Dave Southall shares more about the Italian Casting style.
The Italian Casting style as taught by Massimo Magliocco (one of Italy’s top fly fishermen and casters) differs radically from the typical casting styles seen in the UK. Whilst learning the basic cast (Lancio in Angolazione – Angular cast -equivalent of our overhead cast) it took me five days to break the muscle memory that I had developed over many years of fly fishing, but it was worth all the effort.
So how and why is this style so different from ‘normal’ casting?
As mentioned in my earlier article it evolved to fish dry flies, drag-free on fast flowing and tree-lined mountain streams with complex currents. The key elements of most of the casts (including the Angular Cast) are:
- A fly-first presentation that delays drag as landing of the leader and then line take place after the fly has been presented to the fish. The advantage of this is that the first thing sensed by the fish’s lateral line pressure sensors is the landing of the fly thus attracting the fish to what looks like food (not the landing of the line which might scare it).
- Aiming the fly at a point upstream from the target and just above the water, rather than several feet above the water. The fly lands after all energy has been dissipated. The use of a long tapered leader (generally five metres in length) help to achieve a delicate landing.
- A very high line speed with tight loops that allows for presentation of a variety of fly sizes with precise accuracy, even against the wind. This is achieved by using a light line (typically a Double Tapered 3 weight), extending the cast to include a slight drift after the ‘power snap’ (the Italians call this ‘vibration dampening’ after the ‘thrust’) then making a cast, at an angle towards the target, along an extended casting plane. The traditional ‘stop’ is removed using this action. Typically a very fast progressive tapered rod is used of between 7’6” and 8’ is used with a line that is normally 1 line weight lighter than what the rod rated (e.g. a 3 weight line with a 4/5 rated rod).
- A ‘wrap around grip’ is used to ensure that unwanted deviations of the rod do not occur. It is important to keep the casting action within a defined axis in order to maintain line speed and accuracy. This grip helps to maintain the cast in a straight line.
So let’s look at the Angular Cast, the ‘bread and butter’ cast of this style.
Learn this cast correctly and other specific casts become much easier.
Steps:
- Commence with the rod parallel to the ground, the line and leader extended fully along the ground and with no slack line at the tip of the rod. This is important because you are commencing to generate line speed immediately you start lifting the rod. If there is any slack, then this will need to be removed otherwise line speed will be reduced. This aspect is important even when you are fishing. At all times try and lift the line off the water without too much slack line at the rod tip. Attention to small details like this will reap benefits during casting.
- Make sure that the non-casting hand is held in the correct position (static at the belly button area) and that there is no slack line between that hand and the rod. At this point there should be two loops of line (plus a little more) in your non-casting hand.
- Now make the backward cast. There are many things to consider:
- Make sure that you have the correct grip;
- Make the cast at a 45 degree angle away from the vertical. See here:
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- With the casting arm in the correct position and with your non-casting hand near your stomach, perform the cast by progressively increasing the velocity before you make the ‘power snap (‘thrust’). Once the power snap has been made then extend your cast backwards by introducing the ‘vibration dampening/drift’ component.
Make sure you have kept within the ‘axis’.
- If performed correctly, the loop will be formed as the ‘thrust’ is made and line will begin to unwind backwards at speed.
- Immediately after the ‘vibration dampening’ component has been executed you must begin the forward cast. This is a repeat of what you have done on the back cast.
As the line straightens out, release one of the loops held in your non-casting hand and at the completion of the ‘vibration dampening’ component immediately commence the second back cast.
- Repeat step 3 and 4 again. This means that you have made two false casts and there should still be a little extra line held in the non-casting hand. If not, then it will be difficult to make the final delivery of the line.
Note particularly that the hand moves in a straight line with no deviation to the side. This precise tracking of the rod is essential if line speed is to be optimized and if tight loops are to be achieved.
This will help to explain the ‘Trust’ (Power Snap) and ‘Vibration Dampening’ elements
The Thrust/Tap
“Among all the components that affect casting, the “thrust” is perhaps the most important one” – Massimo Magliocco
It is the thrust that creates energy, direction and precision. The “thrust” can be defined as “the precise instant during which the rod transmits a sudden increase in velocity to the line in a very defined space. The line goes forward over the rod tip and the loop is formed”.
In any case there are two “thrusts – a forward one and a backward one respectively in each of the forward and back casts.
Before the “thrust” the line speed must increase constantly and progressively. As a practical example let’s consider the rod that at the beginning has a velocity equal to zero. This velocity must increase gradually to say 100 until a fraction of a second before the thrust. Increasing gradually in tens that is from 10 then 20 etc. until 100.
At this point the line must pass over the rod tip and in this precise moment the line speed must increase suddenly and in a very short space. In this way, the rod tip, which until now was just dragging the line, will create a sudden snap and an increase in velocity thus creating the loop in front of the rod tip.
The size of the loop is determined by how far the rod tip deviates from a straight line during the “thrust” phase.
The Vibration Damping/Drift
Casting, especially in the Italian style, is harmonious and should become spontaneous without forcing the rod, line or leader too much. Using too much force is negative and to get the cast working well for you there should not be any intended stops during the forward or back cast.
A ‘stop’ generates an abrupt movement causing the line speed to reduce. When you start the next cast (forward or backward) the space for acceleration is decreased and consequently you need to start from zero velocity.
This is where the Italian style has introduced a further and fundamental component into the cast. This further component is termed ‘vibration dampening’ and is an essential element of the casting stroke being deeply connected to the formation of the loop and use of extra casting space.
‘Vibration dampening’ may seem like a secondary element after the dramatic inclusion of the thrust into the casting stroke but it is of fundamental importance in order to avoid any intended stop that we mentioned earlier. It lets your casting stroke to start harmoniously so that there is a whole fluidity to the casting stroke and the line tension is kept constant. Rather than fall away after an intended stop.
‘Vibration dampening is used to:
- To allow the line to travel forward or backward, maintaining line speed, while it begins to straighten out;
- Removes the need to make any defined ‘stop’ in order to commence the next cast;
- Prevents abrupt movements within the casting stroke causing a more harmonious casting action;
- Combined with the ‘thrust’ commences the acceleration of velocity to deliver high line speed and to create the loop.
It is this component of the cast that makes the Italian style distinctly different to the more traditional styles.
Further information about this casting style can be obtained via the following sources:
- Check out YouTube FFM UK
- Check out our Facebook page Fly Fishing Masters UK
- Check out the FFM UK website www.flyfishingmasters.co.uk/
- Contact Philip Bailey (FFM UK’s top instructor) via the website
- Purchase the two FFM UK videos available via the website or at the 2015 BFFI
Massimo Magliocco plus a couple of Italian instructors and members of the FFM UK Team will be at the BFFI Fly Fair on the 7th and 8th of February 2015 where we will be doing demonstrations and giving free casting lessons.
www.bffi.co.uk/