CI written exam practice questions · a card
How does the path of the rod tip relate to the size of the loop?
The rod tip path sets the loop: straight gives a narrow loop, a convex domed path opens it into a wide loop, and a concave dip makes a tailing loop.
The rod tip path during the casting stroke determines the shape of the fly leg, and the fly leg shape is the loop size you see. Straight tip path, narrow loop; convex tip path, wide loop; concave tip path, tailing loop.
To keep the tip path straight, the size of the casting arc must vary with how much the rod bends. Bend little and the arc is narrow; bend a lot and the arc is wide. The tip path is the result you steer, and the arc is the control you adjust.
Read the fly leg, adjust the arc
- Straight fly leg. The arc matched the rod bend. Keep it.
- Fly leg curving upward. The arc is too wide for the bend — narrow the arc to straighten the tip path, or bend the rod more to match it.
- Fly leg curving downward. The arc is too narrow for the bend — widen the arc. This is the tailing loop.
You do not have to judge arc width in degrees mid-cast. Watch the loop, then change the arc until the fly leg comes back straight.
Source
From the CI Study Guide (2025) (PDF), the first and second Gammel Essentials; terms from the FFI Fly Casting Definitions.