Old Dog Has To Learn New Trick

[tippet7]

Way back in October, I thought I suffered rotator cuff damage and it was diagnosed as a partial tear. So for 4 months I had cortisone shots, physical therapy only to have it still in constant pain. Got it re diagnosed as a torn bicep tendon. Surgery scheduled for the 25th. Is switching casting arms that difficult? I will be off work for a couple of weeks and I would like to get on the water.

Oh this will be fly casting.

[Terrierman]

Way back in October, I thought I suffered rotator cuff damage and it was diagnosed as a partial tear. So for 4 months I had cortisone shots, physical therapy only to have it still in constant pain. Got it re diagnosed as a torn bicep tendon. Surgery scheduled for the 25th. Is switching casting arms that difficult? I will be off work for a couple of weeks and I would like to get on the water.

Oh this will be fly casting.

Good luck on the surgery. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Do the therapy but be careful not to over do. And seriously, good luck.

[tippet7]

Thanks. How bad did you hurt and how long were you down?

[Al Agnew]

I suppose it depends upon how good your coordination is with your off hand. Personally, I had little trouble learning to cast both conventional tackle and fly rods left handed. As far as the fly rod was concerned, actually casting it with my left hand is pretty easy, but doing some of the other stuff, like mending line, is a little more difficult. And doing specialty casts like reach casts is a little tougher.

[Ham]

I think Richard Cross had to have that done. His surgery was in September 2013 and he first trip after the surgery was Jan 2014. I think he could have come back a little sooner, but you should seriously expect to be down for a few months. I would assume your doctor's would have some restrictions that they would educate you about.

[Kayser]

Wait for the next warm day, and try to throw leftie in your yard for a bit- that will probably be the best mark for how difficult it's going to be.

[ness]

I have, on occasion, cast with my off hand when in close quarters or trying to get a better angle on something. I never felt like it was overly difficult, but those would be relatively short casts.

Also, I've taken a lot of the shoulder movement out of my casting. If it's a really long cast I'll have to use more shoulder. Maybe try it with your dominant arm, but do most of the work at the elbow.

[Terrierman]

Thanks. How bad did you hurt and how long were you down?

I fell on ice and tried to catch myself with right arm bent at the elbow. Unsuccessfully. Complete rotator cuff tear all the way off the bone. 90% tear on bicep. I fished the first OAF White River jigjfest with that injury. It hurt and I was on some good drugs at the time. But I could still cast.

After the surgery I could not and did not want to do anything at all for about the first three weeks. It gradually got better and I would say by three months I could have fished again but it was way early spring and I didn't actually do much fishing until about four months. The thing the therapists all stressed to me was to take it easy, you don't want to go back into surgery for that one again. I'm pretty much well now. They say it takes a year and that's about right.