[Hamish Young]

Just starting to put an outfit together for a errr.... 'well known competition' which may or may not be held at Blenheim later this year. Although the outfit will need some serious tweaking yet, my first attempts with a shooting head on a 10ft #8wt yielded a 146' 6" cast yesterday in breezy conditions at Bught Park in Inverness.
That makes it my personal best distance ever with a single handed outfit 
I'm feeling suitably smug, I have to say
I think 150+ will be 'doable' with some work but dear God some of the muscles in my arms are smarting today

H 

[Iain Cameron]

... a 146' 6" ...

nice one!

[Mike Barrio]

Nice one Hamish
Mind you, it has been a tad windy and if you just happen to get that wind behind you .......... 

Best wishes
Mike

[Iain Goolager]

Well done Mr Hamish  impressive.

but................

New personal best single handed

are you suggesting that previous bests have been aided by someone standing directly behind you manipulating your casting hand?

(that doesn't read back very well  )

Iain

[Peter McCallum]

Awesome stuff Hamish 

[Irvine Ross]

I think 150+ will be 'doable' with some work 

H 

I think I could do maybe half that.

Mind you Hamish, you're twice the weightsize of me so that's about right

Irvine

[John Reid]

Well in Hamish.  Would be god to get a video of the 150' when you hit it.

Did you opt for a 'pink' rod? 

[Allan Liddle]

That's some hitting Hamish.

Pity the troots are only at yer feet though 

Allan

[Jim Eddie]

Aye most impressive Hamish 

 

Jim

[Hamish Young]

Thanks chaps 

I blame Ben who is encouraging my new found 'geekiness' at the idea of competition saltwater distance casting 
It is highly addictive though and strangely deeply satisfying when you hook up a decent cast Lack of practice in my case, but I reckon one in maybe five casts was hitting well over 135'. Consistency in all conditions will be the first step and then sorting out a line tray system that works for me.

There's no doubt that the breezy conditions helped me get that distance, not sure I'd manage that consistently - yet - in anything other than a strong tail wind. The outfit needs some tweaking yet, it was a trial session but I was pleased as punch that first time out I managed some serious distance (smug grin). The bruising still evident on the inside of my right forearm demonstrates to me that the fighting butt on the rod was probably in the right place most of the time. I've also tried something Ben has been trying to get me to do for a while when going for distance - changing grip between back cast and delivery. It works, but is a total mind melter for a simpleton such as I.

Hopefully Ben will take some footage next time out - he's got the right camera toy and I do not. Let's say that right now I'm some way short of what he's consistently reaching in distance 

I think it's possible that this new addiction might very well help my somewhat agricultural and unconventional casting stroke with more conventional lines.... tracking needs to be bang on to get this outfit working and being a shooting head I can't carry as much line as I normally would when popping for distance, meaning speed and the delivery must be right every time. Hmmmmm.

John - The rod is not pink on this occasion, save that for this years Scone Game Fair 
Irvine - You do not need to be built like a brick shithouse to make these casts - anyone could do it if they chose to try
Allan - Trout are not the target this time..... a £1,000 prize fund is
Iain - You're a bad lad. Come by the headmasters office later on and bring your leather belt

H 

[Sandy Nelson]

I blame Ben who is encouraging my new found 'geekiness' at the idea of competition saltwater distance casting 
It is highly addictive though and strangely deeply satisfying when you hook up a decent cast

H 

cool stuff , now all you need to do is practice it with a 2/0 epoxy bodied fly ,a 25kt headwind and a boat pitching on 1.5m swell
then find somewhere with some fish to make it all worthwhile

sandy

ps Is there not a breeze behind you all the time

[Hamish Young]

cool stuff , now all you need to do is practice it with a 2/0 epoxy bodied fly ,a 25kt headwind and a boat pitching on 1.5m swell

You've been to Scotland in the summer..... right  

then find somewhere with some fish to make it all worthwhile

Any loch will do - failing that there's always Pollock 

ps Is there not a breeze behind you all the time

Depends which way I'm facing ???

H 

[Brother Baldric]

Hi Hamish and everybody.

Great casting Hamish! I hope you don´t mind that I borrow your thread, but I think this would be the right place to post a recent experience.

A couple of days ago we had really nice weather with good winds here in Piteå, so I figured I should bring my measure tape and go to a big open football field. The conditions where perfect and I managed to do a couple of personal best with the single handed rods. With the shooting head (a Barrio GT140 #8 cut down to 26-27 grams) the longest cast reached 50,3 metres (169,4 feet). Thereafter I had a go with the Barrio GT140 #5 (full length) and had one cast over 41 metres (138,1 feet).

I have become a very good friend with the Barrio GT140. In my opinion it is by far the most value for the money when it comes to fly lines 

Best regards
Ulrik Röijezon

[Hamish Young]

Some casting that Ulrik, big distances 

H 

[Brother Baldric]

Thanks Hamish. Though, I´m still a couple of metres behind Stefan and Fredrik 

What line are you using for Salt water shooting head distance competition? Is it the same as we use for Sea-Trout distance, i.e., max 27 gram floating line connected to a minimum 0,4 mm nylon shooting line?

My next goal is to cast 60 metres (196,9 ft) with a Barrio line and a 2-handed rod 

Regards
Ulrik