[Jim Doyle]

My casting is at best functionable, however once in a while I catch one right and I can feel the difference, when you hit the 40yd mark and the line is still trying to go .......!!.   The distance thing is a difficult subject, it seems that some folks 25yds is about the same as others 30 !!   If we are all going to get anally retentive about this technique over that one then we will travel in ever smaller circles and disapear up the said anus.  The problem with most specialist forms of our sport is that they eventually divorce them selves from the origional purpose , just look at the extremes some of the fly dressers go to in"show flies" , super flies but would you fish with them? they are tied for their own sake.   I have seen some sublime casters, and they can also fish, if anyone gets a chance to see sandy mcintosh on kinkell with a double hander in a tight spot or deep wading in the tay you will know what I mean, the cast is just part of his fishing.   I also travel to some of the big french waters and have fished at extreme range on them, ok its fixed spool work but many of the principles are the same, compress the rod , release the weight under pressure.  Now there are anglers out there who think they are hitting 120yds regularly, some are lucky to be doing the ton.   They fool themselves , we all do to some extent. I remember  Mike trying one of my reels and lines on one of his cane rods and being quite perplexed when the whole line flew out, now he could have assumed that it was a 30yd cast and said so but to his credit he said this line is short isnt it, he was right, but hey he had just cast a full line so that was a 30yarder wasnt it.    Casting is just one part of our sport it is not the be all and end all if folk want to go down the path of casting for castings sake thats up to them, its not a path I fancy following. I will come along when i can and might bring the odd different rod for folk to play with, but thats what it will be , play.   Anyone that wants ago with some very long range carp gear just say and I will sort it out, you need a big field by the way lol.  so rant over and good luck to the idea.

[Rob Brownfield]

Mikie,
What saltwater rod was it? Been playing with a 10 weight Sage Xi2..hate it!! lol. Yeah, with the wind behind me and a huge helping of luck I could put a full line out...but only a few times..very quickly I found my arm wanting and my casting suffering. Not a rod for me for all day casting of big flies.

[Peter McCallum]

Not sure the make of the 12 wt but it fair shot a line, but only for a short time. But then it's designed to fish for short periods with long rets.

Just had a wee play with a 9wt Orvis helios at banchory, superb, if you didn't force it and let it do the work.

[Sandy Nelson]

I cant remeber what the 12wt was either But it was BLUE

I think it was a greys tampon rod, mind you that could be pretty sore
Magnus should know!! he was using it with that shitty reel of his.
Was great fun to cast with.
Pity you wont be able to make it Rob, it would have been good to get to try some of your heavy weight gear, and learn a bit about Pike fly fishing first hand. Could swap some notes on rod design too, with the gear there so we could understand what we refer too and what feel is to you and me, might help with some of the debates

All these different styles and rods etc is what made the 'Loops gathering such great day out.

I think once its up and running each of the days should have a " cast of the day " one that the experts can teach en-masse and one we can all practice. It wont take long to build up a selection of useful casts for those awkward fishing situations

Casting and flys pretty much account for half the effort in fly fishing, surely that makes them an equal part in the whole experience, (whether you tie your own or not).
I think entomology helps too, and hopefully this years flytying challenges should help people get a handle on that too, to a small degree
Watercraft is a huge part and essential if you want to get better. So what does does flyfishing boil down too? any mix of the above i suppose, how you mix them is up to you as long as it makes you happy

Sandy

[Hamish Young]

I cant remember what the 12wt was either But it was BLUE

As I recall, it was a Greys rod that belonged to Magnus 

[Rob Brownfield]

Platinum XD ??? maybe??

I had a play with the 5 weight Helios today...not so sure with that one..but as Ben said..the line was horrible.

[Ben Dixon]

The rod was a Greys Platinum XD with a tropical sharkskin line, rod was brutal but not hepled by the fact that the line would not lie straight, not designed for use in Scotland in early May 

The line on the Helios 5wt was an Expert Distance WF5, i dont really like the line but it is what everyone uses for distance stuff, I use it so I am on the same platform as other obsessives.  It does go a long way but due to the taper it needs perfect tracking & timing otherwise it drops like nothing else and needs a huge carry to get it to go, it really is very unforgiving.  Should try the same rod with a Snowbee or a wonderline long belly, totally different feel to it then.

Cheers

Ben

[Rob Brownfield]

Had a cast or 5 of a Platimum XD at Menteith with an Airflo Forty Plus Cold Saltwater Ridge...arrrghhhh! From a seated position in a boat it was a nightmare. Standing up and giving it the heave ho with a double haul and it got better, but it was a killer.

Ben,
Not sure if its becaue I am so used to a 9 or 10 weight tugging the rod on the back cast, but I struggled to "feel" the line with the Helios. Practice me thinks on my behalf!!

[Magnus Angus]

"The rod was a Greys Platinum XD with a tropical sharkskin line"

Platinum XD - yes
Sharky - no - it was a conventional saltwater line - the braided core certainly was not for Scottish temperatures - different game in Florida.

If you think that's brutal Ben - I have a few other rods you should try 

For the record I supplied the outfit not Rich - he uses Sage rod mostly.

Rob - you mentioned that Mick Bell is building on Lohrics - could you point me at the website - cheers.

[Rob Brownfield]

http://www.bloke-rods.co.uk/trout.html

Scroll down to the "Custom Trout Rods" and you will see a mixed list of standard and Lohric blanks from Harrison.

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10635&highlight=Lohric&page=4 Scroll down to Micks reply..."almost without exception my custom rods are built up on LOHRIC blanks."

Hope that helps.

[Jim Doyle]

Rob if you wish to give it a try I have a t+t blank that was built  as a rod by the old mallochs o perth. It is a through action blank and throws a mean 9wt.  Its a bit battered and beaten and could do with a rebuild, but it is the best bi lure chucker I have come across  jim

[Magnus Angus]

Hi Rob

Thanks for that - the Bloke pages don't mention Lohric blanks. I didn't know Mick built on Lohrics - interesting because I'd love to review one - I'll call him Monday

Cheers

Magnus

[Rob Brownfield]

Hi Rob

Thanks for that - the Bloke pages don't mention Lohric blanks.

But one or two are listed in that list...if you know what you are looking for ..heehee!

Last time I spoke to him he was expecting a few new models in

Have a word with John at Meadow Fisheries just down the rod from Harrison...he builds on them too

I would be interested to see what you thought of them...

[Sandy Nelson]

Had a look at the meadow fishery site.
The Lorhic blanks seem quite well priced if a little limited in range.
I believe thats supposed to be in hand, mind you they came out in 2005.

As for guessing as to what blanks are the Lorhic ones on Micks list, i think you have missed your calling as a stand up comic

I guess they will be the 3 pc 9ft 6wt, 9ft6" 6wt and 7wt, the 10ft 7wt and the 4pc 9ft6" 7wt.
Unless of course these really unusual sizes could have been thought up by other manufacturers  ???.

Still at those prices i might get one up to try, pity they didn't make them in proper sizes

Sandy

[Rob Brownfield]

Sandy,
what do you mean by proper sizes? Was speaking to John the other day and he was saying his site needs updating and that there are a few more Lohrics in the range...I believe "The Doctor" is keen to hear what folk want. so give him a ring and see what he has on the drawing table.