Why can't a piece of yarn be used like a bullwhip in fly fishing?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Alexander
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mechanics of fly casting, specifically why a piece of yarn cannot be used like a bullwhip in fly fishing. Participants explore the energy transfer involved in casting and the design of tapered leaders in fly fishing.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Jim questions the mechanics behind why a piece of yarn cannot be cracked like a bullwhip, seeking to understand energy loss during the casting process.
  • One participant references an article by Jeff Kommers that discusses the physics of fly fishing, suggesting that there are calculations related to the topic.
  • Another participant suggests searching for information on "Fishing line dynamics" as a potential resource for understanding the mechanics involved.
  • Jim expresses frustration over the lack of analytical resources available for leader design, noting that much of the knowledge seems to come from trial and error rather than established principles.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion does not reach a consensus, as participants express varying levels of knowledge and resources available on the topic, indicating that multiple views and uncertainties remain regarding the mechanics of fly casting and leader design.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations in available literature and the reliance on empirical methods for leader design, highlighting a gap in theoretical understanding.

Jim Alexander
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I am new, thanks in advance for the help. I have had some electrical engineering in the past, but mechanics were never my strong suit. I remember some calc and physics, but I am rusty.
I am a fly fisher, and I am studying fly casting to better my understanding of designing my own tapered leaders.
my question is, why can't you crack a piece of yarn like a bullwhip? I am trying to understand how the taper of the fly line to a thin, flexible element suddenly "looses" energy so the fly lands gently on the water after all the muscle of getting the fly line such a far distance out.
thanks,
Jim
 
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Hmm. Not definitive but a magazine article about some calculations by Jeff Kommers - then at MIT.

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/the-body/18-the-whip-like-physics-of-fly-fishing

I cannot google a published paper - probably my problem somehow. Someone else here on PF will know more.
 
Google ' Fishing line dynamics '
 
Sorry I was away from the computer for a few days. thanks for the replies. the article by jeff kommers is an interesting one. googling the topic came up with a few things, but even among engineers/scientists who have studied the subject analytically, little is available for leader design but the guess-and-check method. I wish I knew more, to be able to at least narrow down design and expectations before having to load up a rod and test drive it.

thanks to all.

jim
 

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