Photo by Louis Cahill
Whether in saltwater or fresh, most experienced casters employ the double haul.
It’s possibly the best technique for creating line speed and generally energizing your line during the cast. It’s also a great way to create casting problems when done incorrectly.
One of the fundamentals of the double haul that commonly causes problems is the ratio of the haul to the line being carried by the caster. On a short cast where you may only carry thirty or forty feet of line, the length of your haul, that is the amount of line you pull through the guides with your line hand, may only be a couple of feet. On a cast of seventy or eighty feet be prepared to spread your wings.
Tall casters with long arm spans hold a decided advantage here. When it comes to casting the whole line it’s good to be well over six feet but the truth is that most of us don’t take advantage of the reach we have. If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, this photo should make my point.
My friend Joel Dickey has a powerful and athletic double haul. Better than mine, even though I’m 6’4″ to his 5’9″ but he really maximizes his reach and he gets a lot of power from it. Next time you’re casting a long line take a mental snapshot, or have a friend take an actual snapshot. Then ask yourself, “how’s my double haul?”
Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Must say from the picture that I have been under utilizing my equipment greatly. Looking forward to my next outing on the Sacramento river to refine my technique. Thanx, Steve
Couldn’t agree more! Most of us don’t use enough haul length on really long casts. Furthermore, my advice to anyone out there who is considering learning double haul is start by 1.) tuning up your basic cast such that you can handle 40-45 feet of line in the air with good loops and no haul; 2.) be able to shoot line on your back cast and forward cast. Double haul augments your cast, it does not improve it. I always tell my students that if you put a supercharger on a lousy engine all you do is burn more gas!
Tight Loops,
Jonathan Walter, IFFF Master Certified Casting Instructor