first published on the Sexyloops Board a few years back as an effective and logical approach to define fly casting terms, i thought i’d post them here as well in an attempt to share this set with a larger public. there are other models within the fly casting community around the world but this one in my opinion surpasses the others in it’s thoroughness and compatibility with all styles of casts, not a particular school.

this model will also serve here in the future as a reference point for our readers.

THE FLYCASTING MODEL : Core Definitions

Magnus Angus, Paul Arden, Lee Cummings, Ben Dixon, Grunde Løvoll,
Stefan Siikavaara, Walter Simbirski, Mark Surtees.

THE WHOLE CAST

Stroke (or Overall Stroke): A coordinated series of movements which includes a Casting Stroke.
A Stroke starts when the rod hand first moves in the direction of the cast.

Casting Stroke: When the rod applies force to the line in order to form a loop.

Pause: Period between Casting Strokes.

THE CASTING STROKE

Casting Arc: Change of rod-angle during a Casting Stroke.

Casting Stroke Length: Distance the rod hand travels during a Casting Stroke.

Drag: Rod translation during the early part of a Casting Stroke
Drag establishes momentum in the direction of the cast with little or no rod rotation. (Not essential to all casting styles.)

Loop: A moving length of line delivered past the rod tip, formed when the rod tip curves the line under or over itself.

Static Loop: A length of line formed into a D under the rod tip.

ROD AND LINE POSITIONING

Drift: To position the rod between casting strokes.
Moving the rod to adjust Casting Arc, Stroke Length or Casting Plane. Drift applies little or no force on the line.

Slide: A form of drift where the rod is moved along the line towards the line hand.

Sweep: To position the line.
Sweeping or pulling the line into position.

Mend: A form of Sweep after the Casting Stroke.
A mend may be made, either while the line is in the air (aerial mend) when the caster moves line in the rod-leg of the loop, or later when the line has straightened or fallen.

Lift: An upward Sweep.
The primary purpose of Lift is to begin to clear line from the water prior to a further line positioning movement or Casting Stroke.

FAULTS

Creep: Unintentional movement of the rod in the direction of the next Casting Stroke.
Creep is a persistent casting fault where the rod is unintentionally moved so the Casting Arc and/or Casting Stroke Length of that cast are reduced.