"snakefiddler" wrote in message
...
o.k., so i can cast my line out in a nice straight line fairly
consistently,
avoiding "pile up", but my leader is piling up. i just put new leader on
day before yesterday, and it is pretty curly. is it because of that, or
is
it related to my casting- or maybe something else? any ideas?


While not stretching the leader may be part of the problem, my guess it is
not all of the problem.
The leader is not turning over and presenting the fly. Some of it may be
your casting technique, as this in not an uncommon newbie problem. I think
the major culprits beside straightening the leader are 1. how the leader is
attached to the fly line and 2. the leader is not "matched" to the size fly.
1. For a new caster there should be a "stiff" piece of monofilament approx
2/3rds the thickness of the fly line attached to the end of the fly line. At
the other end, either using a loop connection or a blood knot should be your
tapered leader. the butt end of the leader should not be thicker nor stiffer
than the mono it is attached to. A freshwater fly line leader is a series of
different thickness monofilament ending with a thin "tippet" end. Too many
new folks get tied up in the "lb test" of the leader. The size tippet you
are using should be approx 1/4 the size of the fly. If you are fishing a
size 18 blue winged olive dry fly, you would divide 18 by 4 and select a
4-5x tippet. I tie many of my own leaders but when I use a commercial leader
I buy a 7 1/2 foot 3X leader and then add 4X or 5X as I need or want using a
blood or surgeon's knot. But if you have a small fly and a big tippet the
fly will not turn over and the leader will pile.

Take these hints into consideration with the stretching of the leader. If
the problem persists, change leader brands (for some reason I had this
problem consistently with the Orvis super strong brand of leaders and
tippet). lastly revisit a casting instructor because you are probably not
transmitting enough power into the forward cast if the other things do not
work.

My thoughts anyway.

Wayne

PS...straight line casts are pretty cool when practicing on the grass but
for rivers and streams, you often want some s curves or slack when
presenting the fly to minimize drag on the fly.

If you release stroke on the forward cast is too "wimpy", the