What gear did they use

[Malcolm]

In the 1930s fly casters were casting distances of around 180 feet with single handed wooden rods and as far as I know with the new innovation of WF lines. I'm very curious to know how they did this given that even today with unrestricted tackle these distances would be regarded as remarkable (extreme distance shooting head outfits like the T38 excepted). Does anyone know?

[Ben_D]

I have a copy of Charles Ritz at home, will have a look later on, think there is something in there.

Cheers

Ben

[John Waters]

Hi Malcolm,

There have been a number of variations of event, line and rod definition in tournament fly casting since the 20s and 30s, as well as advances in technique and discipline. However I suggest the distances you have quoted would have been achieved when the the Single Handed Fly Distance Open Event was defined by of silk lines (no plastic lines in those days) that were forward taper profile, minimum length 50 feet. The lines were made up of level sections of silk line, each with different diameter and length to get the taper desired. There was a great deal of variation in the taper designs in those days (unlike the standard 38 gram lines of today) as you could make up a multitude of taper profiles depending upon how you combined different lengths and diameters of sections eg make a line with a taper suited to strong tail wind versus a taper suited to no wind conditions. The line had a maximum weight of 1.5 ounces. Unlike today's shooting head lines, they had very different weight distribution depending upon the taper used. They were not WF lines as we know them today although both today's SH and WF lines, as was the double haul, were developed on the tournament casting platform. Rods were 9 foot 6 inches and hollow cane construction. Over the journey there have been reductions in maximum length and weight. In the 50s the maximum rod weight was reduced to 4.5 ounces. They were very heavy (line and rod) outfits when compared to today's graphite rods and high density lines. The Double handed rods and lines were also cane and silk and weighed a "ton".

John

[Malcolm]

That's interesting John, I've been curious for years as to why there is so little improvement in casting distance despite the apparent advancement in materials. That Dick Millar could cast 179 ft in 1938 with a split cane rod(with a few others close behind) suggests they knew a thing or two. If they were casting these distances without shooting heads then I'm thinking that must still be close to world record distances.

The spey casting record stood for over 100 years! It's appears to me that we are missing something - after all despite the very slow actions the rod tip speed must approach that of modern rods at release. Perhaps the greater momentum of the heavier material has a lot of significance and perhaps the "spring" element of the spring/lever combination can play a much bigger role that it does with modern rods?

I may have said before but I have a 10ft 8in greenheart rod and it spey casts simply astonishing distances, will pick up line from almost any anchor and handles heavy flies better than any similar specced modern rod. Just a pity it weighs 14 oz and has a casting limit of about 3 minutes!

Malcolm

[Ben_D]

I may have said before but I have a 10ft 8in greenheart rod and it spey casts simply astonishing distances, will pick up line from almost any anchor and handles heavy flies better than any similar specced modern rod. Just a pity it weighs 14 oz and has a casting limit of about 3 minutes!

Malcolm

Not sure about overhead casting Malcolm, my best casts recently have come from very stiff, fast, rods for the line weight.

The opposite is true with Speys, not necessarily soft rods but rods that bend to the butt are very much better for pure Spey distance with long lines in my hands. Things that bend like an old Daiwa.

Cheers

Ben

[Malcolm]

Ben,

Overhead casting is OK but not great. Certainly nowhere near what I can cast with equivalent long carbon rods.

Incidently I will be getting a single handed single handed salmon rod next season built with a custom built low middle action and heavier lower modulus carbon optimised for flexible spey casting. As you will know the heavier slower action allows a much more flexible anchor position which is important to me in the jungle fishing that I do on our local spate river.

Malcolm

[Paul Arden]

Interesting question, Malcolm!

I've only cast silk a few times but I think it has a smaller diameter for its mass compared to floating lines, and shoots like buggery. I'm guessing it was the same then, but we certainly have restrictions on tackle (head lengths, density, shooting line diameter and so on) that restrict distance. Those restrictions are there to make for a an interesting competition. A six inch Shooting head weighing 6oz would go a frigging long way

Cheers, Paul

[TrevH]

... A six inch Shooting head weighing 6oz would go a frigging long way

Cheers, Paul

More than 270 meters

[TrevH]

.... Also goes to show it's not what you got ... it's what you do with it.

Still ... doesn't do any harm to have both bases covered :666:

Cheers
Trev

[Ben_D]

Ben,


Incidently I will be getting a single handed single handed salmon rod next season built with a custom built low middle action and heavier lower modulus carbon optimised for flexible spey casting.

Malcolm

Malcolm,

That sounds very cool indeed What blank are you building on or is the blank being made to your spec? I'm looking for something similar for Spey casting a 27g floating shooting head.

Cheers

Ben

[Malcolm]

Ben,

I'm getting the blank (and finished rod) made by David Norwich. I'm just about to email him to confirm a visit in January.

I spoke to him a couple of days ago and explained my rather eccentric requirements for small stream salmon fishing and he is happy to make the rod to my spec.