Posts Tagged ‘tools’
Down Alarm
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Easy Set LCD Digital Count Up Down Kitchen Alarm Timer £4.45 Easy Set Timer with second and minute display. With magnet and bracket can be stand on any places, or stick to the metal surface. Easy stand with specil design and easy operate. LCD digital display and alarm “BIBI” sound. Color: Black and white. Weight: 66g…. |
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Countdown Timer Minutes and seconds. Large digital display with extra loud alarm. £4.99 Large digital display. Extra loud alarm. Hours and minutes or minutes and seconds models available. Requires one AA battery – supplied…. |
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Altai Colour Changing Alarm Clock With Count Down Timer £4.78 Multi function clock featuring time and calendar function, thermometer, 23 hour 59 min count down function, large display, event song and 7 coloured backlight.Dimensions (mm)134mm (h) x 65mm (w) x 55mm (d)… |
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Fire alarm call point with arrow down – Fire Equipment Sign £7.69 Fire Equipment safety sign: Fire alarm call point with arrow down – Alarm button & flames & arrow down (Size: 200 x 300 Material: 1 rigid PVC sign)… |
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Fire alarm call point with arrow down – Fire Equipment Sign £4.16 Fire Equipment safety sign: Fire alarm call point with arrow down – Alarm button & flames & arrow down (Size: 200 x 300 Material: Self adhesive vinyl sign)… |
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Fire alarm call point with arrow down – Fire Equipment Sign £15.35 Fire Equipment safety sign: Fire alarm call point with arrow down – Alarm button & flames & arrow down (Size: 200 x 300 Material: 3 double sided rigid PVC sign)… |
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ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 – 3 User (PC) £49.99 … |
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Firehouse (1972) Richard Roundtree / A Dangerous Summer – James Mason / Fire Alarm (1932) Johnny Mack Brown DVD REGION 1 This is a Region 1 DVD that contains 3 films – Firehouse Richard Roundtree stars as Shelly Forsythe a black fireman assigned to a station where he is replacing a fireman who was killed in a fire deliberately started by black youths. He is the only black fireman at the staition and seemingly gets given the most mundane jobs to do. When his crew mates believe he deliberately let one of the arsonists… |
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Gazboat pill box with count down alarm £6.99 … |
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Sunrise System Dawn Simulator – Light Box SAD LightBox SAD Lamp for SAD Light Therapy If you want to keep your own bedside lamps, but want to use a dawn simulator with a great range of advanced features, then look no further. Just plug your own bedside lamp into the Sunrise System, choose the settings to suit your lifestyle and the light will imitate sunrise and sunset, reaching full brightness at the alarm wake up time you have chosen. Features and Benefit |
Swimming Pool Safety Begins with a Fence and Gate Alarm
It takes only minutes for a child to drown, which is why most towns have swimming pool safety laws requiring homeowners to enclose pools and spas with a fence at least four feet high with a self-closing gate. And because the pool gate is often the weakest link in keeping youngsters out of the pool area, many municipalities also require a pool gate alarm as another layer of protection.
A pool gate alarm sounds a siren when the door or gate is opened. If a child manages to open the gate, the piercing siren of the pool gate alarm will alert nearby adults that someone has entered the pool area. The alarm will sound continuously or intermittently until the reset button is pushed or the battery expires. Most gate alarms have a time delay of about 6-7 seconds so an adult can pass through and silence the alarm within that time period by pressing the bypass button or entering the proper code. (There are models available with a 0 second delay.)
For double protection, some pool gate alarms can transmit to a special remote receiver and your home security system, ensuring that you’ll hear the alarm even when you are inside your house. And for triple protection, swimming pool safety guidelines recommend using both a pool gate alarm and a pool alarm. That way a child who succeeds in getting past the gate alarm will be protected by a second alarm if he/she then falls into the water.
Here are a few of the most popular pool gate alarms and their key features:
Pool Patrol GA-30 – This wireless gate alarm has a remote receiver so you can set the alarm to go off in your house as well as at the gate. It can also be used with your home security system. If you have multiple gates, compatible gate alarms are available that work in conjunction with the GA-30. Many states now require an in-home alarm as well as the outside siren, making the remote receiver a good option.
Safety Turtle Gate Alarm –The Safety Turtle Wireless Gate Alarm can be used in conjunction with the Safety Turtle Pool Child/Pet Immersion Alarm, so it will alarm if a child manages to open the gate and if a child or pet wearing a special turtle wristband or collar attachment falls into the water. Turtle wristbands and a wireless gate alarm of the same color can share the same Base Station, making it easy to build a complete system. Safety Turtle has remote capabilities and can be hooked up to your home security system. It also has a wireless base station that allows you to decide where the alarming will occur (up to 250 ft. of the gate).
Poolguard Gate Alarm GAPT – This alarm can be used on any gate or outside of a door giving access to your pool. The alarm sounds in 7 seconds if a child opens the gate, even if they close the gate. The alarm is always on and always automatically resets under all conditions, even if someone accidentally leaves your gate open for children to wander through. The Poolguard Gate Alarm is equipped with an adult pass-through feature that allows adults to go through the gate without the alarm sounding.
YardGard Alarms – This easy-to-install alarm lets you program Your Own entry and exit code. It features a 7 or 15 second delay that allows for adults to pass-through using a convenient single button pass / reset operation. Hardware is included for mounting on gates, doors and windows.
A pool gate alarm is an easy, affordable way to protect children and pets from accidental drowning – and it most places, it’s the law. Contact the building and code department of your municipality for details on their swimming pool gate alarm ordinance and choose an alarm that complies. For instance, some towns have a zero second time delay requirement. For more information and pricing on the different models, go to the Pool Door / Pool Gate Comparison Chart.
About the Author
Cathy MacDowell is a communications specialist with expertise in business-to-business marketing. A freelance writer, she has written about a range of topics, including security and remote monitoring systems, home improvement, portable power solutions, real estate, and the construction industry.
Free Postage
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European Multi Travel Adapter: – 2 pin plug, 4 UK sockets and 1.5m flex; with free standard UK Postage £14.99 This innovative adapter tackles inaccessible sockets & loose, flimsy adaptors that you can never find. The 1.5m flex allows you to place the adaptor close at hand: no more crawling on the floor looking for ‘hidden’ plugs. The MOULDED, EARTHED Euro-plug firmly sits in its socket. The Traveldapter is lightweight yet durable; reducing the timeless problems of loose connections & broken travel adaptor… |
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Epson Compatible T0715 (T711-T714) Full Set of High Yield (19ml) Black/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow Ink Cartridges for Epson Stylus D78 D92 D120 DX4000 DX4050 DX4400 DX4450 DX5000 DX5050 DX6000 DX6050 DX7000F DX7400 DX7450 DX8400 DX8450 DX9400P S20 SX100/SX105 SX200 SX205 SX400 SX405 SX600FW Office B40W BX300F BX600FW by King of Flash £3.49 Full Set of High Yield T0711/712/713/714 Cartridges for Epson Stylus D78/D92/D120/DX4000/DX4050/DX4400/DX4450/DX5000/DX5050/DX6000/DX6050/DX7000F/DX7400/DX7450/DX8400/DX8450/DX9400P/S20/SX100/SX105/SX200/SX205/SX400/SX405/SX600FW/Office B40W/BX300F/BX600FW By KING OF FLASH… |
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Genuine Sony Ericsson Main Charger Sony Ericsson C902 / D750i / G700 / J100i / J110i / J120i / J220i / J230i / K200i / K220i / K310i / K320i / K510i / K530i / K550i / K550im / K610i / K610im / K630i / K750i / K770i / K800i / K810i / K850i / M600i / P1i / P990i / S500i / T250i / T650i / V630i / V640i / W200i / W300i / W380i / W550i / W580i / W610i / W660i / W700i / W710i / W760a / W800i / W810i / W850i / W880i / W900i / W910i / W950i / W960i / W980i / Z250i / Z310i / Z320i / Z520i / Z530i / Z550i / Z610i / Z710i Z750a £0.01 Dispatch Time Guaranteed or Money Back – 1 Working Day Genuine Sony Ericsson Main Charger UK K750i/Z520i/W550i High Quality Genuine Mains Charger |
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1 x Samsung SCX4300 High Quality Remanufactured toner cartridge replacement for SAMSUNG SCX4300, printer, MLT D1092S, MLT D1092S / ELS, MLTD1092S, D1092S – FREE POSTAGE £20.00 SCX4300… |
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European Multi Travel Adapter: – 2 pin plug, 4 UK sockets and 1.5m flex, suitable for South Korea; with free standard UK Postage. £14.99 This innovative adapter tackles inaccessible sockets & loose, flimsy adaptors that you can never find. The 1.5m flex allows you to place the adaptor close at hand: no more crawling on the floor looking for ‘hidden’ plugs. The MOULDED, EARTHED Euro-plug firmly sits in its socket. The Traveldapter is lightweight yet durable; reducing the timeless problems of loose connections & broken travel adaptor… |
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DESK LAMP / SMALL LED DESK LAMP / BATTERY LAMP – **FREE UK POSTAGE**! £5.88 THIS IS AN LED BATTERY OPERATED DESK LAMP.POWERFUL 12 LED SUPER BRIGHTNESSNEAT & MODERN WITH A PUSH BUTTON ON / OFF SWITCH ON A CHUNKY BASE IN BLACK WITH SILVER TRIMTRIFFID STYLE HANDLE WITH A LARGE HEAD ON A RATCHET POSITION MOVEMENTREQIURES 3 AA BATTERIES (NOT INCLUDED)… |
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6 Cup Silicone Muffin Tray Red FREE POSTAGE £5.00 … |
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UKayed Pink Dynamo Wind Up Pig Torch FREE POSTAGE £4.99 This fun yet practical wind up pig torch is both easy to use and thanks to its LED technology, ultra bright. The torch needs no batteries, just wind the little piggy up and in no time you will have ultra bright lights shooting out of its nostrals! The pig torch is a great novelty gift and fun for all the family…. |
Postage Meters – Top Tips On How To Choose
Is sending mails a regular requirement of your business? Does your monthly postage amount exceed $50? Are you tired of the frequent trips to the post office wasting precious time and money resources? Do you want the convenience of procuring adhesive stamps in your office while saving up to 20 percent of your business costs? If yes, then a postage meter is the solution to your problems.
Postage rates and postage meter support, development and usage are all controlled by a nations postal service. A postage meter allows you to weigh and stamp consignments with appropriate postage amount, dated postmark or cancellation in the comfort of your office. The postage meter carries a fixed postage amount, usually $1000. You can increase this amount using pre-paid cards, phone, online postal account, or internet services. As each mail is stamped, the postage meter shows the balance postage amount, total postage amount spent, and number of consignments.
Types of Mail and Packages
You can use postage meters to send following types of mail and packages:
* Domestic First Class
* Priority
* Express
* Parcel Post
* International
Components of Postage Meters
* Base: It is the seat on which mail is moved through a postage meter.
* Postage scale: It weighs consignments calculating required postage amount. Interfaced postage scales automatically apply the calculated postage amount. Digital scales charge correct postage automatically.
* Feeder: Your mails and packages run through feeders before being stamped on the postal mark by the meter. You can opt for manual, semi-automatic and automatic feeders. Automatic and semi-automatic feeders are more suitable for handling large mail stacks. Feeder come in different dimensions and their speeds vary from 15 to 270 letters per minute.
* Sealer: They glue, moisten and seal mail envelop flaps. Sealers require comprehensive maintenance.
* Stacker: Stamped mails are moved to the stacker or collection. Low-end stackers hold a few metered mails in a tray while power stackers move stamped mails onto a tray through a conveyor system.
* Tape dispenser: Pre-cut and rolled tape dispensers allow you to fix tapes or postage strips on irregular shaped packages. Tape dispensers along with the base ensure proper placement and sticking of postage strips on packages.
Additional Postage Meter Features:
Advanced postage meters provide the following additional features to lower costs and increase convenience:
* password security
* bar codes for authentication of sender and receiver
* automatic postage rate adjustment
* automatic data advance
* preset programs
* built-in scales
Pricing:
Meter: The main component of a postage meter can only be leased as per governmental regulation. Other postage meter components can be purchased or leased.
Lease Costs: These costs vary with the sophistication of the meter and range from $20 to $500 per month.
Individual components prices:
Base: Pre-cut dispenser bases are cheaper than bases using roll of tapes but incur higher operational costs. Bases prices start at a few hundred dollars with advanced bases costing thousands.
Feeder: Manual feeders are most economical. Semi-automatic feeder prices start at $700 while automatic feeders cost $1200 or more.
Stacker: High speed stacker prices range from $1000 to $2000.
Postage Scale: Spring scale prices start at $30 while digital scales can cost hundreds of dollars.
Vendor Considerations
Contract period is one-year or more. Vendors may charge a fixed annual fee or vary charges with usage. Vendor deals can include regular maintenance options, automatic rate update, free rental months, pre-paid and credit postage amounts.
Talk to multiple vendors and carefully assess your business requirements and budget before making a decision.
About the Author
Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. Read our postage meters advice. Compare postage meter quotes. Sellers JOIN for sales leads.
Press Cast
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Kitchen Craft Master Class Cast Deluxe Heavy Duty Garlic Press £8.00 Master Class Cast Deluxe Heavy Duty Garlic Press, Carded Master Class elegant and stylish, single cast design, deluxe self cleaning garlic press with mirror polish finish. Suitable for heavy duty use. Co-ordinating items also available.Dishwasher safe.Carded…. |
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Silit Gustoso Garlic Press Die-Cast Aluminium £17.99 Silit garlic press ‘Gustuso’ – cast metal / stainless steel – Modern design – Heavy Quality – Soft pressing with no effort – even for unpeeled garlic cloves – Easy to clean – Dishwasher safe… |
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Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Round Cast-Iron Grill Press £39.95 This seasoned and ready to use round grill press is good for keeping bacon from curling, also chicken breasts, pork chops, steaks. Nice and heavy to do the job right. Holds heat in grilled sandwiches and “presses” out unwanted fats. Cool grip spiral handle gives it that “Americana” look…. |
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The News Quiz: Stop Press! (BBC Audio) £10.55 … |
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Propaganda and Control… £7.59 … |
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Bless the Bride … |
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Mechanical Engineering Vices Drill Press Vice 65mm Cast aluminium, 65mm jaw opening, notched for use with round objects. Quick-release mechanism. Rotate handle to increase pressure. £8.81 Cast aluminium, 65mm jaw opening, notched for use with round objects. Quick-release mechanism. Rotate handle to increase pressure…. |
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CLARKE METALWORK DRILL PRESS VICE 6 150mm £19.99 Normally bolted to the work table on a pillar drill, these precision machined, cast iron vices enables items to be held firmly in position whilst being drilled. Improves accuracy and safety – minimises breakage’s. Various sizes available…. |
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Bleak House – BBC (3 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2005] £4.72 Andrew Davies is the king of the BBC mini-series–his skilfully adapted scripts for Pride & Prejudice (the beloved Colin Firth version) and many, many more are peerless examples of classic novels done right–cunningly edited and shaped to let all the rich emotion and sharp intelligence spill over with zip and vigour. Bleak House is no exception; it’s one of the best Dickens adaptations to date. Th… |
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La Cucaracha Cast White T-Shirt Cast White T-Shirt by CafePress The cast of La Cucaracha, Cuco, Eddie, Vero and Neto grace the front of this bold Tshirt designed by cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz…. |
Getting Started with Spey Casting
Perhaps you’re in the same fly casting bind I was in. You often don’t have enough room to make back casts, and at your age casting a 7-weight fly rod for three or four hours leaves you exhausted and sore. Spey casting, you read, will save you a lot of energy and ibuprofen.
So, you wonder, should you delve into your pockets and shell out the big bucks for a spey rod and line?
Eventually, I did, and then I immersed myself in spey casting articles and DVDs, until I felt ready to give spey casting a go.
I headed to my local park, and plunged in—right into an incoming disaster.
I couldn’t set up an anchor. My forward casts, therefore, died before they were born. I felt I just needed more practice—a lot more—but instead of relief in sight, I saw blown anchors and stillborn casts.
I didn’t need the grief, but I couldn’t let go.
Finally, after about two fishing seasons of practicing and experimenting with spey casting techniques, my predicament came to a resolution, and I saw myself as a competent spey caster. So, to spare you a tsunami of frustration, I’d like to share what I learned. What follows, however, is not an in-depth analysis of spey casting, but rather a starting point.
SPEY RODS, LINES AND LEADERS: It’s vital that we match them to each other, and to our fishing situation. I believe that we should start by choosing the right line. Here are our basic choices: 1. Long-belly lines are, for most anglers, the hardest lines to learn how to cast. Their advantages are they allow us to make long casts, without having to then retrieve much, if any, line—great if we’re fishing a wide river and want to pick up and cast as soon as our fly finishes its drift. We will, however, need enough room behind us so that we can form a long D loop. 2. Mid-belly lines are easier and less tiring to cast than long-bellies, so they’re a better choice for fishing smaller rivers, especially when we have less room behind us. 3: Skagit lines are short-belly lines that make it easier for us to cast sinking lines and heavy flies. (With a 6/7 Skagit line, for example, we can cast up to about size 2 flies.) These lines are also great when we have limited casting room behind us. Because these lines are heavy, they’re good for casting into a strong wind. Some casters, however, feel that Skagit lines are a bit noisy on the water. Also, we’ll often have to retrieve a considerable amount of line after each cast—a plus if we’re fishing stillwater. (For short spey rods—11½ feet or so—there are now short Skagit lines.) On the front of a Skagit line we’ll have to add a floating or sinking tip and a monofilament or a fluorocarbon leader. We also might have to add a Skagit Cheater. (The longer the spey rod, the longer the cheater.) 4: Scandinavian lines are light short-belly lines that are quiet on the water, but somewhat limited to casting smaller flies, about a size 6 with a 6/7 line. On the front of a Scandi line we’ll have to add, along with monofilament or flourocarbon, a polyleader: 10 foot leaders for rods shorter than 14 feet (most Scandi rods), 15 foot leaders for longer rods.
We can also use polyleaders as part of our overall leaders when we’re casting a mid- or long-belly line.
We have to experiment to find what length leaders work for us. Here’s some general rules for mid-, long belly and Skagit lines: If we’re casting a floating line, our leader—including the tip if we’re casting a Skagit line—could be up to about 1.5 times the length of our spey rod. If, however, we’re casting a Scandinavian line, our leader could be up to 2 times the length of our spey rod. If we’re casting a sinking-tip line or a heavy fly, our leader could be up to the length of our rod. If our leader is too short our anchor will probably land too far behind us and be too short. If our leader is too long, we’ll have trouble lifting the fly off the water during our back swing—more about that later—and our anchor will be too long. An anchor that is too short will not have enough water tension to load our spey rod at the start of our forward cast. An anchor that is too long will have too much tension and grip the spey line. In either case, our cast will be underpowered.
Now that we’ve chosen our line, we must choose our rod. Some spey casters use the rule of 5, meaning that the length of our spey rod shouldn’t be more than 5 times the length of the belly of our line. I, however, prefer a little over 4 times. For example: If my spey rod is 12½ feet, the maximum length of the belly will be about 52 feet.
Finally, we must choose a reel. Because spey lines are thicker than traditional fly lines, we must use much larger reels. For my 6/7 Scandinavian line, I use 8/9 large arbor reel. Before buying a reel, I suggest trying on the line.
Now that we’ve chosen our line, rod and reel, we must turn to the techniques of spey casting. Yes, there are many spey casts: Single Spey, Double Spey, Perry Poke, Snap-T, etc. I believe all of them become, to some extent, dependent on being able to correctly execute a Single Spey (often referred to as a Switch Cast if we’re not changing casting directions).
To make my casting descriptions clearer, I’ll assume we’re casting right-handed, with our right hand on top. Let me begin by saying that there are many different opinions about spey casting techniques. In the end, therefore, we’ll have to experiment and see what works best for us.
THE STANCE AND GRIP: Most right-handed spey casters begin with their right foot forward. This closed stance helps prevent us from rotating our hips too far during the back swing. If we put our right foot too far forward, however, we will lock our hips during the forward cast and make it impossible for us to generate maximum casting power. I like to cast with the front of my right heel in-line with the front of my left foot. I slightly bend my knees and shift my weight to my front foot. (The longer the belly of my line, the more weight I’ll shift.)
We hold the rod lightly with our top hand near the top or the middle of the rod grip. When casting shorter rods some casters hold the bottom grip with just their index and middle fingers. Our elbows are close to our body. We point the rod parallel to the water or slightly downward, with the rod tip close to the water. We tightly hold the line against the rod grip with our index and middle fingers, or with all four fingers.
THE LIFT: It doesn’t start until we retrieve all slack from the line; then the key is to use our arms, not our wrists, and execute the lift vertically, slowly and smoothly. If we want to execute a long back swing and form a long, narrow D loop, we lift the spey rod to about 9:30. For a shorter back swing and D loop, we lift the rod to 10:30.
If we have a lot of line tension because of fast moving water, we must apply more power early in the lift. As more line clears the water and line tension decreases, we apply less power.
After we finish our lift we immediately begin our back swing.
THE BACK SWING: Generally, the more line we have outside our rod tip the longer (and faster) our back swing and forward cast must be. I think one of the keys is to executing a back swing is to think of our lower wrist and our top elbow as swivels. This will prevent us from breaking our top wrist and sliding our elbows sideways, and thereby ending our swing too far back. This casting defect might land our fly in a tree or bush behind us, a dreadful calamity called a “blown anchor.”
We begin the swing by gently rocking back, and slightly rotating our hips and shoulders, and then shifting our weight to our back foot. If we rotate too far we might again blow our anchor. As we shift our weight, we keep our top elbow in place, and move our upper forearm in a circular motion, and pretend that we’re using our rod tip to draw a big half-circle in the sky. We can draw in one of two ways. 1. We move the rod tip parallel to the water. 2. We slowly dip then raise the tip so that it moves in the path of a hanging clothesline. Either way, we finish drawing the half-circle by slightly raising the spey rod, without changing its angle. This raising, often called an up-kick, will aerialize our fly, leader, and line. (Unless we’re casting a Skagit line or executing other spey casts like the Double Spey or the Snap-T, we ideally want
to aerialize our fly and leader and set up what is called an airborne anchor.)
If we raise the rod too much, we will widen and weaken our D loop.
To add energy to our D loop we should slightly accelerate our up-kick.
If we started our swing with the rod at 9:30 we should end our swing at 2:30. If
we started at 10:30 we should end at 1:30.
Five casting defects, however, will cause us to lower, instead of raise, the rod tip at the end of our swing, and then prevent us from lifting our fly, leader, and line off the water. Also, these defects might cause us to land the anchor too far behind us and then to hit the rod tip with the fly during our forward cast. 1. Rocking our back shoulder down at the end of the swing. 2. Moving our left elbow and forearm too far up and away from our body. (Keep in mind: The lower we execute our lift and swing, the farther up and away we lift our elbow and forearm.) 3. Breaking our wrists too far back. 4. Executing our up-kick by moving our bottom arm before we move our top one. (This will force our top wrist to break.) 5. Breaking our wrists during the lift.
Finally, we end the swing when we have moved the rod 180 degrees. If we don’t quite finish the swing, or swing too far, our anchor might not land in a straight line. Also, we might execute our forward cast by changing planes. These two defects will cause the top of our loop to swing and prevent our fly from turning over properly. Even worse, our fly might collide with our line.
At the end of the swing our top forearm points to between 12 o’clock and 12:30. Next, we must watch our anchor land without turning our shoulders any farther. The front of the fly line should be in-line with us or a little in front. If our anchor is too long, we probably swung back too slowly. If it’s too short, we probably swung too quickly.
THE FORWARD CAST. After we complete our back swing we usually pause a split second—unless we’re casting a Skagit line—to allow our D loop to form. (Some casters will argue that there no pause.) Ideally, we want our floating line, leader, and fly to land flat and kiss the water. Pausing too long will cause our D loop to start to collapse and weaken, and our anchor to get stuck on the water. To avoid this when casting long- or mid-belly lines, we can begin our forward cast just before our anchor touches down.
We begin the forward cast by rotating our hips, and shifting our weight forward. Aiming inside the fly, and applying about half the power with each hand, we slowly tighten our top-hand grip and begin our forward cast.
(What plane should we execute our forward cast? Some casters execute it with the spey rod pointed slightly outward—not quite vertical. Other casters, however, execute the cast in the same plane they executed their back swing. Experiment and see what works best for you.)
We increase acceleration. Finally, we abruptly stop the rod, let go of the line and loosen our top-hand grip, without lowering the rod tip from the target line. If we stop the rod too late, it will prematurely unload, and our cast will not have enough power.
One of the most common faults is “creeping” our hands and arms forward before we
begin the forward cast.
Other common faults are applying too much power too soon and forming a tailing loop.
TO CHANGE CASTING DIRECTIONS: Before we begin our lift, we turn our body and point
our front foot at the target. That way when we finish our swing our anchor will point a little to the right of the target. When changing directions, some casters find it helpful to finish their lift a little higher.
SCANDINAVIAN LINES: With these light lines we want to execute a shorter, faster forward
cast, applying about 70 percent of the power with our lower hand. To help us do this, we place our top hand in the middle of the rod grip—this is often called underhand spey casting—and begin our forward cast with our bottom hand, and then stop our cast with our top hand.
Because these lines are light and short, they’re prone to blown anchors, so during our back swing we make sure to keep our hip and shoulder rotation to a minimum and our bottom elbow close to our body. (When executing a Scandinavian Cast, most of the circle we draw in the sky will be ahead of us. Also, if our anchors are landing too far behind us, we can try drawing a smaller circle.)
Finally, many Scandinavian casters keep their fly and part of the leader on the water during their back swing. While this will help prevent them from blowing their anchor, it will also prevent them from executing the longest possible cast.
To cast sinking flies we want to form a shorter anchor—this will help prevent too much water tension at the start of our forward cast—so, during our back swing, we slightly increase our acceleration and/or slightly raise our spey rod.
MID- AND LONG-BELLY LINES: Based on our skill level and/or the length and action of our spey rod, we might want to begin our lift with some of the belly inside the rod tip. The longer the belly of our line the more we’ll have to rotate our hips and shoulders to generate more power on our back swing. To do this, some right-handed casters start with their left foot slightly forward. (This is called an open stance.)
SKAGIT LINES: With these heavy lines we want to execute a continuous, waterborne cast,
which means that up to half our sinking- or floating-tip maintains contact with the water during our swing. (This is called a sustained anchor.) Because there’s less chance of blowing a sustained anchor, many Skagit casters also use open stances.
IN CLOSING: Please wear sunglasses and read up on wading and spey casting safety
before you go.
 FOR FURTHER SPEY CASTING READING AND VIEWING:
Fly Fishing for Striped Bass, by Rich Murphy: Wild River Press, 2007.
Fly Casting Scandinavian Style by Henrik Mortensen: Stackpole Books, 2010.
Spey Casting by Simon Gawesworth: Stackpole Books, 2007.
Two-Handed Fly Casting: Spey Casting Techniques by Al Buhr: Frank Amato Publications,
2006.
Rio’s Modern Spey Casting DVD.
Skagit Master Featuring Ed Ward DVD.
Scott MacKenzie’s Spey Casting Masterclass DVD
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About the Author
I’m a native New Yorker. My writing has appeared in many publications, including The Flyfisher, Flyfishing & Tying Journal and Fishing And Hunting News. I’m also the author of the historical, and recovery, novel, The Fly Caster Who Tried To Make Peace with the World, and the e-stories The Bad, The Good and Two Fly Fishing Women, and The Second Fly Caster: Fatherhood, Recovery and an Unforgettable Tournament.
Much of my writing is about the techniques of spin and fly casting and about the spirituality/recovery of fly fishing. I often fish the streams of Westchester, the piers of New York City and the lakes of Central Park.
My website is:Â www.flyandspincasting.com.