Distance casting

[glyn]

Hi all, im a reasonable caster i can a full line out with perhaps a couple of turns of line just left on the spool, my question is what rods and lines do tournament casters use are they purpose made for the job or are they stepped-up reservoir rods or even really something else.
cheers Glyn

[The Handsome Stick]

I don't knopw verymuch about tournament casting, but a distance caster once bought a TCR 5# from me for tournaments. Also Echo rods (important by Mick Bell a.k.a. Bloke on this forum) have a distance casting 5#.

[sportfisher]

When you say tournament casting there are a few categories that could fall into.

The BFCC run a standard 5 and 7weight competition where entrants must use a production line of their choice and also an equally rated rod.

Fast action rods are the most frequently used with long belly weight forward lines but double tapers are also used but to do this you have to be able to arielize the full line and use it as a very big shooting head.

Then there is the open tourniment gear (this is not fishing gear)there is a standard 34g line and 38g trout distance lines spliced onto a shock leader and then onto running line (about 8lb gold stren) I have seen these lines cast over 70 yards,but this is tournament gear not fishing gear (thank goodness) there is no production fishing rod's that would cope with these line's properly without breaking.The rods are built from
special blanks (9ft-6)ish.

If you are practising for distance when fishing don't aim for the horizon do it in stages from 15 yards then 20 then 25 and only when it feels right and looks right progress to 30...


All the best

[Charon]

Glyn,
just to add a little more info to sportfish's answer,
in say the 5wt event the most common rods used at a BFCC event are the Grand Prix, the Echo UD and the TCR, they are all off the shelf models. The lines for this event are usually the SA XXD (although recently superceeded), a Rio long belly (again I believe updated) or the humble DT (which usually wins ).
For the single handed shooting head distance event, these are specially made casting rods, such as the Loomis T38 or Grand Prix T180. The heads are specially made by Airflow and (sorry, a senior moment but Ive completely forgotten who makes the USA version) which are joined directly to thin Stren.
The rods for double handed events are often home made out of say a 12 ft ish Bass rod stuck into a 5-6 ft non bending butt section. Have a look at the BFCC web site, all the rules and regs there .

C.

[Chuckfluffer]

Hi Glyn,
For full line casting the rods have to be production blanks, you can customise the fittings ie rings and handle. Thats not to say that some manufactures do not make a rod specifically for distance work, the Echo UD and the TCR are examples.
I believe there is a move to standardise the line used rather than the rod for competition.
Shooting head casting is different, you just find the best blank you can for any specific weight. I believe company's like G loomis make tournament blanks for this discipline.

Mike

[glyn]

Thanks for the replies chaps, looks like some of them are quite poky, i am supprised about the #5 size used for distance i would have thought from #7 upwards to perhaps a lead core shooting head around #10 or higher and move out the way quick as it came past.
cheers Glyn.

[Chuckfluffer]

Hi Glyn,

The 5 weight is not the ultimate distance weight, as you say, heavier lines and shooting heads will cast further but the practice you need to do to be able to cast a 5 weight 100' plus means you will become a good caster and be able to pick up virtually any rod and cast well with it, even the 17' DH salmon monstrosity we use at BFCC meetings, a truly frightening weapon that some can throw well over 200' with.

Mike

[glyn]

Hi all, just for a nose i did a google search for these Echo rods a make i havent heard of, and i was supprised at the price of them the ones i looked at were rods for fishing they are not badly priced at all and look a decent job at around $130.. i couldnt get a close up though but i guess a good buy. I also saw the Sage TCR at well over $700 haha not for me.
Glyn

[cgr]

hi i ve been having casting lessons from a friend who showed me how to cast my hardy swift 9'6 rod. The guy got all the line out so easily, double hauling. job done. no need for a customised rod.

[tigermoth]

Saw a couple of Hywel Morgans tournament casting rods last night. One of them had all the flex of a jousting lance - in fact I suspect that was what it was. Incredible thing.

[sage]

Hi All.

When you are talking distance casting , I don't think your talking a full line, the rods that Tigermoth saw, are casting lines 60+mtrs 200+ft not 90ft.the single hander was a AFTM 15-16 and the spey rod was a 23#

If I heard Hywel right, some diastance caster are doing 80+mts :onow thats distance, but if it is any thing to do with fly fishing , i don't know.good if you can do it

[glyn]

Hi all, yes your right i think extreme distance casting and the rods used show little likeness to fishing, i wouldnt mind getting a bass fly out 50 yds plus but i would like the rod to bend as well if a fish took lol.

I saw Hywel use a d/hander at a game fair once with what i thought was a lead lined section of fly line it went out an awful long way..but if it hit someone it would have taken their arm off, that rod did'nt bend either.
Cheers Glyn

[sage]

Hi Glyn.
Ever thought of using a doubble hander , or one of these new switch rods, for fishing in the surf ?

[glyn]

Hi sage, I use a range of d/handers at present one 8/9#13ft, 9/10#15ft and a 10/12#15ft as well as a number of single handers, i dont think i would use one in the sea i'd prefer the fun of a single hander. I mentioned bass because its only on the beach that I really try and get a great distance out ..my river fishing doesnt need me to go out far. I will have to look up these switch rods havent heard the term before.
Glyn.

[glyn]

Sage I just had a look for these switch rods, if they are what i think ..ive had these in my head for years, are they short d/handers. Ive wanted a " in between rod " for a long time, a rod longer than the normal singles with short d/hand cork handle but less length than 13ftr with a strong single hander action..if this makes sense.. for my high water daytime seatrout fishing with big collie dog doubles. Ive been looking for a suitable blank over the years to make my own up but just never found one, I think this type of rod needs a special action to do the job right.

I will have to check prices.
cheers Glyn.