...never had a problem with casting...until today, for some reason, i literally couldnt cast, i'm not just talking poor casting, i mean actual lack of casting altogether...the line was straightening out fine behind me and then when it went forward it was all just flopping ten feet in front of me in a heaped zig-zag!

anyone have any idea what could be going wrong?
could the line be too light? (although i've used it before)

i even tried a small split shot on the fly just to add a bit of weight to the end of the line...just to see if there was a weight problem, even that didnt work

i'm totally bemused!

It's probably your timing, you were probably too late starting your forward cast or it could be that you are aerialising too much line. If you're using a WF line don't let the thinner running line extend beyond the rod tip. The thing about casting is, the harder you try, the worse it gets. Adding weight, or a weighted, fly just makes casting more difficult, for me anyway.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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If was same gear as you have used before, as you say, would tend to suggest a crack or split in top section(s) of rod!
no power in forward stroke, as line is falling in heap!
look at joints with magnifying glass, will show up hair line fractures.
these will open up on forward stroke and rod will go limp!!
regards
bert

Was there a head wind James. ? Strange it should just start out of nowhere.
Adding a split shot would just make it worse IMO.
Cracked rod perhaps?
Hopefully it will resume normal practice next time, don't fret about it, we all have off days.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

thanks a lot...hope it's not a crack!
probably just my timing, i'll see what happens next time i go out

definitely true; the harder you try the worse it gets, i was getting into a right flap about it!
i must have been a brilliant sight to behold, providing many with a good day's entertainment

Could be a case of Creep ie starting the forward cast before the line has extended at the back. Going to fast. Slow your cast down a bit and don't hurry things


Brian

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A.P.G.A.I. Instructor
Trout: Wary of signs revealing the presence of a human being,or of abnormal conditions to his modus vivendi: Ritz

Check joints before you go out.
otherwise you will providing entertainment again!
regards
bert

knowing me, it will be my timing; starting the forward cast too late or too soon...as long as i make other anglers feel good about their casting its a good days work haha

Sounds like to fast and to soon on the forward stroke to me. Another often over-looked symptom of bad casting is tiredness! It kinda sneaks up on me. Well it used to, I recognise it quickly now and take 10 mins off. Suprising what you notice if you just sit for 10.

Chris.

Once or twice in a misspent life I have encountered an odd time when it wouldn't work or didn't happen right at all - I reckon it could be part of the little known 'Glass Wall Effect ' that occurs on Summer Evenings and odd times of low or little wind when there is a degree of stratification in the near ground air .

You'll find that Tournament Casters stop at around 4.30pm because the 'lift' actually does go out of the air .

And I once had a weird occurrence in an oncoming thunderstorm where the cast and line just hung in the air for what seemed seconds - me I went back and sat safely in the car til it went over !

Or it might have been a bad biometric day ( if you believe in such things ! )

Do what the golf tour boys do - don't change things til its happened 4 days running - then you know you've got a problem !

Good Luck

Steve P