Trigger Finger?

On 1 Aug 2006 13:47:19 -0700, "riverman" wrote:

Well, its almost the end of my trip back to the states, as I fly out to
HK on Monday. Its been a blast, I've had some nice firsts (first
largemouth (first few hundred, actually) on a fly, got my first salmon
the other night below the dam in Bingham, went striper fishing down at
Popham for the first time (didn't get any), my first exposure to the
fabled Rapid River, and my first trip down the Allagash in a canoe.
Unfortunately, with all this paddling and casting, I seem to have
stressed the ligaments in my hands a bit, and am nursing a case of
trigger finger back to flexibility.

I haven't paddled a canoe in earnest for a few weeks, but I'm casting
my flyrod pretty much daily. My grip has evolved into the one where you
put your pointer finger along the top of the grip rather than your
thumb, and I suspect this puts some extra lateral pressure on my ring
finger. The result is that in the mornings, for about a half hour, I
cannot extend that ring finger without it 'popping' when it extends or
bends. I saw a doctor today who said it is either the first signs of
arthritis, or else it should go away as soon as I get back to my desk
job. I chose option 2.

Anyone else had experience with hand injuries or strains from fly
casting?

--riverman

If you are actually rotating your wrist to get that forefinger on top of the
rod, it's no wonder the ligaments in your hand are sore.

Stop doing that!

Put your thumb on top of the rod...

/daytripper

"daytripper" wrote in message
...

If you are actually rotating your wrist to get that forefinger on top of
the
rod, it's no wonder the ligaments in your hand are sore.

Stop doing that!

Put your thumb on top of the rod...

/daytripper

I've been using the index finger on my right hand to power forward and have
never had any adverse effects?

Op

On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 18:16:19 -0400, "Mr. Opus McDopus"
wrote:


"daytripper" wrote in message
.. .

If you are actually rotating your wrist to get that forefinger on top of
the
rod, it's no wonder the ligaments in your hand are sore.

Stop doing that!

Put your thumb on top of the rod...

/daytripper

I've been using the index finger on my right hand to power forward and have
never had any adverse effects?

Op

I'm thinking the kind of flyfishing one does makes a difference. Most of the
fishing I did in your neck o' the Great North State was done with only a few
feet of line out of the tiptop, with the casting consisting of very light
flicks. I can see how having the index finger on top would dampen power out of
the cast, which is probably a good thing in those circumstances, but I don't
think that translates well when fishing big water and particularly with bigger
gear. It just doesn't feel like there's any power there, compared to holding
the rod with the thumb on top of the grip.

Then again, I was first taught to hold and swing a rod like a hammer :-)

/daytripper (And every trout is a nail. Take that, Tim ;-)

"daytripper" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 18:16:19 -0400, "Mr. Opus McDopus"

wrote:


I'm thinking the kind of flyfishing one does makes a difference.

And I would be inclined to agree. Most of my fishing is done with a 3 or 4
weight rod. However, I do make a great many fairly long casts--over 50
feet--and I like the feel and accuracy I get by using my index finger.

Op

/daytripper (And every trout is a nail. Take that, Tim ;-)

Mr. Opus McDopus wrote:
"daytripper" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 18:16:19 -0400, "Mr. Opus McDopus"

wrote:


I'm thinking the kind of flyfishing one does makes a difference.


And I would be inclined to agree. Most of my fishing is done with a 3 or 4
weight rod. However, I do make a great many fairly long casts--over 50
feet--and I like the feel and accuracy I get by using my index finger.

I don't put either my thumb or my index finger on top of the grip, or
any other finger for that matter. I hold the grip pretty much the way
I'd hold a hammer.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Mr. Opus McDopus" wrote in message
.. .

"daytripper" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 18:16:19 -0400, "Mr. Opus McDopus"

wrote:


I'm thinking the kind of flyfishing one does makes a difference.

And I would be inclined to agree. Most of my fishing is done with a 3 or
4 weight rod. However, I do make a great many fairly long casts--over 50
feet--and I like the feel and accuracy I get by using my index finger.

Op

/daytripper (And every trout is a nail. Take that, Tim ;-)



In the book, The Essence of Fly-Casting by Mel Krieger, which I have found
the most complete book on learning how to cast, he describes the grip. The
grip starts out with the thumb on top of the rod-handle, and the index
finger completely opposite of the thumb, not higher or lower. For shortcast
this grip works ok, as his descriptions and pictures indicate. For medium
distance cast, you rotate the forearm slightly (for right-handers it's
rotating the forearm counterclockwise) to form the "V" of the thumb and
index finger facing upright, which gives the caster a slight palm-out
delivery (this grip he says he uses the most). For even greater distance,
rotate the forearm even more to give you even more of the palm-out. You
should also never hold the rod-handle with a death type grip.

I met Mel Krieger early this year giving free casting lessons in San
Francisco. I've seen some pretty good casters in my fly-fishing days, Lefty
Kreh, Steve Rajeff to name a few, but I'll have to say, Mel's casting stroke
is the best. His cast are picture perfect. Mel taught he his grip and
casting stroke that day and I've been using it ever since.
http://home.comcast.net/~tomnak/Mels_Day_009.jpg



http://home.comcast.net/~tomnak/Mel_Krieger_2B.JPG

fwiw,
-tom