Casting and Wrist Tendinitis

SurfnFish

SurfnFish

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This summer I became addicted to casting terrestrials against the shoreline for trout while nudging along under MK power, spent far more time doing it than stripping lines or watching indicators, and was rewarded with some of the biggest lake trout I've ever caught. Had some sessions that seemed to be one bruiser after another, and had sessions where several hours of repetitive casting only = a fish or two for the effort. And that much casting, session after session, even with proper arm/wrist bio-mechanics and lightweight Douglas rod and Lamson Speedster reel takes a toll.
Hence, enter wrist tendinitis, a first for me but not likely the only one on this forum to deal with it.
So went through a few wrist braces until I found one that works really well, the Push Sports Brace, as well as a PT video whose exercises are helping with the issue.
Be interested in what works for you.
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I try to concentrate on not using the wrist, I see a lot of guys using their wrist instead of leaving it fixed , and casting with just the arm movement , wrist staying rigid if that makes sense. I’m sure a wrist brace would help keeping the wrist more fixed .
 
I have elbow tendonitis, not wrist, so I have nothing specific to say. However, I'm reminded how Old Man Jim used to say that getting old is the drizzling shits. He was right, figuratively speaking. Fortunately my generally good casting technique mitigates my right elbow and shoulder issues, and my elbow reminds me right away if my casting form (single or two-handed) goes to hell. But my left elbow and shoulder suffer whenever a lot of line is stripped per day. An all-day streamer fishing session plays hell with my left elbow. That makes me want to take a break and watch an indicator over a nymph for a while.

I just got home from 4 days of steelheading on an Idaho river where longer casts are an advantage. The change up from 8 to 10 or 11 strips of running line had my left shoulder in pain on the drive home last night. This got me to thinking of adapting a spinning reel to fly fishing by using monofilament running line so that I could just wind it in each cast, but a 50' Scandi head would probably just become a twisted mess. Critical body joints just don't get along well with aging. This could become my mantra.

Good luck with your wrist! My go to is an ice water bath and ibuprofen. Think I'm gonna' dunk my elbow in a bowl of ice water and put one of those ice packs for a cooler on my shoulder.
 
J Watrous said:
If I find myself breaking my wrist, I extend my index finger and keep it on “top” of the cork. Rotating my wrist and extending the finger seems to lock my wrist in place more.
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I rotate my wrist too. It helps a lot!
 
After spending over 30 years fishing predominately saltwater with large caliber rods I found moving back to freshwater and 5 & 6 weight rods my 70+ year old hands and wrist did not take kindly to the small diameter cork grips on my Sage XP’s. Spending 8 hours in a drift boat throwing bugs against the bank cramped up the hand and “angered” my wrist something fierce. I do not have large hands by any stretch or have any issue with carpal tunnel.
I eventually sold my 4 & 6 wt SP’s because of that and fell back in love with my Scott rods. I also sent my two XPs (5&6) out and had full wells put on that were size appropriate and new seats also. Problem solved and hands thanked me.
I still have my eye on the @mark wlker (bump 😉) 2 - XPs in the classified section but the handles would need to be replaced. You, on the other hand, may find them comfortable. Great rods but comparable to a BMW 550 with a size 6 driver’s seat for a size 10 ass…..fast but uncomfortable!
 
VAGABOND said:
After spending over 30 years fishing predominately saltwater with large caliber rods I found moving back to freshwater and 5 & weight rods my 70+ year old hands and wrist did not take kindly to the small diameter cork grips on my Sage XP’s. Spending 8 hours in a drift boat throwing bugs against the bank cramped up the hand and “angered” my wrist something fierce. I do not have large hands by any stretch or have any issue with carpal tunnel.
I eventually sold my 4 & 6 wt SP’s because of that and fell back in love with my Scott rods. I also sent my two XPs (5&6) out and had full wells put on that were size appropriate and new seats also. Problem solved and hands thanked me.
I still have my eye on the @mark wlker (bump 😉) 2 - XPs in the classified section but the handles would need to be replaced. You, on the other hand, may find them comfortable. Great rods but comparable to a BMW 550 with a size 6 driver’s seat for a size 10 ass…..fast but uncomfortable!
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excellent point re: grip size. I have XL hands and the full Wells grip on my primary sinking line rod, a Dougas 9'6 6 wt, is my fave to handle. Think this winter I'll look around to see who does rod work in the Bend area, have them install a Wells on my go to dry fly rod, another Douglas.
Thanks for the tip!
 
Salmo_g said:
I have elbow tendonitis, not wrist, so I have nothing specific to say. However, I'm reminded how Old Man Jim used to say that getting old is the drizzling shits. He was right, figuratively speaking. Fortunately my generally good casting technique mitigates my right elbow and shoulder issues, and my elbow reminds me right away if my casting form (single or two-handed) goes to hell. But my left elbow and shoulder suffer whenever a lot of line is stripped per day. An all-day streamer fishing session plays hell with my left elbow. That makes me want to take a break and watch an indicator over a nymph for a while.

I just got home from 4 days of steelheading on an Idaho river where longer casts are an advantage. The change up from 8 to 10 or 11 strips of running line had my left shoulder in pain on the drive home last night. This got me to thinking of adapting a spinning reel to fly fishing by using monofilament running line so that I could just wind it in each cast, but a 50' Scandi head would probably just become a twisted mess. Critical body joints just don't get along well with aging. This could become my mantra.

Good luck with your wrist! My go to is an ice water bath and ibuprofen. Think I'm gonna' dunk my elbow in a bowl of ice water and put one of those ice packs for a cooler on my shoulder.
Click to expand...

For sure age plays a big part , my shoulder usually suffers the most ,not terrible ,but a day of casting the shoulder will be a bit sore . Luckily no elbow or wrist issues . I will get a bit of a side ache during the day if casting a lot . I usually will just switch hands , and cast with my right hand, being left handed . That usually will help the side ache .
 
At a certain point you start lookin into those wrist extenders. These wrist extenders offer anywhere from 6 inches to a few feet of EXTREME LEVERUGE on the rod. For whipping big when you cast. Seeing guys extending that cast speed and distance 7x, 8x!!!

You're seeing more and more of these out there these days. These wrist extenders!!! Costin about a 500 low end.
 
JimTravers¤£a!!Travers said:
At a certain point you start lookin into those wrist extenders. These wrist extenders offer anywhere from 6 inches to a few feet of EXTREME LEVERUGE on the rod. For whipping big when you cast. Seeing guys extending that cast speed and distance 7x, 8x!!!

You're seeing more and more of these out there these days. These wrist extenders!!! Costin about a 500 low end.
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TRAVERS was Hank's CASTING instructor
 
RCF said:
I rotate my wrist too. It helps a lot!
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Me three. Not to correct my bad form, I don't so much care about that, but whenever I have a wrist blowout that's the option.

From a lot of casting full sink lines, plus a cycling habit, the elbow hurts a lot, the wrist occasionally "dislocates" (hurts like hell), and I have some form of trigger finger in my first two. But I know folks who FF and shoot, and their fingers make mine look newbornish. @Islander 🤣
 
a noted guide in our area has his clients just park a terrestrial about ten feet from shore by the drop-offs and wait for a cruiser to grab it. Conversely, when casting right against the shoreline if there is a grab it is immediately after the fly lands, hella more exciting than park and wait. Having now learned the shorelines, next season I'll limit big bug casting to the spots that produce if any will.
Meanwhile it's brace, ice, Voltaren gel ( excellent anti-inflammatory for any injury close to the surface),and close the season out with Indy leech patterns as the bigger trout are looking to pack on some calories this time of year.
 
SurfnFish said:
Think this winter I'll look around to see who does rod work in the Bend area, have them install a Wells on my go to dry fly rod, another Douglas.
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One of my son's friends Nick Moses ended up purchasing R. B. Meiser from Bob and moving the rod building shop from Central Point to Bend. He's repaired a couple of rods for us and might be the guy to help you out. Nick's a super good human being.
 
RRSmith said:
One of my son's friends Nick Moses ended up purchasing R. B. Meiser from Bob and moving the rod building shop from Central Point to Bend. He's repaired a couple of rods for us and might be the guy to help you out. Nick's a super good human being.
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thnx, Bob..turns out he's near us
 
Last year I bought a small tin of "CBD pain creme" from the health food store. Gryphon House is the brand and it is local. It's pricey, but, for me, it kills the pain extremely well. I've been told that it may cause a failed drug test, so if this is an issue be forewarned. It does not solve the issue of an "overuse injury" but it does help with the pain (for me) far better than other products I have used over the years.
 
Jim in Anacortes said:
Last year I bought a small tin of "CBD pain creme" from the health food store. Gryphon House is the brand and it is local. It's pricey, but, for me, it kills the pain extremely well. I've been told that it may cause a failed drug test, so if this is an issue be forewarned. It does not solve the issue of an "overuse injury" but it does help with the pain (for me) far better than other products I have used over the years.
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Sorry for the drift, but parallels Jim’s experience
 
I skimmed over the link (thanks SculpinSwinger). I understand that using Cannabis for medicinal purposes is a complex subject. That being said, I have long been skeptical of the pain relief available from CBD cremes that you apply like "Ben Gay" or "Icey Hot". Shelling out the money to try it out was difficult for me, but I was in pain, and made an "impulse buy" at the health food store. I was astonished at the effectiveness. CBD is a component of Cannabis but the "pain creme" I bought really has nothing to do with pot.
 
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