Common Injuries
The sport of fly-fishing is a unique sport that involves unique movements of the body. The casting technique involves repeating the casting multiple times until the full cast. Because the fly cast requires repetitious movements, there are some concerns of overuse injuries. Injuries in the fly-fishing sport are quite common where nearly 75% of professional fly-fishermen had pain in at least one location in their upper extremity. Because the injury and pain frequency in fly-fishing anglers is so high, it is important to understand the potential reasonings causing injury. It has been noted that grip style can play a role in pain within the upper extremity. One approach that has proven to alleviate pain in anglers' shoulders is to adjust the grip to a "V-style grip" where the fingers and thumb form a "V" on the rod. This grip is preferred as it is the most natural grip for the shoulder. It is also important to note how firm the angler is holding the fishing rod. A firmer grip puts more tension on the muscles, which can cause pain and "nerve compression in the hands."
In addition to grip style, the cast can also play a key role in pain free fly-fishing. There are three main casting styles - the overhead, elliptical, and sidearm. All three casting style have shown to have the same effect on the shoulder. Damage to the shoulder usually occurs in rotator cuff muscles. These muscles are important for rotation and stabilization of the shoulder. Much of the differences observed between the styles of casting are seen in the elbow and wrists. A common elbow injury in fly-fishing is "tennis elbow" which is tendonitis of the elbow. Overall, the overhead cast has shown to have less elbow and wrist pain compared to the elliptical and sidearm cast. This is due to the decrease in pressure and tension in the elbow compared to the elliptical and sidearm cast. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that using multiple casting styles causes less pain in the elbow and wrist. Thus, it may be beneficial to use more than one casting style while fly-fishing. Another tip that will decrease an angler's risk of injury is to not overuse the wrist motion in the cast. It is important to use the wrist to make small adjustments to the cast. Making the wrist the primary mover for the cast will certainly increase the risk for wrist injury. For novices, it may be beneficial to begin using a shorter line length when casting. A shorter line length puts less stress on the shoulder, elbow, and the wrist. Also, a lighter rod and a shorter rod put less demand on the arm. Therefore, after a novice has been able to build up strength and power, they should then begin to increase the line and rod length. This will help the new angler avoid injury. It is important for an angler, especially a beginner, to make sure their body is ready for the demanding cast. For simple exercise to improve the strength of the major muscles involved, click the button below for fly-fishing exercises. |
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Reference:
Picture:
http://www.filson.com/filson-life.jpg
http://www.flyfish-scotland.com/graphics/overhead-cast.gif
http://fly.hardyfishing.com/z_siteimages/img_13169_1363268174_-1_-1_0_scaled.jpg
Text:
Mitchell, Tamara, and Sally Longyear. "Gone fishing: Overuse injuries in fly fishing." : 1-8. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <http://www.working-well.org/articles/pdf/Fishing.pdf>.
http://www.filson.com/filson-life.jpg
http://www.flyfish-scotland.com/graphics/overhead-cast.gif
http://fly.hardyfishing.com/z_siteimages/img_13169_1363268174_-1_-1_0_scaled.jpg
Text:
Mitchell, Tamara, and Sally Longyear. "Gone fishing: Overuse injuries in fly fishing." : 1-8. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <http://www.working-well.org/articles/pdf/Fishing.pdf>.