John Holden's Publications

John Holden publications are e-books which can be read on PCs, Macs and most Linux systems using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or compatible software. Where included, the movie clips will play in most common multimedia players including Apple Quicktime and Microsoft Windows Media Player. These CDs will NOT work in ordinary DVD and CD players.
These shopping pages are connected to the PayPal site, and we never see any information such as card details. You can use PayPal without becoming a member. Your order is normally despatched within 2 working days.
CDs are post free including AirMail to USA, EU, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. If you live elsewhere in the world, please check before ordering. We do not post to certain countries.

The Reel Tuning Guide, How to Cast and Choosing Rods e-books are sent as an email attachment. Allow up to 48hr for arrival. Please make sure that the email address you use for PayPal is valid and that it accepts attachments. If you have any queries in this respect, or the download fails to come through properly, please let us know via the Contact Page.

Long Distance Casting, edition 2 (CD)

Long Distance Casting 2 is the best-selling guide to practical long range casting. Published on CD in Adobe Acrobat format. Not only will you read an in-depth explanation of long range casting, you will see a movie of each important step in the development of powerful styles. Easy Cast, South African, and pendulum styles are demonstrated at full speed and in slow motion.
FREE POSTAGE

More Details

Like the original book, Long Distance Casting 2 cuts through all the hype surrounding tackle and casting methods. It explains why you do not need to spend a fortune on rods and reels, or be a super-strong athlete, in order to be an excellent caster. The methods and exercises go all the way from first principles to expert surfcasting level, encouraging you to develop your own powerful style.

Overview of the CD contents:
1: What it takes to become a good caster To cast well, first you must know why the traditional methods are so useless. One basic mechanical principle underlies every good style, and you need to know what it is and how to incorporate it into your own techniques.

2: Choosing basic tackle Why the rod you need for learning should be the equivalent of a slice of ordinary bread. Which reels to choose, and which to avoid. How much advantage do expensive lines give the surf angler? Key safety issues.

3: Setting up your tackle Loading and tuning fixed spool and multiplier reels. How important is lubrication for multiplier control? Tying leader knots. Safe sinker attachment.

4: Basic methods and exercises How important are advanced styles such as pendulum? Why many fishermen would do better to use simple methods which still cast much farther than they really need to catch plenty of fish. Casting is based on simple, natural actions which we are born with. Learn more in five minutes with a piece of metal tube than you might achieve in 20 years of struggling with a surf rod. How far can you throw a brick?

5: A simple way to boost power How you could double your casting power by making small changes in your stance and how you hold the rod. If you can swing a small sledge hammer, you can cast well over 125 yards.

6: Making the most of what you have Why spend any more time, effort and cash than you need to? With good distances so easy to achieve with the right methods, exactly how far do you need to develop your casting skills? If you are an average surf angler, the answer might be a lot less than you had imagined.

7: Finding extra power - and I mean a lot of extra power Here's the secret of effortless distance. Why some casters make a huge effort to cast only a little way, while others cast their baits towards the horizon with seemingly no effort. This chapter gets to the guts of real power.

8 and beyond: And then we move on to the major styles, including Easy Cast, South African and the awesome pendulum methods. All fully explained, and demonstrated with movie clips...

A teach-yourself programme of casting exercises
Powerful off-ground styles: Easy Cast and South African
Pendulum casting options: from beginner to 200yd or more
Developing maximum power and control
Building your own personal style
Exercises and styles illustrated by movie sequences

CT Reel Tuning Guide (Download)

CT Reel Tuning covers everything a surf fisherman or casting enthusiast needs to know in order to extract maximum performance and reliability from these super-reels. From beginner’s basic safe tuning to advanced tournament options, this e-book (Adobe Acrobat pdf format) shows you exactly what to do. Covers all modern CT reels with a special emphasis on three favourites: Abu 6500CT range, Daiwa 7HT and Penn 525.

More Details

CONTENTS:
1: CT multiplier reels When they were developed, and why. Good and bad points. Are they beginners’ reels? What’s wrong with level-winds? When bigger reels are best.

2: First steps Checking out a new reel, and getting it ready to cast. Preliminary set-up for brake blocks, magnets and oils. Loading the spool. Maintaining spool balance. Line spreading pattern. Lines and leaders. The six-turn rule, and how to achieve good leader flow. Coasters and reel seats. Sliding/locking seats. Reel seat modification.

3: Is your casting style OK? Energy surge - the kiss of death. Essential steps in reducing backlash and improving casting efficiency. Rods and sinkers - the basic choices for easy casting and fishing.

4: Preliminary tuning What is basic tuning? Why you should forget the bad casts. Lack of distance. Backing off the block and magnet settings. Playing safe. The riskier option. Knowing when to stop tuning.

5: What happens when you cast Relationship between performance and control. Why simple tuning is often best. Sinker speed, line flow and spool speed. Line flow and backlash patterns. What the spool and the line flow are trying to tell you. Flight patterns and trajectories. Other tuning factors. Tuning strategy.

6: Tuning factors Choosing the right kind of spool. Rogue spools do exist. Why spinning the spool is a poor test of a reel. Why the fastest reels may not cast the farthest. Spool balance, end float and centring. Chafing and binding. Line characteristics. Line diameters. Line level.

7: More tuning factors Striking the right balance in tuning. Horses for courses. Record keeping. The No. 1 tuning aid. Is your rod the problem? Power bands and rods that kick. All reels are not equal. Why you should choose a small reel if you can.

8: Braking systems Two controls in one. Raising the game. Risks and rewards. Brake blocks and how they work. How magnets work. Penn and Abu magnetic systems. Magnetic control weaknesses. Speeding up a magnetic reel.

9: Oils, sinkers and leaders Are oils important or not? Rocket Fuel. Non-specialist oils. Taming non-braked reels. Gearbox and engine oils. Caution - thin oils. Spool ball race lubrication. DIY oil mixtures. Other tuning adjustments. Sinkers. How to tune the leader. Sinker drop. Reel position.

10: Intermediate tuning Tuning for long range fishing. Intermediate tuning. Normal cruising speed. Deliberate backlashes. Line over-throw. Launching trouble. Backlashes late in the cast. Magnets at work - things to watch for. How do you know when to stop tuning?

11: Tuning for peak performance Flight patterns at very long range. Increasing the power. New game, new rules. Backlash revisited. The overall package. Launch control. Controlling the flight path. Line overload. Tuning for overload. Two-stage tuning. Bearing cap control. Mid-flight magnet adjustments. Magnets and mechanical brakes. Two-stage tuning for the beach? Penn 525 Mag on the beach. Penn Mag T on grass.

Two Classic Surf Books and a Video (CD)

Two of the most popular surf casting books ever published, combined on one CD along with a full-length copy of the original VHS Long Distance Casting video. Hardback copies of The Beach Fisherman's Tackle Guide and Long Distance Casting are scarce. Here's an opportunity to read them both in Acrobat e-book format. The video plays on your Windows PC or Mac.
FREE POSTAGE

More Details

An Adobe Acrobat e-book reprint of the first edition of Long Distance Casting. Copies of the original book often change hands for more than £70. Some aspects of surfcasting have altered significantly in the 20 years since Long Distance Casting was first published, but in one important respect nothing has changed.

The basic mechanics of long range casting are exactly the same as they were when John Holden developed his step-by-step teaching formula. Thousands of anglers learned to cast well using the original exercises... and the same system can work for you today. Off ground and pendulum style are explained in clear, easy steps. Accompanying the e-book is a full length copy of the Long Distance Casting movie which you can watch using your Windows multimedia player or Quicktime on a Mac.

The Beach Fisherman's Tackle Guide was first published in 1983 to accompany Long Distance Casting. The Guide looks at surf tackle as it relates to long range casting and fishing techniques. This is a full-length Acrobat version of the original book, which, like Long Distance Casting, has become a collector’s item.

Despite the enormous developments in materials and design, modern surf rods work in much the same way as they did when the book was written. In fact, many anglers and designers are of the firm opinion that surf rod design probably peaked more than a decade ago. In similar vein, surf fishermen have begun to question whether the price and sophistication of today's off-the-shelf rigs and accessories are justified. Anyone with reasonable DIY skills can make his own sinkers and traces, tune and maintain reels, even build a custom-quality surf rod from scratch.

Many of the latest high performance rods are far too stiff and quick for the vast majority of surf men - including extremely competent long range casters. There is a trend back to the designs that served so well during the 1980s and 1990s. These retro-rods combine the best of modern materials with the older technical know-how.

So it's very much a case of back to the future - and The Beach Fisherman's Tackle Guide provides a clear picture of what matters and what does not when it comes to surf rods and associated equipment.

How to Choose the Right Beach Rod (Download)

More Details

How to Cast (Download)

More Details

Return to Surfcasting Page

John Holden

PHOTOGRAPHY, GRAPHICS and ENGRAVING

Long Distance Casting, edition 2 (CD)

CT Reel Tuning Guide (Download)

Two Classic Surf Books and a Video (CD)

How to Choose the Right Beach Rod (Download)

How to Cast (Download)