The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate a tailing loop on a forward cast. Start by false casting narrow loops. After several false casts, announce your intent to cast a tailing loop, which must be done on the next forward cast and which ends the demonstration. You must tell the examiners which of the two common caster actions that result in tailing loops (improper force application and/or a casting arc that is too narrow) you used.

Required performance standards

General performance standards apply to every task — narrow loops (≤ 4 ft, measured 3–4 ft back from the nose), a straight fly leg, loops similar front and back and approximately in-plane, a line and leader that unroll completely, no ticking, and slow to medium line speed. See the exam overview for the full list.

• The fly leg must cross the rod leg in a manner that can be seen easily.
• The tailing loop must result from concavity of the rod tip path caused primarily by one of the two common caster actions: improper force application and/or a casting arc that is too narrow.
• The fly line and leader are not required to unroll completely or be relatively straight.

How to pass it

• Decide in advance which cause you will demonstrate, and say it as you cast — the announcement is part of the task.
• Make the crossing obvious: a small tail that nobody can see does not satisfy the standard.
• Produce it from a concave rod tip path, not by collapsing the cast into a pile.
• Finish the demonstration on that forward cast; the task ends there.
• Be able to explain the two causes and how each makes the tip path concave.

Drills

• Rehearse both causes separately: a force spike on the forward stroke, then a deliberately narrow arc.
• Film the loop from the side so you can see the fly leg cross the rod leg.
• Practise saying the cause out loud in one sentence while the loop is still unrolling.