Is Roll Casting easier on shoulder with fast action rod

[ryansheehan]

Prospector wrote:

tomgamber wrote:
I'm not being a wise @$$ when I suggested the Aleve before going out. Especially now that I know you are old enough to have fished for over 40 years. I'm 53 and a bottle of Naproxen lasts me about a year. But when the shoulder or knee gets iffy it makes over working old joints tolerable.

I didn’t take it that way. I did laugh though when you suggested Aleve is cheaper than a new rod. My wife agrees with you.

I’ve never had enough pain to stop fishing or miss a day, I’m just trying to avoid a cumulative effect injury. The whole thread has me thinking I need to look for a flaw in my mechanics.

Definitely not a casting instructor or expert, let me start there. However, I am very experienced with shoulder injuries and the bio mechanics that cause them in athletics. So with that out of the way two easy things, 1st tension is your enemy, loosen your grip, relax your muscles. Two, repeated, violent starts and stops do a number on your body. When you make things smoother and more fluid you would be shocked at what one can absorb throughout the body instead of at one hinge point. Hope that helps.

 

[afishinado]

A lot of good advice in all the above posts. Everything mentioned should help.

I have two messed up shoulders from sports injuries. I really don't have an issue with pain when trout fishing, but I have had some soreness after casting all day with my 9 - 11wt rods saltwater or musky fishing.

One of the most important thing one can do is improve casting technique smooth acceleration and proper timing make it easier to cast. Also it's amazing how little you have to work casting when you add a haul or double-haul to any type of cast.

Balanced weight rod and and line with the proper taper in your line. Most standard taper lines work well. Stay away from the speciality tapered lines for roll casting.

Something not often mentioned is the balance of your rod and reel. Nothing tires out your shoulder and arm quicker than holding up a tip or butt heavy rod all day.

As I mentioned above, I've had shoulder issues throughout my life. Proper stretching and warm-up first thing in the day helps. Also doing exercises to strengthen the muscles has really worked for me. I seldom have any issues since do my PT exercises regularly.

If all else fails, take an OTC pain killer....or better yet, a cold one at the end of the day really makes for the best cure!
int:

 

[troutbert]

What kind of exercises do you recommend for warming up and strengthening shoulders?

 

[afishinado]

troutbert wrote:
What kind of exercises do you recommend for warming up and strengthening shoulders?

Without getting into a complicated workout regimen, one simple exercise you can perform every day, as well as use as a warmup before exertion, is to simply get something like a dishtowel and grip it behind your back, and stretch for 20 seconds or so. Alternate with each arm over your shoulder and under. It really stretches things out and helps protect and strengthen your shoulders if you do it regularly and with a decent amounts of reps. As well, it should increase your range of motion.

Note: Rather than using a dish towel, you can use a old wader strap or length of fly line to make it more FFing centric.

 

[outsider]

Both my shoulders were rebuilt. I work out at a fitness center about 3 times a week. Before I go there, I stretch at home. For me, one of the most effective stretching exercises for my shoulders is grasping the trim at the top of an interior door (overhand) and slowly pulling and moving in several directions. Not applying too much weight or pressure. Works well for me. At the fitness center I do light weight shoulder presses, chest presses, rowing, and fly's. Strengthening your upper body muscles helps to overcome deficiencies, helps to maintain range of motion.

Add shoulder shrugs and rolling your shoulders in a circular motion.

Second edit: I stretch every morning when I get out of bed. Maintaining range of motion and flexibility is really important especially as you get older. Everything I posted here has the blessing of my PCP and orthopedic surgeon. I always tell them what I do. Perhaps you should seek advice from a doctor and/or physical therapist. What works for me may not work for you.

 

[Prospector]

I started this thread and I just want to thank everyone who participated. I assumed that since I’ve been fly fishing since age 10, 44yrs ago, that my technique was solid. I assumed my limber rods were causing me to work harder than I needed to and this ended up being totally false.

Well I’m happy to report I had no shoulder discomfort in 2018 despite fly fishing more days than I ever have. In the end I didn’t need a fast action rod, I just needed better roll casting technique.

I think that Troutbert, Afishinado, Sarce & Fly Swatter all seemed to believe that technique needed to be my focus. Initially I had my doubts by the closer I looked at the videos supplied by Afishinado, I decided to be more disciplined. After all of that I just needed a very minor adjustment to my technique and I was flicking my fly across the creek with very little effort. I just let my medium action rods do the work.

Thanks again everyone, 2018 was a memorable year!!!

 

[Dave_W]

Prospector wrote:
I started this thread and I just want to thank everyone who participated. I assumed that since I’ve been fly fishing since age 10, 44yrs ago, that my technique was solid. I assumed my limber rods were causing me to work harder than I needed to and this ended up being totally false.

Well I’m happy to report I had no shoulder discomfort in 2018 despite fly fishing more days than I ever have. In the end I didn’t need a fast action rod, I just needed better roll casting technique.

I think that Troutbert, Afishinado, Sarce & Fly Swatter all seemed to believe that technique needed to be my focus. Initially I had my doubts by the closer I looked at the videos supplied by Afishinado, I decided to be more disciplined. After all of that I just needed a very minor adjustment to my technique and I was flicking my fly across the creek with very little effort. I just let my medium action rods do the work.

Thanks again everyone, 2018 was a memorable year!!!

Thank YOU for this. ^

Prospector's post above is noteworthy because it does something that we don't see much of around here: It re-visits a thread asking a question or posing a project and then follows up later with results or outcomes.

It's in the nature of an internet message board such as ours that we follow something of a flowing conversation - often chasing the latest controversy or shiny object. Some topics deserve a bit more contemplation or time to work themselves out. A thread such as this in which the OP can return to the topic after some time has passed to reveal his findings or results is commendable.