The Wrist In The Cast

Im in line with Bill K here. The problem is that most new casters are using
their wrist too much
and basically end up with a 9am-3pm stroke which doesnt load the rod at
all. To get around this
its easier to have them try not to use the wrist as a first approach and
then later add the finishing
touches.

Greg Pavlov wrote in message ...
On Thu, 20 May 2004 10:57:08 -0700, Svend Tang-Petersen
wrote:

Im in line with Bill K here. The problem is that most new casters are
using
their wrist too much
and basically end up with a 9am-3pm stroke which doesnt load the rod at
all. To get around this
its easier to have them try not to use the wrist as a first approach and
then later add the finishing
touches.

There is another reason: "snap" the wrist a bit too much while
casting a heavier rod, say a 10 wt, at the age of a sedentary
50+ yrs, and it is likely to hurt like hell and may end your
fishing day right then and there.


Once I used a 10 weight rod without the fighting butt attached, and after
long distance flats casting for an hour or so, my inner forearm was visibly
bruised from the reel seat continually whacking into my arm with a heavy
reel attached. Each cast got more painful than the last ~ it was that bad
that I never ever fished with that rod again without its fighting butt
attached.

Another time I remember blistering my hand from trying to fish a 9 weight
rod with something like a 5 weight line (all that was available) ~ was
really hard work to cast that silly combo, and it took the skin off my
hands.

tmon wrote:


I also use my wrist but more often and pronounced with lighter outfits
especially when trying to execute "finesse" casts.

Interesting that most people seemed to favor the use of the wrist. The
last time this was brought up on ROFF, not many people expressed that in
the face of Mike C's pronouncement that the wrist should never be used -
broken.

Willi

"Willi" wrote in message

Interesting that most people seemed to favor the use of the wrist. The
last time this was brought up on ROFF, not many people expressed that in
the face of Mike C's pronouncement that the wrist should never be used -
broken.

Willi




A most remarkable attribution, and quite untrue.

"Using" the wrist, is not at all the same thing as allowing it to "break".

Apart from which, "using" the wrist properly becomes progressively more
difficult, the heavier the gear. Most people will merely end up damaging
themselves "using" their wrists with heavy, too long, or otherwise
inappropriate gear. The same thing will occur with uncontrolled "breaking".

Many beginners have a major problem casting at first, because they
allow their wrists to break uncontrollably. This simply results in poor
stops, uncontrolled timing, and a number of other errors.

Not using the wrist at all, makes it is easier to learn the basic
principles.

Once you know them, you can use your wrist as much as you like. Indeed, if
you want to be a really good caster, you must do so. Trying to do it
beforehand usually results in failure. This is why many instructors advocate
casting with a locked wrist, and the elbow at the side to begin with. This
automatically prevents a large number of errors from occurring, and suffices
for the distances required in normal river fishing.

If you do not bend your wrist, you can not make any of the mistakes
associated with doing so, and you can not hurt yourself either.

TL
MC

Mike Connor wrote in message ...

Not using the wrist at all, makes it is easier to learn the basic
principles.



I totally agree that for someone to start learning to cast, then the wrist
should be rigid, and the butt may even be tied to the forearm to assist
this. The most common first error for new casters is the 9 - 3 o'clock
aerial loop-snake, and it is due to uncontrolled flexing of the wrist. It
is much easier for the beginner to first learn to use the forearm's action
in casting.

Mike Connor wrote:


I'm not interested in getting in a ****ing match but you do tend to make
dogmatic statements that seem straight forward to me but maybe I'm not
interpreting them correctly. Here's a few you made in the past about
using the wrist:


A most remarkable attribution, and quite untrue.

Once you know them, you can use your wrist as much as you like. Indeed, if
you want to be a really good caster, you must do so.


"I do not use any wrist at all when casting, it is locked."

"Most anglers suffer from the severe disadvantage that they use their
wrists when casting. This really is a major fault, and quite unnecessary."

"If you learn to lock your wrist completely, you will be absolutely
amazed at the results, believe me. Everything immediately improves, and
quite dramatically at that, distance, accuracy, power, control,
smoothness, etc etc."


Willi

"Willi" wrote

I'm not interested in getting in a ****ing match

Well aim somewhere else.