Shoulder injury?

Cast Away!

by Lefty Kreh

Basics

[Excerpted from Casting with Lefty Kreh (Stackpole Books, 2008). The Editor.]

If you elevate your elbow on the backcast and lower it on the forward cast, you risk straining your rotator cuff. The heavier the rod, the more air-resistant the fly, and the longer the distance you try to obtain, the greater the danger of developing a torn rotator cuff.

Young or strong anglers may not have a problem now, but they tend to develop this painful problem later in life. For people who are not young or strong, the likelihood of developing a torn rotator cuff is highly possible when they use tackle that is a bit heavy for them, or they are trying to cast far distances.

Using your whole body to help cast places less strain on the arm, elbow, and rotator cuff. By keeping the elbow lower (near its normal resting position), rotating the upper body, and using just a little forearm motion during the cast, you can avoid rotator cuff problems. I am over 80 years old and have never had rotator cuff problems caused by fly casting, despite casting huge flies and heavy lines for years.

Footwork is important when using this technique. A right-hander should place the right foot to the rear; a left-hander, the opposite. For a short cast, the foot need only be a little to the rear. The longer the cast, the farther back you should position your foot. This allows your body to pivot during casting.

Lower the rod before casting. Lock your arm firmly against your body and do not move your wrist during the cast. If your arm leaves your body, you’ll aggravate the rotator cuff, and if you move your wrist, you’ll aggravate the elbow—similar to tennis elbow injuries.

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