Palm main menu showing Fly Casting Analyzer icon. On the right, the home page of Fly Casting Analyzer software.

To Record a Cast

Tap next to Name Cast until you see a cursor appear in the field immediately to the right. Enter a new cast name via the graffiti window or tap ABC in the bottom left corner of the text entry section to use the keyboard function. When done, tap OK (this action checks if the name you entered already exists and also confirms that the program is ready to create a new file). Lay out the desired line length and rod in front of you( refer to How do I set it up the first time?) Holding the rod very still, press and release the green button on top of the circuit box and keep the rod very still until you hear a first beep. Starting with a back cast, make several (often 5 to 6) false casts, and continue casting until you hear a second beep.

Tip: This is a fixed line cast with no hauling, and you must start with a back cast, so lay the line out in front of you first.
Tip: We suggest naming the cast by name and date. Example, Paul8.1.1 (Name.Month.Day.Number Cast). Do not use backslashes (/) to separate the name and date, use periods.

To Analyze The Results

Tap Pick Cast File(small triangle). Scroll to the desired cast and tap the cast name. Then tap Results, wait for it to process, and you’re off to Navigating the Results.

Navigating the Results

When you access the results, the first page to open will be the entire cast profile. This is a snapshot of the third cast made in the series of false casts. To overlay a comparison cast, tap the Comparison triangle in the bottom left corner. Tap the corresponding length of cast to compare with one of the Expert casts, or scroll through Other Comparisons to select any other cast as your comparison cast. Please note, choosing the Expert will provide substantial dialog and useful casting tips. When you select Other Comparisons, you will still be able to draw useful conclusions (including overlaying the casts), but only the factual data will be displayed. Comparing a student's cast before and then after specific instruction is often a very effective way to show progress. Similarly, you could use your own casts as the basis for comparison if you were to teach a student to make a specific adjustment that you've identified.

After selecting a comparison (which is not required) use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between front and back cast results. Use the Home tab to return to the main page to obtain a new cast or the Entire tab to return to the entire cast profile to choose another comparison cast.

For a complete description of using the software, please refer to the User Manual (.pdf). To become proficient in using this tool, we encourage you to read and understand the Terminology and Example Casts.

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Opening and Using The Fly Casting Analyzer Software on Your PC

Installing and Setting up the Software on Your PC

Run the PC installer that came with the CD and follow the installation instructions. You can then run the program Fly Casting Analyzer from the shortcut created on your desktop. The first time you run the software, select Set Up. Use the Owner box to input your personal contact information that you would like to appear on all printed casting reports for your students. This information will appear in the top right corner of all printed reports.

Next, import the casting files from your Palm pilot for use in the PC version of the software by performing a standard Palm HotSync operation as described in your Palm owner’s manual. If this should fail, you might be able to resolve the problem by referring to the quick tips included in What do I do if my Palm will not HotSync? Next, you will have to tell the PC version of the software where to find the casting files you have just uploaded upon completing a HotSync. You need only to this once since the program will remember this path. To set that path...

1. Click the Set Up box on the main page.
2. Select Pick Folder
3. A Select Folder window will now appear on the left side. Use this window to navigate to the folder where your Palm pilots backs up all data files. This is typically on your hard drive. Start by finding the folder called "Palm" (or "PalmOne") which is often within your "Program Files" folder. Then look for the folder with the same user name that you gave your Palm. Within that folder open the "Backup" folder. Finally, click "Set Folder" at the bottom, and you've now set the path. You are now ready to analyze any/all the casts you have uploaded.

Navigating the PC Fly Casting Analyzer Software

To select a cast to analyze, open the Pick Cast File box, select the desired cast, and click Results. The entire cast profile will appear. You navigate through the PC version of the software the very same way you navigate through the Palm version. Follow these steps:

1. Select a comparison if you desire. For instance, you can select the Expert for the appropriate length cast or click Other Casts to compare to all other casts you have. The Expert cast will provide substantial feedback and dialog in the report; selecting other casts will only provide data.
2. To produce a report, click the Report box. This generates a report in PDF format which you can now print. If you would also like to email this report, you can find it in the very same Backup folder where your casting files are stored by your Palm.
3. Navigate with the tabs at the top of the page.
4. To select a new profile, select the Home box and start over.
5. To close the program, select the Exit button on the home page.

Notes on the Expert Casts Used For Comparison CastsFor comparison purposes, we have included a series of casting profiles which we consider to reflect "ideal" casts. These functional fishing casts are of average speed with functionally perfect loops. The loops are tight, but not unreasonably tight. They are of ideal shape, rounded with a smaller radius on top. The casts were made with a specific length of line, measured from the reel to the end of the leader. The casts were all made with a Sage 590 Z-Axis, 2550 reel, and Performance Taper-II line with no hauling. The casts were medium speed casts, not unduly slow or fast, but average fishing speed casts. If you use these comparison casts, make sure you have are casting the same length to insure that the comparisons are valid. As a reminder the Expert 40 cast is made with 40 feet of line measured from the reel to the fly.

Variables
If you cast using a very slow action rod you can expect that your rod arc will be slightly wider than the expert casts, hence your rod load percentage will also be larger. Using a very fast action rod, your rod arc and rod load percentage will be less. Using rods lighter or heavier will yield slightly different results. If your goal is to cast with minimum energy, then you may indeed cast slower than the expert casts and you will probably have a smaller casting arc as well. So bear this in mind when you read the comments since it may actually be your goal to cast with far less energy.

Making/Using Your Own Comparison Casts
You can easily record your own "ideal" casts for your own rod and line and at distances you chose and this flexibility makes for an outstanding tool for casting instructors. You will need to enlist the services of a caster who casts the way you want to. Record his/her signature of the specific casts you want to make and use those for your comparison casts.

You can also compare your cast to any previous cast stored. Simply analyze one cast, and then select the other cast as your comparison cast. This is a great way to track your student's progress during a casting lesson.

For more information, see Tips for Fly Casting Instructors.

The Printed Report

The PC version of the Fly Casting Analyzer software provides you with a convenient means to create a printed report (in PDF format) which you can print for a student/client or send by email attachment. For instructions on how to use the PC version of the software and to print a report, please see the User Manual. You may print a report in one of three ways: just the cast, the cast with another comparison cast, and the cast with a comparison to an Expert Cast. When using comparisons other than the Expert Casts, the report will contain the numerical data for comparison purposes, no other comments or feedback will be printed. By contrast, when you make a comparison with one of the Expert Cast, the comparison will also include ample comments/feedback. The two examples below illustrate this difference.

Click image to enlarge. The report on the left has the Expert Cast Comparison, while the one on the right does not.

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The Expert Casts and Ranges

The ability to compare a cast with a standard Expert Cast is a powerful feature when starting to use the Fly Casting Analyzer. When you do this, every part of the cast is measured and the numerical values obtained are then benchmarked with the Expert Cast you have selected. It is natural that the example cast and Expert Cast have different values and we then look at how far these values deviate from those of the Expect Cast. To this end, we have established the ranges in the table below which correspond to the qualitative categories: Excellent, Good and Need Work. It is quite a challenge to obtain Excellent in all categories simultaneously and this may not even be a goal. For example, if you are intentionally casting with minimum energy, then you may be rated as "Good" or "Needs Work" in Peak Speed or Arc, when in fact you meant to achieve smaller values in these categories by casting with minimum energy.

Click on the table to enlarge it.

Click image to enlarge. This is the table of The Expert Casts and Ranges

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