beginner casting problem

I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.

In article . com,
beach_snookin wrote:

I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.

You are putting too much power into your stroke. Try 2 pound leader
with a fly on it and if it snaps off you are putting too much power into
your stroke. Better yet get casting lessons.

beach_snookin wrote:
I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.


What do you have attached to the end of your leader? Break the hook off
of a fly and tie that on or even a piece of yarn will work fine. Some
larger flies like Simulators can really put a twist in your leader.
Whatever you do, always were sunglasses or safety glasses while casting.

Russell

Point taken about power mentioned earlier-

It happens with a short leader and some yarn, too. It is most severe
with a longer leader and a streamer like a deceiver.

On Oct 23, 12:04 am, "Russell D." wrote:
beach_snookin wrote:
I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.

What do you have attached to the end of your leader? Break the hook off
of a fly and tie that on or even a piece of yarn will work fine. Some
larger flies like Simulators can really put a twist in your leader.
Whatever you do, always were sunglasses or safety glasses while casting.

Russell

beach_snookin wrote:
I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.


Are you getting so-called "wind knots?"

You should cast with tight loops (a small belly in the line). Try to
make the TIP of the fly rod travel in a straight line on the backward
and forward cast. Delay a bit before starting the forward cast, and let
the rod drift back into the backward stroke until the line straightens
out. Don't be worried about looking over your shoulder to see how the
cast is progressing.

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

On Oct 23, 9:30 am, "asadi" wrote:
"beach_snookin" wrote in message

ups.com...

I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.

http://www.sexyloops.com/index.shtml

I think the answer lies in the power response earlier. I am not
really having trouble forming
nice loops most of the time, in fact a lot of the times, my loops
tail, or tangle with itself at the
end of the cast. Granted, I am not casting very far, but with 20 or
30 feet of line out, I can pick up
the line, make a few false casts with some nice loops and lay it back
down again. I practice this for
about 15-20 minutes and my leader tip is a mess.

"beach_snookin" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.


http://www.sexyloops.com/index.shtml

"beach_snookin" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 23, 9:30 am, "asadi" wrote:
"beach_snookin" wrote in message

ups.com...

I've been learning to flycast for about a week now and am having
success at short distances, but after several minutes of casting, my
tapered, 10 lb. 8 ft leader becomes severely twisted and knotted.
After straightening it out, the tapered end is permanently crimped. I
know this can't be right and must be severly weakening the leader
material.

Can anyone point to a likely flaw in my casting technique that would
cause this?

thanks in advance.

http://www.sexyloops.com/index.shtml

I think the answer lies in the power response earlier. I am not
really having trouble forming
nice loops most of the time, in fact a lot of the times, my loops
tail, or tangle with itself at the
end of the cast. Granted, I am not casting very far, but with 20 or
30 feet of line out, I can pick up
the line, make a few false casts with some nice loops and lay it back
down again. I practice this for
about 15-20 minutes and my leader tip is a mess.


Beach,
just for the heck of it, try a 9 1/2 ft. 4x tapered leader, and just tie on
a small piece of yarn on the end of the leader. Don't add any tippet
material yet. By a short piece of yarn, take a 1" piece of yarn and tie it
right in the middle, then flare out the yarn. Trim the remaining length to
3/4".

It sounds like you have the casting stroke down, maybe except for the
follow-through. On the forward cast, after you stop the rod, gently lay it
down. If you don't stop the rod before you lay it down, you won't get the
correct follow-through, or turnover of the fly, causing the leader to not
fully extend.
-tom