Master Instructer - Ed Ward - The Man

Lately, I have been cutting and splicing different lines to test different casting styles, but mostly was concentrated on the skagit casting - Ed Ward Style. Why Ed Ward Style... because it give me the most trouble in learning and I am sure this would be the most powerful cast I ever learn in the future... see my previous post LINK. Briefly, Ed Ward's Style is more focused on the "centrifugal movement", in my words it is utilized the angular momentum principle to generate a incredible power from a limited space. Brilliant! The idea just brilliant! I still remember my high school physic teacher told us how brilliant is the idea of angular momentum application in the sport of disk throwing... The circular movement not only conserve all the power in a tight spot, also the acceleration along the long circumference will give you the ultimate burst power. (ok, I will stop! I know I am a physic freak...).
The problem I have is not because I can't make a fishable cast... what bothered me is the consistency of "a clean cast"... see video below. So I went back to the drawing board again and try to figure out what is going wrong with the cast... I decided to ask Ed himself. He is a super star to me, so it really need to take some courage to write my email... : ) ... just like a little fan, for sure. The result is astonishing... Ed replied my email in few hours... I can not believe it! : ) I am so excited! I modified the line as he mentioned, and all I have to say is WOW WOW... in the river... the line just shoot out just like a lazer... (ok, not like a lazer, but it is as clean as I can imagine...) not just one BAM... but... is "bam, bam, bam.."...Consistency is coming back to me gradually... I am so glad I regain the rhythm of this Ed Ward style casting!

In addition, another surprise of the casting practice that, I got a little 10 inches stripped bass! I can't believe it and I think I even do a little dance on the river. NOT because I got a bonus fish in casting...The main reason I am so excited is because this is the definitive evidence that the stripers is reproducing in this river... Stripped bass need a really long undammed free flowing river to be able to reproduce. It needs a certain amount of water velocity to let the egg free drifts and develop in the first few days... and to my understanding, there is not really a good evidence that striper is reproducing in this section...(I have to double check with the local scientist though...) anyway... a good day! a good learning! and I am ready to take another challenge to tame my another rod!! : ) see below the email contents (modified!) and Ed's awesome video. Thank you Ed, you are the man!! (Note: if you have the same rod, try the line formula provided by Ed, it works so well for me, you might like it!)




Q:
Hey Ed,
...would you mind I ask how long of a line you use in the Dredger 6/7 12'9? I recently purchased this rod and have paired it with Airflo 450 compact skagit line (23') +(10' T11). But I felt it it a bit too long and too clumsy to lie my line close enough, I like the way you did in the DVD, the head of the line just lie beside your body ... I am thinking to cut the line, but I was wondering what length you used in the DVD... thanks again in advance...
Sincerely, Mark

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A:
Hello Mark,
Try a RIO 400 or 375 (what I use) Skagit Short - these lines rocks with 7'-9' of T-14 and 4" stringleeches, so it should do 10' of T-11 easy. Or, cut your 450 back to 400 (first), or 375 (after you've tried 400). Part of your lifting issue is that 450 is too heavy for that rod. The Dredger series are at least a class or two lighter than any other Spey rods out there. Let me know how it works out for you!
Cheers!
Ed