CASTING INTO WIND

[weed]

Out on the Tay friday night wind blowing directly into my face and couldn' t get more than a couple of feet spey casting ( it's bad at the best of time). A couple of lads using shooting heads on 16 ft rods were even having difficulty. Most left early. I am just wondering in conditions like these what everyone else does.

[rpsalmon]

I reduce the number of my casts and then only cast in time with the breaks in the wind strength. I cast across the current or even slightly upstream. If you have a shorter but more powerful rod then use that as a smaller rod will suffer from lower wind resistance.

Generally I try to use the wind to aid me, not to fight it. Fighting the wind is tiring and saps enthusiasm.

[williegunn]

The Lochy suffers from this as the predominate wind is upstream. Try to find a more sheltered spot or find a spot round the bend where the wind is less horrific, cross over the river.

If stuck to one spot keep the loops small and tight and try to keep the cast low. You will loose a lot of distance but you should manage.

[buntinbee]

First of all you have to accept the fact that you are not going to be able to cast as far as normal, so shorten your line accordingly. The other thing that I have found helps is to cast down onto the water rather than aim above it as you normally would. This way your line is given less of a chance to be blown off target.

[weed]

Thanks for the replies. Definitely put the advice to use. The shorter also makes a lot of sense as when I lifted my rod the wind was almost doubling it over, a smaller rod would not have had this problem

[stuart]

Another thought, Floating lines are more affected by the wind than an inty or sinking one. Could you use one of these instead in this situation?

[jjtt61]

i have found if u have short stroke with good acceleration to sharp stop,(underhand helps),andy murray on dvd shows lift butt & drop tip after final delivery,and as previous there are lulls in wind, have noticed if i get forward delivery right the line speed & loop help, agood casting instructor helps i struggled got lessons dont struggle so much understand whats going wrong just struggle to get brain & body to co ordinate thats when sober and get odd cast spot on ;

[rpsalmon]

Lift butt and drop tip, in the same movement and time in the cast?
I can understand lifting the rod butt, but I keep the rod tip at the same level. Surely if I also dropped the rod tip then I would cause the line to lose momentum/drop?

[jjtt61]

am no casting guru but if do it right after delivery it wont open loop once lines on water wind cant lift it keeps tight loop but as mr murray says it is like trying to lay something on carpet also how do you lift butt without dropping tip would you not have to bend rod at top hand back to bottom hand
my own findings are whatever cast in most winds if done right with tight fast loop which which gives good bump on turnover then imediatley drop rod tip or full rod to waist water level even when casting to tree top
back to original thread before confusion sets in i recommend good qualified instructor/course of lessons when casting competant you will fish confident more relaxed
iwill check hardy/andy murray vol 2 adv spey casting today and confirm the mans words
am no great caster and i am only tryin to help on what has helped me

[rpsalmon]

Sorry jjtt61
I really became lost half way through post, can you please edit your post with commas and full stops. A point I did understand concerned raising the butt, but not dropping point. You simply keep the rod tip on the same level (above the water) and raise the rod butt.

I, and I'm sure others, would be genuinely delighted if you have a good way to deal with casting into the wind.

[para1]

putting commas and full stops in will really help you cast into the wind

[jjtt61]

sorry punctuation nor spey casting are my forte, the top hand is a balance,pivot so once the loop is on its way by raising the butt the tip drops ie your top hand neither lifts or lowers,i was only giving pointers to what i have found helps me,maybee after another twenty years of spey casting ,i can answer fully, but back to what i think is best solution instead of reading what i say enlist with pro caster unless you already are one if which you are how about some advice

[hornet]

AM can also do it with his eyes shut, one hand up his back and jig on one leg.

He's not a bad caster.

I find it easier to shorten the cast and try and lengthen when the wind drops and like the other posts, if possible try and find a secluded spot out of the wind.

Hornet

[jjtt61]

you forgot even when he has had a whisky at the end of the day.
another thought on shorten line wade to safe position ,and try to fish shortest line that we can control over fish/lie, or should we not be trying to do that most of time rather than struggle with long casts