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josephcsylvia

Casting in the wind

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Alright, went looking for beach snook yesterday, I normally fish the backcountry protected by many islands.

 

It was blowing about 15 from my right to left (im right handed) as was the current. Every time I picked my line up the wind sent my fly right at me! I was getting pissed lol. Sure I could turn and cast with the wind at my back but that would be unnaturally for a injured baitfish to swim up current.

 

What do you guys do in this situation?

 

Gear setup

G loomis short stix 9w 7'6

Royal wullf bermuda shorts line (short heavy head.

9' leader (probably should have cut it down some.

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Face the other way so that the line's on the opposite side of me (still casting right handed), cast looking away from the water, and then present the fly on a backcast. Then the line is gonna blow away from you rather than into you. Face the water when yoy syrup, and turn around when you need to puck up the line and recast.

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Turn around and deliver the fly on my back cast. The other alternative is to learn to cast with your off hand. I had to learn than after an injury to my shoulder a while back. Still not as good with my right hand, but I can get it done. A third method is to cast horizontally closer to the water. That would keep the fly out to your right side more during the cast. All these would of course take some practice.

 

Follow these tips from Tim Rajeff about line speed and tight loops .

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Good points. I had to figure it out a few weeks ago. I was determined to only throw the fly and refrain from picking up the rod and reel. Wind was blowing 20-25 and even throwing with the wind my fly was whizzing by my head. I'd turn and face the opposite direction I was casting. Then present the fly on my back cast.

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Turn into the wind, cast slowly, very slowly. You will notice the loop won't be perfectly tight but it will still shoot. You can go fast like the video above, but that really eats up your energy. Both work, but slower is more like finesse. There it really is personal preference

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The backcast is an option but it will not go the same distance.

The good thing is that Snook are not that far from the through.

 

I guess I am lucky to be left handed and to be fishing the Atlantic coast.

Our prevailing winds in the Summer are from the southeast to south so I am still able to cast straight out to the east.

The wind may send my fly a bit north of due east but I can still put the fly in the "zone".

 

By the way, when the current is running north I slow down my stripping and "walk" my fly north along the beach.

This way I am able to keep the fly out there in the trough a bit longer before the current washes the fly back to shore.

I fish an 8 wt but I overload the rod with an intermediate 10 wt line.

 

Looks like wind will stay up this weekend on the southeast coast.

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Yea im on the gulf side, wish I was on your coast. The rain and wind have been killing us. Im going to head to honeymoon island this week though. Im thinking about throwing a 10wt intermediate on it myself. What line do you use down here?

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I watched a film by a Bahamian guide on casting with wind issues. It was primarily for mostly head on wind but could help with on shoulder as well.

His technique was what he called "through the wall, over the wall". Basically doing a sidearm back cast and coming back forward over head. The idea is that it keeps the line under more load throughout thus making for an easier load on the forward cast before the wind can blow it too much off track.

 

Also I never use a lead head clouser or similar fly with an on shoulder wind. Broke the tips on two rods before I figured out what was going on.

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Salty beat me to it.

A side cast will put some extra distance between the fly and your ear, plus the wind will be slighty weeker near the ground. Still will take a lot of practice not to run your line into the ground when the beach has a wall of sand (high water mark) close behind you.

 

Really, the better solution is to learn to cast left handed. Wish I could say I have.

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Keep your leader short. I use a 40# fluorocarbon butt section of about 30 inches + a 30# section under 2 feet.

My fly line is entirely clear.

The water clarity here has been awful compared to last year.

My old fly line was getting worn out so I got a Rio tropical Intermediate that worked OK but then...

I tried my old line again one day while switching reels.

I could not believe the difference.

I had adapted to the Rio but my old Scientific Angler line was thinner, textured, and shooting much better.

That old line is even a cold water striped bass line that gets a bit soft in the warm water but I still prefer it.

I think I wasted my money.

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Keep your leader short. I use a 40# fluorocarbon butt section of about 30 inches + a 30# section under 2 feet.

My fly line is entirely clear.

The water clarity here has been awful compared to last year.

My old fly line was getting worn out so I got a Rio tropical Intermediate that worked OK but then...

I tried my old line again one day while switching reels.

I could not believe the difference.

I had adapted to the Rio but my old Scientific Angler line was thinner, textured, and shooting much better.

That old line is even a cold water striped bass line that gets a bit soft in the warm water but I still prefer it.

I think I wasted my money.

I was just getting ready to buy the rio intermediate lol what weight do you have it in?

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