Hand spacing matters
Small changes in your hand position can result in better casting
Top casting advice from John Holden.
Y OUR hands should be spaced on the rod handle so that both arms work properly, which, for most adults casting 150g of lead weight, means about 28in from the centre of the bottom grip to the centre of the reel position.
Most traditional UK beach rods are designed to accommodate this spacing or thereabouts, but handle length on some imported rods is wildly excessive, so buyers beware!
Hands too far apart mean that either your left arm can pull, or your right arm can push, but they cannot work properly together. Conversely, hands too close together will synchronise well enough, but don’t give enough leverage to cast powerfully.
RIGHT BALANCE
An experienced caster sets the hands automatically, based on feel. The spacing that works best depends on stature, strength, rod and reel, sinker weight and casting style. You will discover the right settings as your casting refines itself and you learn to achieve the right balance between left-hand pull and right-arm push.
You will find, too, that even at the personal level, one size does not fit all. The hand spacing that feels right and delivers top performance alters when you use more or less lead weight. This need to shift your hands up and down the handle is an excellent reason for using sliding reel seats or coaster clips.
Perfect hand spacing will not be the same for different rods casting the same amount of lead weight. The longer the rod and the heavier the sinker, the wider apart your hands should be, and vice versa, but even two rods of the same length casting the same amount can benefit from slightly different spacing. There might be only an inch or two in it, but getting your hands exactly right makes a noticeable difference to casting and fishing.
REEL POSITION
Whether to use the reel up or down the handle is worth investigating. Reel low usually makes a rod feel softer, slower, and perhaps more friendly. Short rods tend to go too soggy, but with long, stiff rods, moving the reel to the bottom can take the sting out of any otherwise vicious beast.
You’ll probably find that you can set your hands closer together when the reel is low, rather than at the top of the handle.
If you cannot find a comfortable hand spacing for casting with the reel set high, maybe the rod is too long and stiff - a common issue with modern beachcasters. Move the reel higher still, then put your lower hand well up from the butt cap. In effect, you’re now casting with a shorter rod.
I cast most 13ft rods full length with the reel low, but for reel-up pendulum work, I set the reel at about 38in, then hold about 10in up from the butt cap, thus giving the equivalent of about 12ft. Or, to look at it another way, buy a 13ft rod and you get a 12-footer for free.