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Basics Of The Double Haul (14 of 21)

Video Transcript:

Speaker 1:Casting in salt water is so important. It's more important than in any other kind of fishing. Not only does the double haul help you with distance, it also helps you cast into the wind. Let's go to my friend Pete Kutzer for some solid tips on the double haul.

Pete: Hi, I'm Pete Kutzer from the Orvis Fly Fishing Schools. Today we're going to talk about the double haul and making a quick presentation to fish. There are times when we do have to gain a little bit more line speed. Let's say we're dealing with windy conditions, casting larger flies, maybe a little big more distance, and that's when the double haul is going to come in play.

Now, the double haul is a great cast for getting that distance, heavier flies, dealing with windier conditions. And a lot of people think it's just a saltwater cast. Believe it or not, I use the double haul whenever I cast, say, over 30 feet. It actually takes a lot of strain off of our casting hand. It makes the cast easier, when you're dealing with those longer distances. Before you start double haul you want to make sure that you can get that pick up and lay down cast consistently, in nice smooth, tight loops. And your shooting line consistently as well.

Once you start to shoot line then we can think about that double haul. The double haul does require a little bit of coordination. It's kind of like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. However, it's not as difficult as you might think. We can bring it down into its very simple forms. But first we need to understand how this cast works.

When we make a basic back cast, we're starting with that forearm. Bringing that rod back, and then applying that little pop to a stop, or that little flick. Then we come forward doing the same thing, just in the opposite direction. Think pop to a stop, pop to a stop; with a smooth acceleration in between. When I start the haul, the haul actually does the same thing as that flick to a stop. I'm going to lock out my wrist and just tug on the line and you're going to notice that, that line starts to jump behind me and in front of me. There's one key part though we have to think about with this double haul and that's the re- position. After we tug on this line we have to drift back to set up for that haul in the forward cast. So we come back, haul, and then drift, set up, maybe a haul of 18 to 24 inches.

Ten haul and drift on the forward cast. Haul and drift, come forward. Haul and drift. We don't have to reach all the way back up here by that guy, this is going to kind of contort you a little bit, making it a little difficult to get that haul just up near the reel so we're set up for that forward haul, here. Haul, reposition, haul, reposition.

When hauling, or when practicing hauling, I like to practice one side at a time. I like to make that haul and that reposition and let that line set on the ground. Then haul and reposition in front of me, working with that same consistent length of line. When you're casting or actually fishing, you're going to do the same thing. You're just not going to let it touch. You might make a couple of hauls and false cast in between, but then you want to make that nice haul right down by your pocket, shoot that line, and that's going to help get that line roll out. It's a little bit more of an aggressive haul, not too much more, but that's going to help make that final delivery cast.

So we haul, reposition, haul, reposition. Then when I deliver that cast I'm going to make that nice haul down by my pocket; remember to feather that line back up underneath that finger closing that bail, and then we can start to strip that line back in as we're fishing to those fish.