Advice on "casting" a shooting head

[fishsalmon]

I have never used a shooting head before so any pointers would be great. I just put one I found on sale at the Orvis outlet (Silver Label ST-10-S) on my rod and would be interseted in any advice folks have to share. Hope to get out and try it this weekend.

[CapeMayRay]

They work good. I prefer to use them more from the beach rather than the boat as I like to work my fly right up to the boat as sometime fish hit it very close. If I do that I have to work the shooting head out of the guides before you next cast, in order to get a good cast. I find from the beach I can pretty much keep the shooting head outside the rod and they cast very well. Usually one backcast and let her rip.

Give it a try and see how you like it. It is more of getting use to what you have.

[fishsalmon]

CMR,
Thank you for the reply. Did not have a chance to try it this weekend, but did practice in the yard. I can easily get the shooting head out of the guides with two or three false casts. It definitely is a different feel than a WF line. Still hope to get out with it soon.

[Dave Sikorski]

Start with the head out of the guides. Strip a bunch of running line to your feet.

Lay out the line in front of you. Take a back cast and allow our rod to fully load and make your cast forward. Release the line w/ your left hand and stop the rod @ "10 o'clock"....the line should shoot out from the weight of the head ad take the running line w/ it. With some practice doing this you can get the whole running line out there and carry some big flies with it.

You can also use a water haul to help you start your cast. What that does is resists your back cast to load the rod and make it easier to load the rod w/ one cast. What you do is flip your line forward and the second it hits the water you begin your back cast. DO not allow the line to sink too much or you won't be able to cast it.

Hope this makes a little sense.

-D

[tankerfly]

Another method that works well for me is to cast in a "circular" motion. Low on the backcast - arm almost sidearm and shoot it high over your head. This helps to load the rod on the forecast and havingthe head high it allows more time for it to pull the running line out of the guides. Hope it helps- those lines work!