"Samurai" Fly Shop

In fly casting, I pre-load by slipping a little line at the end of the back-cast. I do this for both accuracy and distance.

More precisely, I allow a controlled amount of fly line to slide through my line hand during the back-cast so the rod loads more deeply and smoothly before the final delivery.

Before I go any further I probably need to define some terms.

• Pre-loading = establishing rod bend early. (This can be done without slipping line but slipping line improves the rod bend.)
• Slipping line = dynamically feeding line during the load to maintain or increase the bend.

Why it helps:

• Prevents an abrupt “hit” or what I call a “jounce” on the rod
• Smooths acceleration
• Keeps tension continuous
• Can increase line speed, accuracy and distance
• Helps with very long casts where carrying all the line aerialized is difficult

A common example is in distance casting:

• The caster starts the back cast with tension,
• allows a few inches/feet of line to slip,
• the rod continues loading progressively,
• then the final haul and stop produce high line speed.

For both accuracy and distance the “slip” should be short. A short slip has more speed, a long slip loses speed and the subsequent load is mostly from weight. The energy from speed is smoother. If too much line slips:

• rod load collapses,
• timing gets mushy,
• loops open excessively,
• and accuracy suffers.

Skilled casters do a controlled feed, without simply letting line run freely

I have been practicing for an upcoming tarpon trip and have come to the conclusion that in any cast over 40 feet my accuracy is best when I do a “slipped pre-load”. If you’re a saltwater fly fisher or thinking about becoming one, don’t stop at double-hauling, add pre-loads to your casting for accuracy and of course, distance.