• A. Angular change of the rod butt
• B. The pause between strokes
• C. Linear displacement of the rod butt
• D. The loop changing trajectory

Answer: C. Translation is a linear change in the position of the rod butt.

The definitions pair it with rotation, the angular change in the position of the same point. Translation moves the butt from one place to another without turning it; rotation changes the angle it points through. A casting stroke may contain rotation, translation, or both.

Option A is rotation. Option B is a pause — a time period between casting strokes, not a movement of the rod. Option D is the loop’s trajectory, the direction the loop travels relative to the horizon: an outcome of the cast, not a movement of the rod butt.

Why be exact? Because “how does the rod move?” has two answers, and each can be taught and corrected on its own. A caster who translates where the cast wanted rotation, or the reverse, is doing something specific and nameable — and the fix is specific too. Precise words keep that conversation honest.

Source

From the FFI Fly Casting Definitions (August 2025); terms follow the FFI Fly Casting Definitions; exam details are in the CI Study Guide (2025).