Heavy Flies, Split Shot, Sinking Lines, Indicators and Droppers

The Casting Connection

September 2024

By Capt. Scott Swartz

Scott Swartz founded the Atlanta Fly Fishing School, which began in 1999. It is the largest such operation in the Southeast and the only Trout Unlimited “Gold Endorsed” school in the United States. His Florida Fly Fishing Schools started in 2008, helping anglers
learn to successfully fly fish in saltwater.

Q. I learned a system with multiple flies, split shot, and an indicator. I get lots of tangles. What’s the fix?

A. There are interesting systems being fished these days, and when tangle troubles come with these rigs the culprit is usually a cast that is too good. With weight and extra terminal tackle, it helps to open-up your loops to keep the flies and line from meeting.

A wider loop not only reduces the collision of flies and weights, it also reduces the 180-degree change of direction you get at the end of each casting stroke. This is important. Heavy flies, split shot and sinking lines do not like to change direction quickly. This can result in a shock in your line when it protests the abrupt change. A heavy fly can even break line and keeping going. Plop!

When casting with weight, whether it is split shot, a heavy cone-head fly or sinking fly line it is good to open up your loops.

One simple way to open the loop is to widen your stopping points. Instead of stopping the rod at 10:00 and 2:00, try stopping at 9:30 and 2:30. This “windshield wiper” type of casting will open your loop in a hurry. Better yet you can widen your loop sideways. Horizontally wide loops are preferred if you have the room. To open your loop sideways make a sidearm back cast followed by an overhead forward cast. From above looking down this cast looks like a flattened circle with the forward and back casts parallel to each other connected by a curve at each end.

An open loop can solve this problem. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.

To truly eliminate all tangle troubles, make a side arm back cast and an overhead forward cast without a pause at the end of each stroke.

A cast without a pause is called a Belgian cast or a continuous tension cast. It differs from the normal cast because it is a constant-motion cast where the rod stays loaded and never stops pulling line until the final delivery. You are pulling the fly line and weight around the corner at the end of each forward and back cast. This is a fantastic cast for slinging weight, multiple flies or even a challenging wind.

Many anglers struggle with continuous tension casting because they are accustomed to the pause. To quickly get a feel for continuous tension try this drill. Grab your rod and pull 15 to 20 feet of line out of the tip. While pointing the rod to the sky start painting circles like a helicopter. Right hand casters should make clock-wise circles, and lefties vice versa. The line will follow the rod tip. Starting with circles makes it easier to keep the rod loaded with no pause. Next, change your round circles to oblong circles with a side arm back cast and an overhead forward cast, but never stop for a pause. You are now using continuous tension making a Belgian cast, and your tangle troubles are gone!

Try these casts the next time you’re out with heavy flies, sinking line, hopper-droppers, a brace of flies with shot, indicators or just a heavy wind. These casts are the fix for tangle troubles.

Send comments or your casting questions to: Scott@AtlantaFlyFishingSchool.com