Re: WW Grigg Rod and Grashoppers' test of the shooting head

[rderedfield]

Casting shooting heads is way, way different than casting a full standard fly line.  During the casting motion, the caster should only 'carry' out of the rod tip the length of the head plus anywhere from 3' to 6' of the running line.  False casts should be limited to one or two, and shooting the line, as opposed to casting the line, on the forward cast.   Shooting heads are tricky to learn because casting stroke and timing are so different than a 'standard' cast.  They really are incredible when the caster learns the correct timing and the caster uses the double haul.   A friend of mine that is a decent caster just cannot use a shooting head, and gave it away.  It's too much a departure from the memory his muscles have to cast a 'standard' fly line.   Probably the best thing for you would be to, if you have a particular fly shop you frequent, talk one of the fly shop staff into demonstrating the cast for you and giving you a couple of pointers.   Forget about Amnesia (pun intended here, <grin>) and what Willy said.  A better running line, in my opinion, for our coldwater environment would be one of the standard fly line running lines put out by SA or Cortland.  Since the line will be used on your 8 weight, I would buy anything smaller than .031 running line (I think the rated breaking strength of that size line is about 20#).   For beginning to intermediate fisherpersons, I believe there are better fishing line options other than shooting heads.   Just my $0.02 . . .   Richard Embry   ----- Original Message ----- From: Willy Gevers To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 12:52 PM Subject: RE: WW Grigg Rod and Grashoppers' test of the shooting head Grasshopper... You must become a master of the Amnesia. When you can cast the weighted Comet far and deep into the salmon laden river while standing arm to arm with other shooting head loaded flyfisherman - then and only then will you be ready to leave the monastery.   -----Original Message----- From: BGTreece [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 10:47 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: WW Grigg Rod I bought an 8 - wt, 4 piece, added an Okuma reel (based on info from this board) and am well pleased with the result. Now if I can just learn to cast a Type 4 ST without warning the women and children to take cover, life will be good.   Bart