The "critical angle" in fly casting, defined by Ed Jaworowski as the angle between the rod and the line at the start of the cast (assuming no slack), is crucial for determining how efficiently the rod loads. Ed talks about how a wider angle, approaching 180 degrees, maximizes mechanical efficiency, loading the rod deeper for greater energy storage and longer casts with less effort, whereas a 90-degree angle is less efficient, loading only the tip, suitable for shorter casts.
This is the third in a series of five articles examining the physics and mechanics that determine the outcomes of all casts, based on Ed Jaworowski's nearly 70 years of casting, testing, experimentation, teaching, and consulting with physicists, kinesiologists, and engineers.
