Why so big on distance?

[Swattie87]

I think the golf club analogy is pretty much spot on.

I was a 12ish handicap during my college days…Summers working at a golf course and playing nearly every day. Once out of college, fishing largely replaced golf in terms of my hobby time activity, and from age 23 – 30, I probably averaged perhaps 36 holes of golf played a year. There were glimpses of what was, but generally it was pretty ugly. This year I got into a two man scramble after work league, and got back to playing 9 holes a week, with a few weekend 18 hole outings in there too. By the end of the Summer, I was largely back to where I was in college…playing with the same set of clubs from a decade+ ago…Callaway (original) Great Big Bertha Ti Driver, and Armour Silverscot 845s irons.

240ish with the driver, but high and straight every time. If I try to turn it over and draw one, I can stretch that out to 260 or so, at the sacrifice of accuracy and consistency however. Silverscot’s never claimed to be a long distance iron, but they’re easy and consistent to hit straight.

Bottom line, it’s the golfer, not the club. It’s the angler, not the rod.

For the manufacturer’s it’s the marketing, not the product.

 

[724flyfishing]

They market this stuff to match the image of some cute blond girl or a guide decked out in the best gear, casting the whole way across a big river out west, in some professional photograph. Just go on Instagram and look up any of the big fly fishing companies. That's all you see or the grip and grin trophy shots. It's all about the image. For us in PA or I would guess most of the Appalachian area, it's a different picture lol.

I'm not very good at long distance casting. I don't really have the opportunity to practice it much. Most of my fishing is done on the typical PA streams, and I'm high sticking or swinging streamers 30'-40'. Now my neighbor whom I fish with sometimes, goes all over, including the Delaware, Salmon River, out west to Montana, and he can really launch the fly line and cast well. It's impressive to watch. Definitely something I'd eventually like to master.

 

[DavidFin]

Distance casting is more often a pissing match, I think. However, regardless of your take, it's not always fun to set the hook with all that line out, and that's reason enough to avoid it unless it's completely called for.

I can only think of a handful of fish last year that I hooked beyond 50', with only one on a dry, which was awesome.

 

[ryanh]

So I can get hooked in a tree at 50 feet instead of 20 feet.

 

[ryanh]

Wow I got to refresh my avatar, she is now 13.

 

[ryanh]

Wow I got to refresh my avatar, she is now 13.

 

[krayfish2]

I remember reading a few posts in this thread that were along the lines of:
"why cast far?", "you can't control your fly or hook fish at 60'+", etc., etc.

I found this video from a guy I've run into several times a year since the late 80's. Granted the fisheye lens probably throws off the perception a bit but.....you see fishing at distance can be useful on some of the bigger waters in PA. Not only useful but effectively hook / land fish at distance when your line is managed properly. Sometimes, fish won't allow you to close the distance so you have to do it or take the skunk.

 

[TimRobinsin]

I will only suggest this. You don't need to cast 70' on many Pa streams. But it doesn't hurt to be able to when you need it.

also, I have found that many lines I have worked with that cast well at a long distance are more than adequate in close.

As a side note, I thought distance casting was silly until I tried it. I found that casting distance exposes my casting flaws. Working on these flaws at distance helps me cast better in close with more accurately, and with stealthier presentation.

Certainly there is an element of sales involved in the design and promotion of these products but the educated fly caster can discern what will work best for them. That comes from trying different lines profiles and weights on their equipment.

IMHO YMMV