M_SEA_574

SP2E0C-IPAALGPEULLOUTSeaAngler SEA SCHOOL SPECIAL TGHUEIDUELTTOIM...ATE CASTING n LEARN TO CAST n IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE n53BOOST YOUR DISTANCE n CATCH MORE FISH

Whilst the original Super Kenzaki rods were the first ever equal length, two section boat rods, the range has evolved and the choice diversified over time. Today 14 different designs, including fixed spool versions offer anglers the perfect rod option wherever they are going. MODEL TYPE LENGTH RATING PCS 7' 6-12lb 2 SKZB7012-BU DOWN TIDE 7' 12-20lb 2 7' 20-30lb 2 SKZB7020-BU DOWN TIDE 7' 30-50lb 2 8' 6-15lb 2 SKZB7030-BU DOWN TIDE 8' 15-25lb 2 6-12lb 2 SKZB7050-BU DOWN TIDE 7' 6\" 12-20lb 2 7’ 6” 20-30lb 2 SKZB8015-BU DOWN TIDE 7’ 6” 12-20lb 4 20-30lb 4 SKZB8025-BU DOWN TIDE 7' 30-50lb 4 7' 40-60lb 3 SKZB7612FS-BU FIXED SPOOL 7' 4-10oz 2 6' 6\" SKZB7620FS-BU FIXED SPOOL 9' 6\" SKZB7630FS-BU FIXED SPOOL SKZB7020-4-BU TRAVEL SKZB7030-4-BU TRAVEL SKZB7050-4-BU TRAVEL SKZB6660-3-BU TRAVEL SKZU962-BU UPTIDE All models - RRP £150 Powerlift Grip Fuji Reel Seat Fuji Guides V - Joint

CASTING GUIDE Improve your casting Masterthekeyskills,tweakyour style or try different techniques If only you could cast like the handful of key skills to put your bait where control and power into your casting style. angler next to you. He’s no bigger than the fish are feeding. It’s all about the basics. It’s all about practical casting for the average you, his gear looks much the same, yet while you struggle to get your bait very Here, we’ll get you casting well enough to beach angler, to reach a steady 150 yards or so, far, while his smooth style sends the catch fish, be safe and then show you how rather than striving to hit 200 to 300yds. baited rig what seems like miles. to put together powerful off-ground and Effortless distances are the result of pendulum styles. Yes, fish may also feed Remember to use a finger stall on your an understanding of how good casting close in, but, remember, distance is another index finger when using a fixed-spool reel or works, and the commitment to master a string to your bow some form of thumb potection for gripping the spool of a multiplier. You’ll also discover how to combine Turn the page and boost your casting… CONTENTS: WHAT’S INSIDE... ✔ 55 GET STARTED 58 OFF GROUND 62 ADDING SWING 66 BACKCASTING 70 LONG RODS A simple exercise to How tackle layout and Go aerial and learn a How turning your back The correct way develop the basics. rotation add power. basic pendulum. on the sea can help. to cast a Continental. SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574 55

CASTING GUIDE USE A SHOCKLEADER 3 The formula is 10lb of 4 breaking strain for every ounce of lead being cast. For instance, 60lb for 6oz 2 1 1 2Look up at Butt at eye level your target Push with right hand Continue looking up at target Pull with left hand 3 4Stay focused on your target for a moment to produce a clean follow-through The pull Line release down should should be be hearder automatic than the push 56 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

GettiNG stArteD – Your prelimiNArY cAstiNG exercise Imagine that in front of you there is a butt are at eye level or slightly higher. pull correct and you will feel a powerful tree with an apple hanging high in the springing sensation between your hands. branches, slightly to your right. Stand 2Look up towards the aiming spot, pull Your right arm and shoulder stay quiet, at an angle that lets you swing the rod down smoothly with your left hand avoiding that ugly thrash that plagues comfortably as if it were a big stick. Whack and, at the same time, push quite gently many casters and sends a cast low and left. the apple with the rod tip, making your left upwards and forwards with the right hand. hand do most of the work. Your checklist 3The pull should feel at least twice as Casting is equally simple. Hang the powerful as the push. Within reason, ✔ Look up to where you want the lead weight on a drop of about one metre the more pull the better. lead to go. (this may need adjusting, depending on ✔ Pull down with left hand and push with your rod). Stand so that you can swing the 4The rod flicks over smoothly, line the right hand. rod easily towards a target high in the sky, release takes place automatically, ✔ Feel the pressure building. slightly to the right of where you want the just before the tip ring hits the apple. ✔ Sense the powerful catapult action sinker to go. Now do this… Stay focused on the target for a moment when the rod flicks straight to launch to produce a clean follow-through. the lead weight. 1Turn slightly away from the water ✔ Set up the cast in the same way and lay the lead weight on the beach This cast is capable of reaching beyond every time. under the rod tip. The tip is low to the 100 yards, but we’re not interested in ✔ Pay no attention to distance for now. ground, while your left elbow and rod distance now, nor in using full force. Cast ✔ Be slow and smooth. at half your usual speed or less and make the left hand do the work. Get that push- cAstiNG QuestioNs How it works: The rod’s curve increases Q: What’s the best rod for learning to cast? John Holden says: A medium-fast 12-13ft progressively, then beachcaster is usually best for fishing at releases its energy respectable distances on open beaches. While most of these rods fall short of the Q: Is a stiff fishing rod better for casting? damage to the bait and gives effortless long-range fishing weapons, this is an JH says: A rod’s action is not the same distance. The top two-thirds of the rod advantage because taking on too much rod thing as stiffness. It is all too easy to pick should compress well. before you can control it ends in tears. a rod that some anglers rave about, yet n The tip: This should bend easily against the average guy has no hope of bending. the sinker’s resistance at the start of the It’s all about tip speed and leverage, with cast to create a clean start to the power the correct rod stiffness being important. For learning to cast well (and for stroke. When pendulum casting, Someone who is fairly strong but a slow fishing) you don’t want a rod that’s too a smooth tip flexibility improves the caster may prefer a 13ft rod. A quicker caster fast and stiff. You must be able to bend swing. An accurate backswing is difficult of the same strength might choose a 12ft rod it to its optimum curve. Medium-fast with a harsh and bouncy tip. to fish at the same range. coupled with moderate stiffness is the n The middle: The better the middle, the most user-friendly, but a slightly slow, better the rod. A rapid fall in stiffness I’d suggest 14ft is the limit for pendulum fairly soft rod is no bad thing when between handle and tip produces a fast casting, and the same is broadly true of learning the pendulum. action where the bend is concentrated in ground styles. A 15ft-plus rod is excellent for the top half of the rod. certain types of beach fishing, but can be an All rods perform at their best when they n The handle: It must not go rubbery excuse for not bothering to cast well. are properly bent just before the caster when you hit into the final part of the makes the punch-pull. The punch-pull cast. Avoid a soggy-feeling rod and those Mid-market rods are more than capable bends the blank a little more, but direct with unyielding high power. Check by of throwing a rig further than most anglers leverage feeds most of the extra energy resting the butt on the floor, support the can hope to achieve. Basic rods won’t do through to the lead weight. The rod middle of the rod and push down fairly for rough-ground fishing or, at the other should flick straight with enough speed hard just above the top grip. An inch or extreme, for lightweight work. It is easier and guts to add a smooth catapult-like two of flex indicates the rod will help you to learn using a 150g outfit. surge to the cast. to cast.n Q:Do I use a fixed-spool reel or multiplier? A rod with a medium-fast action adapts JH says: Small CT multipliers models loaded to ground and pendulum styles, reduces with around 0.35mm mono offer a blend of distance and control. When conditions 57 call for greater line capacity and durability, bigger reels, such as the Penn 525 and Daiwa SLOSH models, cast well, but beginners won’t find them as friendly. The fixed-spool reel is a better choice if you lack the time and commitment to get the best from a multiplier. Moderate-size spool diameter and gear ratio generally make for better fishing and casting. Pendulum casting with a fixed-spool is awkward, so switch to a CT before getting into that style. Whatever model of fixed spool, a locking drag is vital to prevent the spool from rotating. Although far from perfect on budget reels, the line-lay and gearing are usually adequate. sea angler issue 574

CASTING GUIDE Easy off-ground exercise Trythissimplemethodtoensureyou get the sinker’s starting position right Get the basics of the sinker is laid out under the rod and, using generates enough early resistance to give the preliminary exercise right and a simple push and pull to swing the rod caster something to work against. The sinker you’ll find that upgrading is through its power arc, you act as a human aligns with the caster’s power arc as the rod fairly straightforward. The key trebuchet (a machine that hurled huge accelerates forwards. The rod bends to full is to load and release the rod stones at castle walls). compression until it arrives at the caster’s smoothly and efficiently. final punch-pull position. If you do only one thing to In real-life casting, the rod actually travels improve your casting, get the along an angled plane rather than through The arm action accelerates the sinker even sinker’s starting position right because it the vertical, as in the trebuchet. harder due to leverage, and at the same time almost guarantees decent rod efficiency. It the rod unwinds to release the stored energy helps to use a proper arm action too. The sinker is now in a high inertia position. in a catapult-like flow that ends at the follow- It wants to stay where it is when the rod through position. By this time the sinker is on Try this simple off-ground exercise. The moves. As a result, the rod starts bending and its way into the sky and out to sea. storing energy. The sinker’s smooth lift-off The head should come round to look at your target This time the As your body unwinds sinker is laid the rod bends and outside the rod tip pulls the sinker 58 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

The rod The final bends and punch-pull stores energy lifts sinker ADDING MORE POWER rotation and a wider rod arc. It feels as CASTING QUESTION though the shoulder gets behind the load Here our diagrams show the introduction and starts to push. That push is generated Q: In trying to get a good technique, why of a little bit more body rotation and rod by the upper half of your body unwinding, does the correct way often feel wrong? arc, but at this stage, don’t attempt a full not a right-arm punch that comes later. wind-up and maximum rod arc. John Holden says: This is when bad The sensation of pressure building in habits are itching to take over. The Rather than set up with the lead weight the right shoulder is an important longer you have been using a poor under the blank, move it slightly to the indication of how your casting style is technique, the harder it is to delete right (see diagram left). Your casting coming together. the muscle memory. Ground casting action remains the same – smooth, helps because everything can be set up relaxed and with plenty of left-hand pull. All that stands between you and a exactly the same way each time. Experiment with set-up angles and sinker power version of this ground cast is a bit The best way to improve is to go through drop because even a small change in more body rotation and rod arc, slightly the same step-by-step process every set-up and body rotation alters the rod’s revised sinker layout, and the inevitable cast. Eventually your cast will flow on response and the cast’s flight path. practice. You should find the body an updated autopilot. rotation and tackle layout that suits you, You’ll sense how your right shoulder but your set-up will change over time. 59 comes into play due to more body SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

CASTING GUIDE USE THE CLOCK chest or shove it away at full Imagine that looking stretch. Keep your left arm fairly out to sea is the 12 Here’s a simple exercise… look at straight with the elbow high so that o’clock start position our diagram and imagine you are the forearm seems an extension of standing in the centre of a clock face the rod handle. Stay relaxed. As you adjust the rod arc, where 12 o’clock is straight out to the shoulder position sea. Seen from above, the hands of When the left arm is held correctly moves from ten-to-four the clock lie in a straight line across and the rod tip stays low, the right to ten-past-eight your shoulders. arm takes care of itself. With your shoulders at ten-past-eight, the rod Now identify your aiming spot will point to about eight on the dial. in the sky and take up a stance that feels right for making the As body rotation and rod punch-pull. For most people, this angle increase, shift the sinker puts the clock’s hands (the line progressively to the right and away across the shoulders) between from the rod. You might have to ten-to-four and five-to-five. adjust the drop a few inches either way to improve feel, timing and Without moving your feet, turn distance. The aim is for the sinker away from the sea until you feel to lift off cleanly under the right a comfortable amount of rotary amount of resistance, and follow tension in your upper body. At the the rod tip accurately along the same time, shift your body weight cast’s power arc. towards the right foot and bend the right knee a little. You will Maximum rotation doesn’t automatically lean forward slightly. necessarily mean the highest power. Less may boost your results. The line across your shoulders Find out through trial and error. now lies somewhere around Play around with rod angle and ten-past-eight, but some casters sinker layout too – you could easily reach quarter-past-nine, lengthen/shorten the drop, shift while others get stuck at five-past- the sinker more/less to the right, seven. Rotating just far enough to or use less/more lead. generate that springy, wound-up feeling guarantees plenty of power, Cast slowly and smoothly to begin so stay in your comfort zone. with, paying more attention to the cast’s feel than to its distance. Do not bear hug the rod to your As body rotation Sinker drop is and rod arc between one increase, the third and a half sinker is placed of rod length further away from the rod Do not move your feet when turning the upper body away from the sea Experiment with body In earlier sessions the rod tip’s rotation and rod tip position starting position was at six o’clock, with the lead weight 60 laid out close to the rod SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

Body rotation combined with extending the rod and sinker arcs creates a longer power stroke Right arm Turn head to face performs the push an imaginary target motion, while left high in the sky makes the pull Power builds in the right shoulder as the sinker lifts off Casting action should be smooth and progressive when lifting sinker off the ground The start position: rod tip As your body unwinds, your weight moves from the right foot to left foot low with sinker on ground LOOK FOR RESISTANCE where the cast starts on a shallow track then CASTINg QUESTION switches abruptly to a steep plane just before By adding body rotation and extending the the arms go to work. This sudden kink in the Q: How do you know when to let go rod and sinker arcs, you create a longer power flow reduces power, encourages snap-offs and of the leader or release a multiplier stroke that is flatter and more rounded. Seen backlashes, may damage the rod and inflicts reel’s spool? from directly behind the caster (left), the heavy, twisting pressure on the lower spine, rod will be angled at about 45 degrees to the which is why so many powerful casters armed John Holden says: In a smooth casting vertical when the arms make the push-pull. with super-stiff rods suffer with bad backs. style, line release just happens cleanly. Release controls itself because it is Don’t worry about the precise angle. This tale of woe is often triggered by the part of a chain reaction that ends with Concentrate instead on that feeling of misguided notion that the left hand must be the rod automatically catapulting the resistance focused on your right shoulder high in order to work properly during the sinker into the sky at the right moment. as you move towards the beginning of arm punch-pull. The arm simply needs to be fairly action. It confirms that body power is flowing straight for the pull, not necessarily high. Almost everyone naturally releases into the cast. You don’t get that feeling if the It works just as effectively, if not better, when at the right time, perhaps in a arc is too steep or too flat. the pull is more across the chest. subconscious reaction to the rod’s catapult-like action. The cure to not Your casting action should be smooth Once your body is wound up, you seem letting go is simple – stop trying to and progressive. Avoid an extended set-up almost paralysed in your starting position, control it. and need a reliable way to trigger the action. Steadily shift your body weight Therefore, turn your attention to your body Early release is a different matter, and from your right leg to the left weight, which will be biased towards your usually the result of something wrong right leg if the cast has been set up properly. in your technique or tackle. The solution Slowly but firmly start sliding your weight is to sort out the method and the kit. across to the left leg. 61 The moment body weight begins to shift, your shoulders start unwinding back towards the sea. A fraction of a second later the rod moves, the leader tightens and the sinker lifts off. It’s a perfect chain reaction, and all you have to do is turn your head and focus on the target in the sky. Getting your head around fairly early and locking on to the target is one of the best ways to keep a cast on track. n sea angler issue 574

CASTING GUIDE Progress to a fishing pendulum Rather than attempting to scale the peaks of tournament style, stay at base camp and focus on the compact fishing method sometimes called the half-pendulum The stripped-down half- casting the rod tip and lead weight trace a points downwards in the ground layout. The pendulum is a perfect bottom shallow U-shaped path compared to the sinker is in the same high-inertia position – rung on the ladder to the top steady uphill plane of the ground cast. The inside the rod tip arc, above and to the right and may be all you ever need. diagram (below) highlights the key steps: of the rod. Here, the aerialised swing’s purpose is to put the sinker into Position A: The familiar Easy Cast Positions C, D & E: The power stroke the right place for the power off-the-ground layout, with the rod tip low begins with the body unwinding (C) to stroke to begin. and the lead weight on the beach inside release its power. The hovering sinker resists Unlike advanced pendulum styles, it is not the rod tip arc. High inertia starts the rod for a moment, bending the rod early as it meant to increase speed and power. The bending immediately the cast begins. accelerates along the power arc (D). Finally, power stroke that follows uses the same with the rod under high compression, the engine as the ground cast shown earlier, Position B: The equivalent starting position arms push and pull (E) to drive the cast into fuelled by body rotation and arm action. for the pendulum method. The outswing the sky. Basically, there is one cast with a choice of and backswing are finished, leaving the two beginnings. sinker at the peak of its backswing, where it 1 - GET IN THE SWING seems to hover for a moment. The rod tip The significant difference in power stroke points upwards at roughly the same angle as it Any pendulum style demands space and between the two styles is that in pendulum ground clearance. The accuracy of the swing determines the quality of the power stroke. CASTING MACHINE A good swing will minimise the effects of mistakes. The swing is always king. Most beginners power the swing with the right arm, the left doing little more than anchoring the butt. Push out with the right arm to swing the sinker away. Then, to reverse the swing and generate enough steam on the backswing, pull back hard and high so that the right hand ends up next to the ear. Actually, that’s the kiss of death – no power! Backlashes and scorched thumbs are inevitable. Ploughing the sinker into the beach is almost guaranteed. We’ll explain later, but for now…go along with the idea that for the half-pendulum method at least, the right arm must not pull and lift to make the backswing. Push out confidently with the right so that the sinker swings away to about head height. At the end of its push, your right arm should be extended almost straight, with the hand roughly at shoulder level. When 62 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

1 2 At the peak of the backswing, the sinker Push out with your seems to hover for right hand so the a moment sinker swings away to about head height, and then push down with the left hand to reverse its path the outswing reaches its peak, push down Go through the normal layout 3 with the left hand to reverse the sinker’s routine, then replace the path. Leave your right arm extended, but it will drift a little. ground layout with a swing Mess around with the swing before you Now replace the ground layout with the delete the ground layout but retain the rest use it. Work the sinker back and forth with swing. Raise the rod and let the sinker hang. of the sequence, beginning with stance, the left hand. Experiment with drop length Everything else stays the same. Without then body rotation, and so on. and swing angle, swing height and sinker altering your shoulder angle (probably weight. Soon you won’t need to look at the around ten-to-eight), push the rod and Your swing may go wrong due to, for sinker. Practise making the swing with sinker out towards eight o’clock. Push example, angle, timing, power and lack of your eyes shut. confidently to get plenty of height. feel. Errors are usually down to not setting up the same each time, lack of confidence The smoothest drop length will probably When the outswing peaks, push down and an interfering right arm. be about half the rod length or a little more. with the left hand to reverse the swing. The rod tip settles down as well, but stiff The sinker comes back clear of the rod, Do not try to correct a swing that goes rods may still kick slightly. If you continue disappearing up and out beyond your right astray or feels wrong. Push out with the to lengthen the drop, it will gradually shoulder. Wait for the sinker to hover. right, push down with the left. If the become hard work. Pick the spot that feels Stop there and then repeat the whole backswing doesn’t put the sinker into the best, then put a mark or piece of tape on the process until it all feels reasonably smooth right hovering spot, stop and start again. rod so that you can set the drop accurately and under control. Go through the same If your feet and shoulders have drifted out every cast. It’s your starting point, but later routine every cast. of position, go through the entire routine on you can modify it and add extra marks from stance onwards. for different sinker weights. Once familiar with the swing angles, The power stroke is not difficult. 2 - DON’t GO UPRIGHt When you have raised the rod ready to make the swing, it will lean slightly to the right. The angle varies according to your body shape and shoulder width. Don’t force the rod upright because your hands would be one above the other in the centre of your chest, which is unnatural and awkward. For most casters, the sinker’s return arc is automatically to the right on the outswing’s path. It is acceptable to turn your head and watch for the top of the backswing, at first, but the sooner you judge purely by feel the better. At the peak of a suitably high backswing, the sinker seems to hover for a moment and is the signal for the power stroke to begin. 3 & 4 - MAKE It HAPPEN Here’s how it all comes together. Set your leader drop to the sweet spot then go through your normal ground layout routine – stance in relation to target, body rotation, arm position and sinker layout. sea angler issue 574 63

CASTING GUIDE Step 1: Raise Step 3: When the rod and let the outswing peaks, Feel the sinker hovering at the top of the sinker swing push left hand down backswing, shift your body weight and Step 2: Push the rod to reverse the swing start to rotate. Feel the pressure building and sinker out to in your right shoulder as your upper body eight o’clock Step 4: The sinker turns towards the sea, and then drive the comes back clear of sinker into the sky with a push and pull of 4 the rod, disappearing your arms. Don’t hang back, but equally beyond your right don’t launch into the power stroke at top shoulder. Now wait for speed and with full force. the sinker to hover You should start smoothly and quite gently, but keep accelerating – slow start, quick finish. Bringing the sinker down and around from its hovering point on the backswing, instead of lifting it from the ground, obviously affects the shape of the power arc. The necessary changes in body and arm action generally take care of themselves. Rather than try to control events, focus on the new feeling. Keep casting until you get used to it. CASTING QUESTIONS swing a lead weight on an 8ft drop. Ground clearance for the power stroke Q: I can’t seem to get the power with a half pendulum cast. What’s wrong? isn’t usually an issue with the half- pendulum because the sinker comes John Holden says: If something interferes Q: Can you tell me how to prevent my around quite high, but it’s the initial with the pendulum’s power, it is probably lead weight hitting the beach during a outswing that causes trouble. because the rod’s plane is too upright pendulum cast? during the final pull-and-push. The best The choices are either pendulum cast remedy is more ground casting rather John Holden says: Hitting the beach from the top of the beach, or ground cast than correcting the half-pendulum. points to a flaw in swing control, power from lower down. It underlines the value arc or a mixture of both. Pulling and of having two styles in your armoury. From your off-ground set-up, flatten lifting with the right hand is the most the rod’s plane bit by bit until you get destructive. If your hand stays high, the Q: Do I need a different rod for a more rounded action. A shade more power arc is drastically reduced and body pendulum casting? body wind-up won’t hurt either. The left rotation goes to waste. You can’t deliver hand should then pull down and across a crisp push-pull either, so the cast ends John Holden says: Ordinary 12-13ft beach your chest, instead of finishing near your with a shove of the right shoulder and the rods are ideal for learning, providing they belly button. When you’re happy with the sinker clips the ground. should have the guts to cast a long way changes, go back to the pendulum swing. with ease, yet won’t rip off your arms. Chances are, your problems will be gone. The other mistake is to drop the right hand quickly as the power stroke begins, With long, fast rods, problems may arise The critical issue is arm straightness, not which puts the rod on a better plane but, when you wind yourself up as pendulum hand height. The half-pendulum’s shorter no matter how quick you are, the sinker casting demands. Then the rod turns power arc lifts the left hand only to about dives and hits the beach. around and bites back. The symptoms are shoulder height, while in more advanced casts escaping early and flying low and to pendulum styles, the left hand may rise All this is avoidable by controlling the the right. Should that happen, switch to a above head height in preparation for backswing with the left hand and leaving shorter, softer rod for a while. pull and push. the right hand extended at roughly shoulder height. You could try shifting the reel to the bottom of the butt. Most rods also feel Q: How can I pendulum cast from a steep softer as a result. For me, pendulum shelving shingle beach? casting with rods of 13ft or more feels nicer this way. John Holden says: Like ground casting, the pendulum cannot deal with every Q: Why does my casting go wrong when situation. Pendulum casting is easy at using heavier lead weights? the top of a shingle beach where it is flat, but lower down there’s no room to John Holden says: If you switch to 170g or 200g instead of a more usual 150g, the extra weight will make itself felt, but should not ruin your technique. You might be hampered by a rod that is too long or too stiff, but otherwise it is definitely something wrong with the set- up, swing, power stroke or timing. If you encounter problems, increase the sinker drop, make a confident backswing and then really slow down (say, half the speed or less) the start of the power stroke. This should bring an instant improvement. 64 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

POWER ARc Drive the sinker into the sky with a push and pull of your arms With the right hand extended at roughly shoulder height, rotate gently and keep accelerating STRIVING FOR POWER retain smoothness and consistency. Others even combine a high right arm with a Personalising a half-pendulum won’t turn low backswing. Stick with the basic set-up until your you into a tournament star, but you’ll swing and power stroke feel fluid and find that whereas the half-pendulum All these things would wreck our half- comfortable. Get a feel for the technique uses modest rotation, those using the full pendulum, but with the full pendulum the rather extra power. pendulum wind up to the maximum and massive wind-ups and aggressive swings may take a step during the power stroke. provide the time, space and power to lift When everything flows, experiment with and drop the right hand. body wind-up, rod angles and sinker drop. The tournament pendulum’s backswing Change the outswing angle slightly, and ends with a high right hand and some Each expert’s style will be different, but test backswing heights. See what happens casters even begin with a quick drop of the when the body has unwound roughly to when you bring the rod through on a slightly right hand at the end of the backswing so where our half-pendulum begins, in almost steeper or flatter plane. the sinker hovers barely above the ground. every case the right arm is roughly at shoulder height – the same as ours. Change only one thing at a time, but SINKER PATH Sinker direction Keep the right hand extended at roughly shoulder height – do not pull and lift with the right hand because the hand will get closer to your head sea angler issue 574 65

CASTING GUIDE Turn your back on the sea Sometimes pigeonholed as an effective yet crude method of heavy-duty beach fishing, backcasting can be an attractive alternative Backcasting is used in back to your target and start shovelling. It is vital to various guises throughout the Aim high and slightly to the right of the bend your legs world because it is efficient intended line. It’s important to load the and to turn and versatile, and probably shovel, otherwise your arms will try to do from the waist the most natural way to all the work. throw heavy leads and big SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574 baits. It is an all-round The vital step in backcasting, as in method, equally at home shovelling, is to use your legs and to turn with light leads at short range. from the waist. Your left arm should remain reasonably straight, while the right Anglers who feel a touch too old and stays fairly close to your right hip until the stiff for pendulum casting might welcome last moment. an easier option because remarkably little effort is required to fish at respectable Gradually increase the load until you range. Anglers with bad backs, arthritis, are struggling. Notice how your legs do wheelchair-bound or weakened by wear more work, and that you bend forward at and tear can switch to backcasting with the waist when a heavy shovelful begins great success. to move. Having enough steam to toss a few pounds of sand over your shoulder is The best approach is to try it using your plenty for successful fishing. normal beach gear. For most, it will not deliver more distance and control, at least Legs play a bigger role in backcasting not with up to 150g of lead. You might find than in most casting styles, so get your it a more relaxed way to reach the same knees bending. distances as before. MASTER THE METHOD Physique plays its part, and some people are built for backcasting. If you’re built Now replace the shovel with a fishing like a tank but not particularly flexible rod and go through the same drill. Most and quick, this style may be your thing. backcasters use a pendulum-style swing, Whether massive or puny, chances are that but it also excels with off-ground layouts. you can backcast far more bulk and weight than with a forward-facing style. Use an off-ground layout when learning this cast. Laying the sinker inside the rod The right set-up driven by a smooth tip’s arc guarantees enough early resistance sweep allows the average angler to fish to make the rod bend properly. As with comfortably with up to 8oz (225g) should all off-ground methods, use an extended, the occasion demand it. Sometimes you outside layout if your rod has a fragile need more horsepower to get a bait out far tip. Drop-length and layout angle are not enough and to hold bottom. critical at this stage, so find a set-up that feels comfortable and lets you move the SIMPLE EXERCISE rod smoothly into the shovelling action. Consider this simple training aid – namely To make the cast, sweep the rod around a shovel. Throwing a shovelful of sand over and upwards using plenty of body power. your shoulder is close to the action used to Finish with a flick of the left arm to guide propel a backcast. the cast high and slightly to the right. As always, it is essential to be smooth and Start by standing more or less with your progressive. Keep accelerating all the 66

Sweep the rod around and upwards, finishing with a flick of the left arm Left arm fairly straight, right arm stays quite close to the hip sea angler issue 574 67

CASTING GUIDE way through. Make sure you keep turning. To The shovelling avoid the error of bringing the rod through technique is the same on too steep a plane, keep the action rounded as backcasting to encourage full use of the body. Keep it slow and easy. Pay no attention to distance now. All you’re doing is finding out whether you like the style and whether it makes life easier. Timing the start of the power stroke is a little fussier than with the half-pendulum backswing, but it’s a knack soon learned. Most difficulties are cured by lengthening the drop and swinging the sinker a little higher. Another point worth noting is when standing facing directly away from the water, you may tend to lift the rod almost vertically, which is a common backcasting error. Again, a lot of the power comes from body rotation. To achieve that, you may need to shift your feet so that you are more sideways to the water towards the end of the power stroke. With experience, you might gain power and control by taking a step midway through the action. It’s possible to cast moderate distances with nothing more than a firm lift of the left arm, but for real power you need to get your body working. Remember though, the more force and leverage you use, the more difficult it becomes to keep the rod butt under control. Advanced styles with very long rods and heavy weights leave you no choice but to anchor the butt cap firmly against the body. The hip region provides the safest support. With lighter tackle, it’s worth trying a few casts with the bottom of the handle allowed to drift rather than being anchored. The extra freedom for rod butt and right arm to move independently of the body sometimes leads to a more pronounced shovelling action, which can add a bit of speed and tip compression. CASTING QUESTIONS throw comfortably beyond 120 yards. A backcasting rod You will probably get on better with should be stiff in Q: Do I need another rod for backcasting? the bottom half a fixed-spool reel set about a foot from John Holden says: Cut your teeth on a the butt cap, even with a multiplier rod. because there is no quicker way to normal rod, then, if necessary, look for Multipliers are more awkward to handle, discover whether your casting arc and a custom model, but be wary of too but still viable, although for most it’s power flow are on the right track. much horsepower. more comfortable and secure to clamp down on the spool with two fingers. The It’s also important to use a leader that A backcasting rod should be stiff or important trick is to hang on to the rod feels good under pressure. You don’t want almost rigid in the bottom half, where the butt when you let go of the spool. one that feels rubbery or, at the other shovelling force and leverage are applied. extreme, a low-stretch leader that feels A bit of ‘feel’ in the handle is perfect, Q: Should I be worried about breaking my harsh and may make it difficult to get a but one that goes squishy between your rod when casting with heavier weights? clean release. n hands wastes energy and ruins the cast. While you need a meaty butt, you don’t John Holden says: In contrast to ground want the pokiness to extend all the and pendulum casting, a little more sinker way to the tip. weight may help you come to terms with the backcasting action. If you normally Anything in your collection that feels a use 150g, try stepping up to 170g. shade too steely for your normal casting style could be perfect for backcasting. It is difficult to damage a rod by adding Many modern rods that are too long and more casting weight, the exception being stiff for many anglers become docile and that big leads, fine rod tips and an inside rewarding for backcasting with five or six layout are a deadly combination for ounces of lead, even into a headwind. casting off the ground. You will be able to handle 6oz, 8oz or more. Expert backcasters often use 15ft rods, but almost any beach rod around 13ft It’s worth including a few casts with big long will do to learn on. Even a 12ft rod lead weights in your practice sessions, powered by a relaxed swing should 68 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

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CASTING GUIDE WordsbyMikeThrussellJnr Photography by George Cunningham Continental style How to get the best from a long, three-piece Euro rod to achieve your casting goals While there has been best from their rods and, at the very worst, it 288 yards, there is little Didier doesn’t know much written about the could lead to a snapped section. about bending a rod. I took a look at his techniques of casting effective approach to overhead Continental traditional two-piece On a damp day in the middle of June in style casting. beachcasters, there has Belgium, I caught up with Didier Laroy, a been less information Belgian angler who has been competitively THE KIT regarding how to get the casting for the past 14 years, and taking part best from Continental in five World Championships. He has been As he prepared for this casting demo, he was surfcasting rods. Belgian casting champion once and runner- keen to stress that the equipment needed up three times. careful thought and to be set up correctly for All too often anglers will buy a new three- the cast. piece Continental rod, take it out for its first In a busy schedule of running his own tackle session and start casting in their usual way. distribution business, he finds time to run 15 Didier used a Vercelli Enygma Hammer It’s unlikely these anglers are getting the very casting clinics a year to help anglers achieve coupled with a Vercelli Enygma ULS reel their casting goals.With a personal best of loaded with 0.20mm line. As line technology 1 Sinker THE PREPARATION practice cast with no rig, around five or six 2 feet of drop. This should mean that when A well-used phrase is “failing to prepare you are positioned to cast, the lead weight is preparing to fail” and this is as true for should be just off the ground. making sure you are casting at your best. Before making each cast, Didier performs 2Before getting ready to hold the rod, the same casting ritual. Didier cranks up the drag knob on the reel to the maximum. If it is not fully tight, 1The first thing he does is to make sure the the line will slip off the spool when you drop between the rod tip and the weight compress the rod, shredding any casting is correct. The drop should be slightly glove and, consequently, your fingers. longer than the rig you are casting – in a 70 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574

IN ASSOCIATION WITH advances, the need for using thick lines is a 0.23mm to 0.57mm Vercelli tapered and get used to them. is reducing, with Didier preferring to use shockleader, which helps to take the force of The moment you forget those between 0.20mm and 0.25mm, which the weight as it is cast. He prefers to use either to tighten your drag can covers 80 per cent of the conditions he’s a tapered leader or a full tapered line. With lead to painful damage to likely to encounter. the former giving a small knot, and the latter the index finger. having no knot, it helps to not only increase His preference for thinner lines also has his distance, but avoids issues with weed. His last piece of advice practical implications too. Thinner lines drag on kit was to respect the less on the lead weight, so you can fish lighter To the business end, there are several maximum casting weight and cast further. Connected to the mainline, connections that can be used between the of the rod. It is pointless mainline and the rig/weight. His preference is trying to cast a weight either to use a strong link swivel or a Vercelli that is either too heavy Continental Clip, which is made from bent or too light, it won’t load wire with shrink tube slid over it to keep the rod sufficiently to cast, and in the case of the lead weight in place. These are perfectly using a heavier weight, could damage or even adequate for this style of casting with break the rod. Continental-style rods. Most rods have an optimum weight, Another piece of kit Didier uses whenever somewhere between the minimum and he is casting is a casting glove. This may not maximum rating. Many makers let owners be needed initially when casting with fixed- of their rods find this out for themselves, spool reels, but as your casting advances, but Vercelli does the work and gives they become necessary to maintain grip optimum casting weights for each rod. For on the line and to protect your fingers. His the Hammer, it is around 145g, with Didier recommendation is to use them all the time opting to use a 135g weight for this demo. ✔✔ 3 ✘ 3Picking up the rod in his right 4 hand, he places his right index finger on the line, and brings the ✘ a good cast depends on the left hand line from the reel to the reel seat so hitting the arm pit of the caster. that it forms a 90 degree angle, the line should come straight off the This gives the rod the leverage to spool to the reel seat. fully load. By setting up this way, Didier ensures that his body will He then uses his left hand to grasp place his left hand into his left arm the butt grip. This is gripped exactly pit on each cast. in the front of the right-hand side of the chest. The reason for this is that 4Finally, he adjusts his feet, SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574 Didier is right-handed so his left foot points in the casting direction, which is 12 o’clock, his right foot is angled at the two o’clock position. For a left-hander, the right foot would point to 12 with the left foot pointing to 10. 71

CASTING GUIDE THE CAST The rod needs to be pushed as far away from With the drop, rod and body position the body as possible now set up, Didier makes his final preparations to cast. With his feet It is the left hand that at 12 and two (pictured right), his does the real work by bodyweight rests on the right foot, pulling down on the butt he positions both arms as straight as possible directly over his head. The The left hand pulls the rod needs to be pushed as far away as rod down to a positon possible from the body. below the armpit During the cast the right arm will not bend, but acts as a pivot for the rod to lever the load. The left arm will be doing the work. He stresses that the most common mistake casters make is using both their right and left arms to try and push a cast forward. It is only the left arm that does any work, so the left hand needs to land in the armpit or at least to the left-hand side of the chest (picture bottom right), while the right arm remains straight and rigid. Moving on, his chin sits on his left shoulder, his eyes focus over this shoulder at a 45 degree angle skywards. He stresses that the caster’s focus should always be kept at this position. He recommends considering your rod as a hammer, the hammerhead has to finish in the spot your eyes are focused on during the cast. This is where the rod will finish during the casting movement. Something many casters don’t understand is to not worry about the release of the line. He considers it a non-cognitive decision, when the overhead cast is performed correctly, the pressure of the line on the finger will make sure you can’t hold it and will release at the correct time. It is one less thing for the caster to think about, allowing them to dedicate more concentration to other areas of the cast. With everything set, Didier launches into a cast. His arms high above his body, his gaze set to 45 degrees upwards, with an accelerating sweep of his left arm, the rod pivots on his right. Finishing with the rod at a 45-degree angle, the reel pointing skyward and line leaving the reel at a rapid pace. The weight flies high and true and eventually lands on the far side of a wide, Belgian canal. The cast looks effortless, faultlessly performed bringing together everything in a smooth, fluid motion. This is one of the most simple and easy to execute casts, yet produces surprising results and adds serious distance to any angler’s armoury. If you are using a three-piece Continental style rod, it’s a cast every angler should try. You may be surprised at the distances you can achieve. n Keep your casting on track with John Holden in Sea School, in every issue of Sea Angler 72 SEA ANGLER ISSUE 574