Wallis casting as lockdown skill

[Robbi]

Wish my garden was big enough.

[Mole-Patrol]

A lot of people seem to be put off with the complexity of the Wallis cast. And the videos often confuse rather than explain.

The secret for learning is to start with balanced tackle and a reel that has an adjustable friction brake like a Trudex, Flick 'em or Match Aerial although the latter isn't ideal to begin with. Try and choose a reel where the handles set well in to avoid catching them as you brake. By balanced tackle you need a rod that just flexes with the weight that you choose to begin with. 3/8 to 1/2 oz is a good place to start and if the rod tip dips then corrects as you allow the weight to drop slightly you are on a winner. Obviously if you are using a 50g feeder you will need a stiffer rod. But not a quiver tip rod as the tip may collapse under load and ruin your cast.

So, you've got your rod, reel and weight sorted. The next thing is to find a comfortable grip where you can control the rod and also apply thumb pressure to the spool of the reel. Balance is also important so choose your grip carefully. Then dangle your weight from the rod tip and adjust the friction drag so that the weight only drops a few inches at a time when you waggle the rod. This will prevent over runs.

Assuming that you only have a weight and no other end tackle, with the rod pointing in the direction that you want to cast and at around 45 degrees from the vertical, take hold of the weight with your none rod hand and whilst applying thumb pressure to the spool of the reel apply a little tension to the rod tip by pulling the weight back. Then let go of the weight and as it swings forward sweep the rod tip upwards to vertical and allow the spool to turn. You are looking for the weight to follow a shallow arc. When the lead hits the ground the spool should stop turning if you have set the brake properly.

That is the foundation of the Wallis cast. Doing it that way to start relieves all the stress of getting the complicated choreography right. Do this a few times until you have the rhythm.

Next step is instead of holding the weight, drape it over your large finger and under your index finger and with your thumb and index finger take hold of the line between spool and first rod ring. Again, slightly tension the rod tip and then as you release the weight, sweep the rod vertical, release the pressure on the reel as before, but this time give the line a little pull from the reel end. Only a little. Again, no manual braking. Just allow the spool to stop under the friction braking. If it over runs and tangles then set it tighter.

More practice of this to get the rhythm and then increase the speed that you sweep the rod up and give a little more pull on the line as you release the weight. This should see the weight going further. Just keep repeating this until you get more confident and then have a go at applying light thumb pressure to the spool just before the weight hits the deck. Building up the skill set bit by bit will get you more confident quicker and before you know it you can back off the friction brake and rely on your own judgement to control the cast.

Changing the rod, reel and / or weight will give a different feel so stick with the one rod & reel outfit for now and change the weights lighter and heavier to get a feel for the differences and how to adjust to them. Once you have mastered that outfit with different casting weights you will be more comfortable trying other rods and reels. The secret is to keep your casting weight compact and not strung all down the line. Use bunched shot or an Olivette weight and if the swim is more than 6 or 7 feet deep consider a sliding float arrangement. If you are using heavy weights and a quiver tip rod then you may find the tip collapses ruining the cast. For that situation it is better to use the swing cast.

[Barbellina]

this guy looks simpler......

Yes I liked that one. Some of the steelhead anglers have some good videos.
I was trying his first on which is a swing over the right shoulder early and it seems to work well.

I like the look of the right shoulder swing, as it appears to be just a pendulum rather than having to time the release coming around the body as well as remembering all the left hand stuff too. If it ever stops raining I’ll get out and try it.
Thanks for the video, I think it’s all about finding an instruction video or description which makes sense to you and suits each individual person. We all learn things differently.

[Snape]

this guy looks simpler......

Yes I liked that one. Some of the steelhead anglers have some good videos.
I was trying his first on which is a swing over the right shoulder early and it seems to work well.

I like the look of the right shoulder swing, as it appears to be just a pendulum rather than having to time the release coming around the body as well as remembering all the left hand stuff too. If it ever stops raining I’ll get out and try it.
Thanks for the video, I think it’s all about finding an instruction video or description which makes sense to you and suits each individual person. We all learn things differently.

It is still quite tricky. I think just an underarm swing is the easiest and it really can't go flying off at a funny angle. I have achieve my longest casts of over 20 yds with just an underarm swing and a 0.5oz weight.

[Barbellina]

Chris Yates, bless him makes it all look so gentle and easy. He really is like Yoda

[Snape]

Chris Yates, bless him makes it all look so gentle and easy. He really is like Yoda

"Wallis casting genius, he is..."

[Snape]

I went out early this morning for a bit of Wallis practice on the lawn and managed to winkle this out from under a rhododendron bush. I'm not sure how it got there as I didn't stock it....

[Old Man River]

I have been practising hard, weather is glorious , had a few odd looks from neighbours, but success !!
I can cast the full length of my window box , but if I ever get a garden it will be a different story.

OMR

[Silfield]

this guy looks simpler......

Yes I liked that one. Some of the steelhead anglers have some good videos.
I was trying his first on which is a swing over the right shoulder early and it seems to work well.

It is still quite tricky. I think just an underarm swing is the easiest and it really can't go flying off at a funny angle. I have achieve my longest casts of over 20 yds with just an underarm swing and a 0.5oz weight.

I wish!
More practice required but it's a bit windy today.

[Barbellina]

Of course...A grass carp. Did it go mental when you tried to net it, they usually do