RIO Accelerator?

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<TABLE border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><TR><TD nowrap width=100% valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Originator: Crusty</FONT></TD><TD nowrap valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Date: 8/19/2000 9:13 PM</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 width=100% bgcolor=#FFFFFF><TR><TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=2><DIV><P>I need some help.&nbsp; I'm trying to learn spey casting through book (Falkus), video (Brown), and what I can glean from the web.&nbsp; Thank all of you who have 1. answered my questions; and 2. asked the questions I was interested in.&nbsp; Unfortunately I don't have anyone nearby that I can learn from "hands on" so my progress has been slow.</P><P>I bought an Accelerator system and I need some guidence.&nbsp; When using any of the three tips, do you remove the first two floating sections and attatch the tip of your choice to the main line, or is there some other configuration?&nbsp; </P><P>The box says that "Included are two stiff non-hinging loops..."&nbsp; Does that refer to the four loops that&nbsp;comprise the normal floating line (there are also loops on the reel end of each auxillary tip), or did they leave something out of my box?&nbsp; (Geez, that even sounds dumb to me, but I still can't understand what the hell they are trying to say.&nbsp; :-)</P><P>My purchases have included a St. Croix 10/11, a System 2 1213, a Wulff 10 Wt triangle taper spey line, and this Accelerator.&nbsp; How bad have I screwed up so far?</P><P>Thanks Everybody,</P><P>Crusty</P></DIV></FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>

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<TABLE border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><TR><TD nowrap width=100% valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Originator: Dana</FONT></TD><TD nowrap valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Date: 8/20/2000 4:07 AM</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 width=100% bgcolor=#FFFFFF><TR><TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=2><DIV><P>I've also found the RIO literature a little confusing at times. I think that if you have factory installed loops for all of the line sections included in the kit then they haven't missed anything. I believe that the ""Two stiff non-hinging loops" refer to the looped connections betweeen the belly section and "tip #2" (the larger floating tip) and between tip #2 and the front floating tip (the one with the "power hinge").</P><P>There are several ways of configuring the Accelerator. For floating line presentations loop all the floating sections together, attach a 15' leader, knot on your favorite fly and have at it. If the wind kicks up and you're having difficulty turning over the full line, remove the front "power hinge" section and loop your leader directly to tip #2. When using the sink tips included in the kit, remove the "power hinge" section and attach your sinkers directly to tip #2 for traditional "long line" Spey casting. If you elect to overhead cast, use the Scandinavian methods, or use very long sink tips like RIO's "Big Boy" or "Leviathan" 24' tips, remove tip #2 and attach the sinkers directly to the main belly.</P><P>I presume the St Croix 10/11 is the 15' rod? A great choice, I think. The St. Croix is one of the most underrated Spey rods on the market, and a tremendous value for the money. Last December I was teaching a fellow who had one and I was very impressed with it. An easy casting rod, it handled all of the major Spey casts well, and had enough power in the butt to drive a longer cast. I believe he was using an Accelerator 10/11.</P><P>The Wulff lines are great for dry line work; you can also cut your line @ 15' from the front , loop it, and then fish sink tips as well. The Wulff Triangle Tapers are modelled on the lines developed by Alexander Grant in the late 1800s and they turn over very well. Plus, once you get comfortable moving the entire belly section, these lines will shoot a mile.</P><P>Regarding the videos, while both instructors are highly regarded, you might find some aspects of the two styles contradictory--for example, notice the Falkus loop (wide, unrolling pretty much along the surface of the water) and the Brown loop (tight wedge, moving on a flat trajectory well above the water). Later on Falkus tightened up his loops (have a look at some of the photos in his last book "Speycasting: a new technique", a book written a dozen or so years after he made the video) but his line still tended to&nbsp;unroll near the water, and often&nbsp;the belly would touch down before the leader turned over (again, have a look at the photos in "Speycasting"). This is primarily because Falkus relied on raising his rod into what he called the "key" position, the reel essentially at ear level or slightly above, and this forced his casting stroke down as he made the forward cast, creating a wide loop and driving it down towards the water. Also, as he says on the bottom of page 27, "Speycasting is (or should be) a series of curves. Except for the final power stroke there are no straight lines." The large curves that he used to execute the Spey motions introduced a tremendous amount of slack into the line, all of which needed to be removed prior to making the forward cast; raising the rod into the "key" position helped to&nbsp;remove some of this slack.</P><P>Brown, on the other hand, emphasizes straight lines in his technique, a style modelled after that of Alexander Grant mentioned above. Derek is a highly efficient caster, and is able to achieve tremendous distance because he has no wasted motions in his casts. No matter the cast--even the Snake Roll, a cast that seems to be&nbsp;comprised of two circular motions (one for the set up, one for the delivery)--if there is a curve in it, Derek endeavours to flatten it out, finding straight lines within the curves and circles. And no matter the cast, on the forward delivery the rod comes straight forward, and since the line must always do what the rod directs, the line goes out well above the water, everything unrolling before the line touches down.</P><P>Hope this helps!</P><P>Dana</P></DIV></FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>

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<TABLE border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><TR><TD nowrap width=100% valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Originator: Sinktip</FONT></TD><TD nowrap valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Date: 8/21/2000 8:52 PM</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 width=100% bgcolor=#FFFFFF><TR><TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=2><DIV>Dana:

I just picked up an 8/9 Accelerator for my 8150-4 and am looking forward to fishing it this fall. I would love to be able to use it as a base for some 8 weight tips as well so was wondering if you or anyone on the board had any experience cutting an Accelerator back and looping on tips. I know Brian has made this work on the Triangle Taper and am hopeful the Rio line can me modified the same. It looks to me like a cut behind the "power hinge" would do the trick but am hesitant to take a knife to it unitl I get some feedback.

Thanks,
Sinktip</DIV></FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>

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<TABLE border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><TR><TD nowrap width=100% valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Originator: Brian ST</FONT></TD><TD nowrap valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Date: 8/22/2000 6:20 AM</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 width=100% bgcolor=#FFFFFF><TR><TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=2><DIV><P>Sinktip</P><P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Just picked up the 8/9 accel for my 8150 and planned on looping it for sinktips.At first I though about looping it behind the hinge but did not because the line looks to thin. I am going to use a guage before I cut that way I figure I will be safe. I will get back to you soon after I test the line.</P><P>&nbsp;Brian St</P></DIV></FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>

[ISC Archives]

<TABLE border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=100%><TR><TD nowrap width=100% valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Originator: Dana</FONT></TD><TD nowrap valign=top><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=1>Date: 8/22/2000 5:51 PM</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 width=100% bgcolor=#FFFFFF><TR><TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=2><DIV><P>Have a look at RIO's online catalogue</P><P><A target=_top href="http://www.rioproducts.com/catalogue/page6.html">http://www.rioproducts.com/catalogue/page6.html</A></P><P>and</P><P><A target=_top href="http://www.rioproducts.com/catalogue/page7.html">http://www.rioproducts.com/catalogue/page7.html</A></P><P>On these pages they have profiled the full floater and the interchangeable tips versions of the Accelerator. In the tips version the loops are 16-1/2ft and 28-1/2ft respectively. When I purchased my original Accelerator in '95 (I THINK it was '95, maybe early '96) I e-mailed Jim and he advised me to cut my full floater at 16 ft for standard tips; looks like the profile hasn't changed since then. This set up worked very well for me (I no longer use the Acclerator as a main line, but I keep it in my kit as a spare).</P><P>Hope this helps!</P><P>Dana</P></DIV></FONT></TD></TR></TABLE>