The Casting Corner – Brief Terms and Descriptions

By Rene Hesse

Here are some sayings that may stick in your head. These are things that we use to help simplify casting terms and situations.

SLP:

Straight line path of the rod tip. This will give tighter loops.

RSP:

Rod straight position: The point in the cast that the line starts off the rod tip to form the loop.

Loops:

The shape of the line as it carries the fly to the target.

Remove the slack:

Start the cast once the fly is moving.

Loading the rod:

Bending the rod against the weight of the fly line.

Short cast, short stroke and long cast, long stroke:

The stroke length and arc must increase as the amount of line out of the rod tip increases.

The power application is a smooth constant rate of acceleration to a stop. This is after the lift portion on the back cast, and then be smooth but constantly accelerated on the forward cast to a stop.

Pause on the back cast:

Let the line extend without losing tension or falling too much.

Drifting:

The rearward movement of the casting hand after the stop in the back, to lengthen the stroke. This is a good method of curing creep.

Creep:

An early rotation of the rod toward the target before starting the forward casting stroke. A casting error.

Pop and stop:

Refers to the delayed rotation of the wrist at the end of the casting stroke

Down-up, down-up:

The line hand movement in a double haul.

Tailing loop:

Caused by the rod tip dipping and coming back up. Things that cause the dip are; An erratic or abrupt application of power, too short of a casting stroke for the amount of line out of the rod tip, creeping (see above) and trajectory.

&*%^&#$@#:

Generally said after missing an easy cast due to excitement.

These are helpful descriptions to know when you go to get a casting lesson. Getting to know the terms, cause/corrections are important if you want to become a better caster. The only thing that will really help is practice and doing it right. Forming bad habits is easy to do and hard to correct. Go fish!