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PostPosted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 9:22 pm • # 1 
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I tried this today with my CGR 7/8 and will test it with my ULs too. This technique really helped my casting and was a
tremendous relief to my sore tendons, muscles and arthritic joints. The wrist brace sells at walmart for less than $15; I wear
one on each arm. The wrist brace strap attaches the rod to my arm and the fighting butt is held in place by my jacket.

Image


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:29 pm • # 2 
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I hear you, JimRed. Any support that helps keep the aches away and keeps the wrist from flexing is good. I have an assortment!


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:25 am • # 3 
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So, Jim: what's the verdict? How did it affect your casting and, more importantly, your comfort?


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2016 11:54 am • # 4 
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Jim after casting with my 5. Weight yesterday I feel like I need a whole arm.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2016 12:17 pm • # 5 
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wheezeburnt wrote:
So, Jim: what's the verdict? How did it affect your casting and, more importantly, your comfort?


Wheezeburnt, testing is still under way but here is some explanation.

With the 7/8 CGR the brace has a positive affect casting with either hand.

I used the technique with a 3 forks 3 wt at night and the results were not positive. Next time I fish in the day light I'll use the 3 forks 3
wt and maybe the daylight will enable me to see what's going on.

I have needed to develop a method of casting that does not place the thumb on the top of the rod;.

With the brace and 7/8 I can make a good overhead cast with little of the stress.
The power to make the cast is coming from the forearm motion, the strap is gripping the rod
relegating my hand to guiding, not gripping. I believe that since there is a different casting motion I am using different muscles in my shoulder and back.
My 7/8 overhead casts using the brace are longer and more accurate than without the brace.

Thanks for the question Wheezeburnt and I'll post results again as I get more information.

Eric, happy you were able to fish the day. Bet you were swinging something big enough for those strippers.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 12:34 am • # 6 
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Got out today and fished the 3 forks 3 wt using the brace. The technique worked very well with both hands. There were strong gusts from the SW and I fished East with my right and
and West with my left hand. I believe it will work with all my rods, although I may reserve the use of the brace for certain situations. Pictures below; I used a piece of Velcro for the lower
attachment.

Image

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:59 pm • # 7 
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I hope this works out, not just for you but for all of us w. joint pain. Have you considered two handed Skagit? Thanks for sharing.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 11:07 am • # 8 
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Knotty wrote:
I hope this works out, not just for you but for all of us w. joint pain. Have you considered two handed Skagit? Thanks for sharing.


Knotty, I counter balanced my CGR 5/6 with two nuts and a deep well socket; the deep well socket also affords an opportunity for two handed casting. I
want to try some form of two handed roll casting and am waiting for something like a 12 weight line to go on sale so I can make an inexpensive shooting head
for the 5/6.

Not sure if any type of fly casting is more ergonomic than another and not really qualified to make definitive statements; I can report my experience but need to
qualify that my experiencing less stress in a casting technique is just that: my experience.

The technique I described above does allow me to cast without gripping the rod with my thumb. I require the technique to cast the CGR 7/8 left handed (off hand) but
do not need the technique for UL. With UL however, the technique does afford an advantage in casting.

Folks like Lefty Kreh are the experts. I think if one obeyed the recommended fly rod sizes, fly line sizes, fly sizes and leader construction and in addition practised casting technique described by someone like Lefty they would be fly casting in the most ergonomic fashion.
But, obeying the rules is not my objective. I want to entice the largest fish possible on the smallest fly rod possible and hope if I don't
land the fish I at least get a look at it.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 1:57 pm • # 9 
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Jim the stripers we're small and I was using the Cabelas Stowawy 6 3 weight. The big drum was also hooked on it. I then switched to the 5 weight. Amazing how different the feel after using light weights for ten years. I used to fish all day with the 5 . Now it hurts.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:37 pm • # 10 
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Eric, had to look that rod up, 8.5 ft 3 wt. The stripers are small by striper standards but bet they felt decent on the 3wt.
Fly fishing, or any kind of casting from a kayak would seem more difficult than standing on solid ground.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 9:02 am • # 11 
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Changing directions is the difficulty but I have no problem casting from the kayak except for the line finding everything it can to get caught on. Yes the stripers we're not the big ones like Cliff catches but there is always hope.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:47 am • # 12 
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When I was having pain issues from casting or even picking up a cup of coffee i started using the Thera bar tension bar and a hand exerciser....did it 4 or 5 times a day.....good results in about a week ....no problems since. Cheap therapy you can do at home to strenghthen your forearm muscles and lengthen the tendons...supposed to help with arthritis as well. Hope this helps you as much as it did me.I can now cast an 8 weight all day without any problems.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:36 am • # 13 
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Thanks for the tip Joe.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 12:38 pm • # 14 
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good idea- keeps wrist from breaking too soon.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:09 pm • # 15 
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and the bars and hand exerciser is cheap. The doc told me that we should consider our sport like a runner or tennis player views their activity..... warm up before ,ice down after and strength train in order to continue enjoying our sport.It was good advise for me. I hope it helps everyone continue to fish pain free and avoid those nasty steroid shots in tendons and hands. Good luck.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:35 pm • # 16 
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Thanks for passing that on Joe.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 4:39 am • # 17 
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Jim, I use the wrist brace a lot too. I've got nasty carpal tunnel, and nerve damage and chronic swelling in my hands. It's pretty bad, because I'm only 35. Some days I'm just fine, but other days are bad - lots of swelling at the base of my thumb, lots of pain, and randomly my hand opens up and I drop things. I use the brace sometimes while fishing - it sure makes it harder to break the wrist over ;)

One thing I've done that helps a bit - I got inspired by Kalgram over on FFR and did an overwrap on my CGR 7/8's and made non-permanent mods to the grips turning them into ergonomic grips. Compared to standard full wells grips - it's night & day. Graeme uses epoxy putty and overwraps and grip flocking for his mods - I used electrical tape and craft sheet foam that I use for fly tying, cutting assorted pieces and building up the grip in specific areas to fill the voids between my hand and the grip when I have a relaxed grip on the rod. The foam provides a tad bit of cushion as well. Much more comfortable to cast with than stock grips.

I'm planning on building up an experimental cork grip, making cork rings from oversized jar corks - the idea will be to use a saw and files and a dremel to shape the grip, rather than turning a round grip on a lathe.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:43 pm • # 18 
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Mac, I saw photos of your wrapped handles. Understand now. When I bind my hand to the brace with velcro I don't break the wrist but bring the forearm
and rod down together. It's awkward and I know my casts are sloppy but it gets me by. I only have to do this with my heavier rods;
the thumbs feel like they are sprung and I can't put pressure on them.

I am no doctor and everybody is different. I was diagnosed with tunnel carpal in the late seventies and the military doctor offered surgery which
I refused. Point is it did get better with time and I changed some of my activities that were likely the cause.
Now if I get a flare up I sleep with the wrist braces and that helps too.

I'll have to try a form wrap and see how that feels. Thanks for the suggestion.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:16 pm • # 19 
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Certainly not happy to see people dealing with joint pain but am encouraged at those who do are overcoming it and keep on fishing.

I came to fishing after Lyme disease ruined my previous hobby, backpacking. I'm intent on not losing my new love.


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