Single Handed Spey, Underhand?

[alhuger]

While reading about single handed spey casting I keep running across references to 'underhand' casting in the context of single handed speys. I have to admit to being confused by this. I associate underhand casting with two handed casting where the bottom hand is driving the majority of the power (or all) of the cast. Can anyone shed light on what this means in terms of a singled handed spey cast?

[headscan]

I thought about this as well after we talked about it yesterday. I noticed the references are mostly on the Loop website, so could it be that it's just a poor translation of "Scandi" casting from Swedish to English? If not, I agree that it seems odd to use a single-handed rod to underhand cast unless you have a fighting butt that you use as a bottom grip. But where would that leave you if you didn't have a fighting butt?

[alhuger]

I thought about this as well after we talked about it yesterday. I noticed the references are mostly on the Loop website, so could it be that it's just a poor translation of "Scandi" casting from Swedish to English? If not, I agree that it seems odd to use a single-handed rod to underhand cast unless you have a fighting butt that you use as a bottom grip. But where would that leave you if you didn't have a fighting butt?

 

I also thought it might be a general way of describing that the line travels under the rod tip versus an overhead cast...?

[SilverDoctor]

I'll try to give an reasonable description of underhand casting. It uses your bottom hand to supply most the imputes to the casting stroke. The steering of the rod during the cast is also made with your lower hand. the upper hand is more stationary. It was originally I believe a Scandinavia technique. The Rio Spey Video Has a great section on this technique and it's advantages.

 

Basicly

Most of the forward stroke power is applied by pulling the end of the rod in towards you. The ratio is 30% upper hand and 70% lower hand.

The top hand is doing very little pushing and pulling of the top of the rod. The underhand stroke will flex more of the lower part of the rod, where most of the power is. It's is just how the power is applied to the rod. It's a great casting stroke for short heads.

 

The casting stroke is also a great one if you have had tennis elbow problems like I had. I love it as it give controle to the "touch and go" stroke.

 

Hope this rambling helps.

[Whistler]

The underhand cast was developed over 20 years ago by Goran Andersson who is the rod designer for Loop. Goran also designed some of the early Sage two handers in the European series before getting involved with Loop.

 

As for underhand single hand, it is a cast where the line hand(haul) creates most of the rod load. In this cast the rod hand travells a very short distance(just enough to put the intial bend in the rod to haul against. It is only possible with short heads and progressive action rods and results in the tightest of loops. Hard to do well, super easy on the eyes.

[headscan]

Ok, I think I know what you're talking about. Is it like the haul this guy gives on the forward cast?

 

[Whistler]

no.....sorry that cast was ass

[Whistler]

did a quick search on youtube and this is a decent example, though it plays like a bit of a loop commercial

 

 

[headscan]

did a quick search on youtube and this is a decent example, though it plays like a bit of a loop commercial

 

That's pretty slick looking. Total eye candy cast but I can see where the timing and amount of haul is probably tough to get down.

[CDone]

Heres another You Tube video

 

Colin

[headscan]

Those videos just depress me and make me want to get out on the water to practice. Anyone wanna fill in for me at work tomorrow?