By Louis Cahill
If you’ve ever been told that you are dropping your rod tip, waving your rod, or that you need to shorten your stroke, congratulations, you have the most common casting problem in fly-fishing.
Most fly casters struggle to keep their rod tip traveling in a straight line. Usually a bad habit we picked up casting gear rods as kids. If you can’t make a tight loop or your leader piles up when your line hits the water, this is probably the problem you’re having. It’s extremely common. Don’t beat yourself up over it, just fix it.
Tim Rajeff showed me how to make this simple practice setup, that fixes this problem once and for all. It’s a brilliant solution because it doesn’t involve talking about it. It just trains your muscles to make the right stroke. It’s one of the best things you can do for your fly casting. I use it all the time, when I teach casting and I see the difference.
Watch the video and stop dropping your rod tip once and for all.
And here is the much anticipated video on how to make the straight line practice rod.
Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Want to kill two birds with one stone?
Paint your ceilings with a roller.
By the time you complete the fifth room, your mussel memory
should be dialed in AND your wife will be happy!
Heck…. she might even let you go fish the next time you
get the urge. 🙂
Didn’t find it on the Echo site. Anyone else sell it? How is the rod handle attached to the pvc?
Just built one one the basement. Great idea
Same question as Larry Wallace. Nowhere to be found on Echo site. But a great idea.
LOL! Totally my bad. Echo does not sell it. They called me yesterday. The phone has been ringing off the hook. I’m going to shoot a video on how to make one yourself. It’s a busy time of year for me, so please be patient. Thanks.
Slick little trick. It will be built before the week is out; as I have 3 grandsons just getting started and I may be teaching fly casting this summer at a retreat lodge and this item should prove very useful.
Lou you butt wipe it isn’t on Echo’s website. Echo said you custom made this contraption. Now since you sent everyone that wanted to make on or buy one you owe us all a drawing diagram on how to make one and instructions to go along with the diagram!
How rude! Show some class. Louis doesn’t owe you (or me) anything. I think this is a wonderful idea that one could easily make with $10 of materials from Home Depot. You could even use a dowel with a screweye bolted into the top instead of the butt of a fly rod. I for one am super appreciative of Louis and Kent sharing these tips that make our time in the water more enjoyable.
Thanks Jeff!
I took 5′ of 1/2″ PVC and used 2 foot for the horizontal slider, and a 3′ piece in lieu of a rod but. A bit of 1/4″ nylon rope I had laying around, and some electrical tape on the pvc “rod” to replace cork. Set up in the garage, using the various garage door opener bits-although I zip-tied a 2′ pc of allthread to the power unit rigging to lower the rope down a bit. Ran the other end to the garage door. Did about 150 “casts” with each arm. I think this is awesome, and precisely what I needed to improve my casts! Thank you!
Thanks Ed. What did you use for the hinge point between the rod handle and the PVC “slider”?
I used the rope. Lashed it around the horizontal tube, drilled a 3/8″ hole and ran the rope thru with a knot on the inside. Allows full articulation. I’d guess the vertical tube that is acting the part of the rod, hangs 2 or 3″ below the horiz part.
Thank you! Happy casting.
BTW, my 1/2″ PVC’s OD is just under 1″. So, when I wrapped electrical tape around to simulate cork, it’s about the same diameter as a rod.
LOUie,
Any diagram and instruction on the one you are using?
Louis, how about posting some close up pictures of the connection between pipe and rod.
Guess it’s a state secret? Louie isn’t letting this diagram out for anything! LMAO!
I will be making a video on how to make this, although, really? It’s not rocket science. It’s just poor timing as I am dealing with travel and surgery. It’s coming.
Folks, it’s really not tough to make this. See my post earlier. Works like a charm.
Pingback: Make The Straight Line Practice Rod: Video | Fly Fishing | Gink and Gasoline | How to Fly Fish | Trout Fishing | Fly Tying | Fly Fishing Blog
This is a fantastic and fun idea but according to my understanding the tool is not quite right. To generate the desired straight path of the rod tip, the hand goes in a straight line. This is only possible because the rod bends.- otherwise the hand would have to dip as the rod goes through the vertical position. Because the tool handle piece is not flexible, the hand has to dip with the tool as constructed. The easiest remedy is cut off the handle as close above the hand as possible so.the hand follows the rope without dipping (much).
That’s all correct, but I’d say you are overthinking it. If you have that good an understanding of the stroke, you don’t need it. True, the device could be seen as overcorrecting the issue but if fact, we all fall short of that perfect flat stroke. It works, I promise.
Terrific idea, thank you..