It’s widely accepted that a well executed double haul is a game changer on the flats – or in any avenue of fly fishing for that matter. When coupled with tight loops, a solid haul is the secret sauce to creating the high line speed necessary to punch through the wind, cast further, turn over heavy flies, and so on.
Throughout the year, we work with a lot of folks at our lodges on their double haul, and more often than not we see a few of the same errors over and over again. One of those errors is a haul that is not proportional to the amount of line that is being cast. In other words, a haul that is the same length regardless of how much line is being cast. Let us explain.
During the cast, most anglers understand that the casting stroke must be proportional to the amount of line being cast. Simply put; Short cast, short stroke. Long cast, long stroke. Makes sense, right?
Such is the case with the haul.
Hauling on the line with your line hand places an additional load (or bend) into the rod throughout the casting stroke, therefore it is important that the length of your haul be proportional to how much line you’re casting.
In other words; Short cast, short haul. Long cast, long haul.
A haul that is not proportional to the amount of line being cast will cause an uneven application of power, most often causing the rod tip to dip below the desired straight line path, producing a tailing loop (that’s right, the real cause of a ‘wind’ knot). So, keep the length (and power) of your haul proportional the the amount of line your casting and you’ve got the recipe for chucking farther through any head wind.
Practice, practice, practice
My d-haul improved a 100% percent when I started to practice. Keep a rod strung up in your vehicle and stop when convenient at any open water. Once the muscle memory starts kicking in, the cast becomes easy…