Single Haul

46-49 fly caster

27/7/05

1:41 pm

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Game Fishing

Fly

Caster

Part Five – Single Hauling Andrew Ryan shows you how to increase the line speed of an overhead cast, with the addition of a ‘single haul’.

46 Irish angler

ingle hauling is a very efficient way of gaining distance by increasing line speed.

Increased line speed will allow you to cast further but, more importantly, it will help you to cast into the wind. Single hauling requires only simple modifications to the overhead cast that we have already covered. This additional movement just takes practice to perform.

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46-49 fly caster

27/7/05

1:41 pm

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Irish angler 47

46-49 fly caster

27/7/05

1:41 pm

Page 3

Game Fishing How To Single Haul

The single haul is easy to master and can add yards to your cast. This photo guide shows you how to do it, with the minimum of effort.

Step One

Step Two

As with all casts, begin with the rod tip low to the water. Grip the line in your left hand, if you are right handed. At this stage, note where your left hand should be, holding the line firmly. This is the starting position for the single haul.

Lift the rod slowly to the 11 o’clock position. Now both of your hands should be together. Note this in the picture.

Your hauling hand should be touching your casting hand, so that they are beside each other for the back cast.

Step Three

Step Four

Step Five

Flick the rod back to the 1 o’clock position with a brisk stop, as in the basic overhead cast. Note in the picture the hand positions. You will be making the single haul on the forward cast, with a short downward pull on the left hand that needs to be timed precisely.

The rod is flicked forward to the 10 o’clock position. While you do this, give a downward pull with your left hand. It is essential that the haul is made at the same time as the forward flick, so that it can complement the forward power stroke.

The next stage is to release the line from your grip. Do this at the end of the haul, when the rod tip stops at 10 o’clock. Open your hand and release the line to allow it to shoot in the forward cast. With the added line speed from the haul, the line should shoot out.

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What Is A Haul?

A haul is a short downward ‘pull’ on the line during the back or forward cast. It is more efficient to use the single haul on the forward cast because this is the part where you will be shooting line.

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What Does The Haul Do?

The haul helps to flex, or further load, the rod tip during the cast. In fact, you can flex the rod tip using very little power with your casting stroke, flexing the rod by hauling only.

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Guidelines

Before starting this cast, it is assumed that you can execute the basic overhead cast with a degree of proficiency. The single haul is an addition to your existing cast and should complement it.

48 Irish angler

While teaching, I find that students often forget the basic cast and end up trying to add the haul to a poor cast. It is essential that you perform the basic overhead cast well, before attempting to add the haul. If you are having problems with the basic overhead cast, it’s probably not a good idea to rush into hauling!

The length of the haul will determine the size of your casting loop. A long haul will result in a wide casting loop, while a short haul will assist a narrow, or tight, casting loop.

The single haul will be performed for the purposes of this feature (and in the pictures above) on the forward cast.

The fist thing I would say is that it is essential that the timing of the haul is precise. It should be simultaneous with the forward flick. The haul begins and ends at precisely the same time as your forward power stroke. Get the timing wrong and your casting will suffer.

Before learning the single haul, you must be quite proficient at the basic overhead cast.

46-49 fly caster

27/7/05

1:41 pm

Andrew says there is nothing wrong in taking up the single haul on the back cast.

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Tweaking It

As you practise and become more familiar with hauling on the forward stroke, you can tweak your cast a little.

For example, when I haul I cut back the amount of power applied with my casting arm and increase my hauling speed. This means that the haul is loading the rod while the rod moves in a smaller arc, giving me much tighter loops and therefore greater distance.

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Hauling On The Back Cast

Most fly anglers that take up the single haul seem to perform it on the back cast at first.

There is nothing wrong with this, but it is less effective than the forward haul and isn’t as easy to master.

Note in the photograph of me hauling (see left) that the line is close to my body. This is fine for double hauling, as there would also be a haul in the forward cast, but for single hauling the line can lose tension and not cast as well.

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Incorrect Timing And Overpowering

It takes time and practice to execute the forward flick of your cast and the haul simultaneously. During your first attempts you will haul too early or too late, and your fly line could end up crumpling on the water in front of you, but with practice it will come good. As I’ve already said, it’s all about timing!

I find that most anglers tend to overpower with their casting arm while learning to haul. Just take it easy. Hauling is more about timing than brute force. It’s a little difficult to coordinate both hands to do a different job, simultaneously, but with a bit of practice it will come.

To help your hauling, start by performing the movements you see in the photos without a rod in your hand. Work through the steps and movements of the cast with your hands only. When you can perform the steps with only your hands, then try it with the rod.

I hope that, as a result of this feature, you are able to cast further and fish more effectively.

Next Time...

Next month I will be moving on from the single haul to the double haul. It is a really great technique for achieving big distances, such as fishing for bass from the shore. The double haul will be easier to learn once you have learnt to single haul.

Once again, I cannot stress enough the importance of casting instruction. If this series isn’t working for you, please seek help from an APGAI-qualified instructor.

Irish angler 49