, my skin is thick. and i dont have any real interest in other fish just pike. i might one day and ill definitely ask how set up for that when im ready.
thank you folks for reading i know i tend to ramble on.
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  #2  
Old 05-18-2022, 07:21 PM
eagleflyfisher eagleflyfisher is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 289
Default Pike

If your only getting a 25 ‘ cast.
Make certain that you have the head of your weight forward line out of the rod tip.
You’ve got the tip of the fly line leading into the belly or head of fly line then on to the running line then on to your backing.
Pull the fly line out by hand and watch from the tip where it’s goes to the fat part and when the fat part goes skinny again this is what you want just out of the tip of your rod.
Learn to double haul.. increases line speed resulting in distance.
Keep a clean fly line.
A heavier bellied fly line helps cast bigger flys. I use SA titan taper.
Thumb on top, keep reel parallel to forearm resulting in u using the spine of rod not the side of rod. More power.
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  #3  
Old 05-19-2022, 05:26 AM
lannie lannie is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: CNP
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Try casting without the fly on the end and see what you can do. If everything improves try shortening the monifiliment to 3 feet. Check again with fly on.
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  #4  
Old 05-19-2022, 08:18 AM
britman101 britman101 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 317
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So you are using a sinking flyline on your fly rod, is there any taper on the fly line? If not, one way to increase distance would be to use a shooting head that is a sinking line, or sink tip with a shooting line. That should allow you to lay out longer casts.
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  #5  
Old 05-19-2022, 10:40 AM
Pikebreath Pikebreath is offline
 
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Without seeing your casting stokes, my best guess is you are likely not coming to a "hard stop" at the end of your back cast and forward casts. Casters who struggle often "push" the cast applying power at the beginning and drifting / slowing down to a stop. One needs to accelerate / gain speed through the cast ending with a hard stop applying the force at the end of the cast. Think of a two headed hammer with a nail at eye level in front of you and another nail above and behind your ear. When you swing a hammer you want the force applied at the end as the hammer hits the nail. Fly casting is the same principle.

I have heard Barry White describe it this way. You have two edged sabre in your hand... Now "stab the sky" and then come forward and "chop the chicken"' (take the head off)

Line control with your line hand is every bit as important as your casting arm / hand movements. You need to keep the line tight while casting. If you let "loose" the line while the rod is still moving, (letting go too soon or simply dropping the line ), the rod will start moving "through the line" which is simply wasting the rod's travel. You want the line moving "through the rod guides" which can only happen with control of the fly line.

You need to hang on to the loose line with the line hand through the casting stroke and only let line out once you have come to a stop. Control the line going out by letting the line slide through an "O" made with your finger tips and then grabbing / stopping the line after you have let out about a rod's length of line. Let the line feed put and straighten loading the rod before beginning the opposite casting stroke. This is a timing issue and learning to wait until you feel the rod load is paramount. I would suggest that at first to let line out only on the forward cast until you have mastered rod feel and timing.

Last edited by Pikebreath; 05-19-2022 at 10:57 AM.
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  #6  
Old 05-19-2022, 11:49 AM
mrcrossbow mrcrossbow is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Cluny AB
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thank you every one .. pikebreath i think you nailed it. i was just leaving the line loose, and like you said the rod is moving though loose line. im going to work on not doing that..
and eagleflyfisher, i just checked i definitely cant my rod side ways a slightly ill work on that also.
thank you lanni ill try casting with out a fly and see if i need to shorten lead.
and also thank you britman101 ill look into shooting head.

again thank you everyone. soon as these 54km hr winds die down ill give everything a shot and see if any improvement.
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  #7  
Old 05-19-2022, 09:34 PM
goldscud goldscud is offline
 
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You need to let the weight of the line load the rod. That's why having a tight line is important. Point your tip at the water and take up all the slack before casting.
The hard stop on the back cast, with the required pause, allows the line to straighten out behind you, then the weight of the line loads the rod (flexes it backward). This flex puts power in your rod. A haul here just puts more flex and power into your rod.
A stop at the end of the forward stroke then allows the built up energy in rod to catapult the line forward (like the flex in a hockey stick on a slap shot).
Timing on the back cast and forecast just makes things better.

There is a reason a 90lb woman can cast her whole fly line and you can't...it is not all about strength. Make the rod work with better technique.
Watch some videos and practice on the lawn.
Good luck
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  #8  
Old 05-20-2022, 08:25 AM
Pikebreath Pikebreath is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldscud View Post
You need to let the weight of the line load the rod. That's why having a tight line is important. Point your tip at the water and take up all the slack before casting.
Good luck

Excellent advise.... You can't have a good ending if you don't have a good beginning!!!

Use the travel of your fly rod on the pickup to move the fly from the water,,, not take slack out of the line.
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  #9  
Old 05-21-2022, 07:08 PM
mrcrossbow mrcrossbow is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Cluny AB
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well thank you , that was the problem slack line, went and practiced in my field for a few hrs then hit the water 100% difference in casting distance, such a tiny thing but such a huge thing, thank you all for pointing that out. this is going make a world of difference this year and so much more enjoyable watching that line unfurl out in front of me, was a fun afternoon. really cant thank you all enough for taking the time and explaining what could and was my problem..
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Last edited by mrcrossbow; 05-21-2022 at 07:09 PM. Reason: wrong word
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