Fishing Wrap Calculator
Last Updated on 2 February 2024 by James Bevan
When it comes to casting a fishing rod, you may have heard of the term ‘wraps’ when calculating how far to cast. But how long is a wrap and how do you convert it to feet and yards?
Here’s a useful tool that calculates and converts wraps for you…
Fishing Wrap Calculator
Where Did Wraps Originate From In Fishing
Pacing out distances by walking a rig down a long bank and clipping it up is a tactic deployed by anglers since day dot.
But it was the regulations of the British Carp Angling Championships in the early 2000s that led to the invention of the ‘Wrap’ and subsequently distance sticks.
In the final held at Furzton Lake in Milton Keynes, Dave Gawthorne and Bryan Jarrett were unable to leave their swims due to the rules of the event.
As such, to obtain superior casting accuracy they began wrapping line between two tent pegs that were placed 12 feet apart, measured by a spare 12ft rod.
From here, the concept was born and the first commercially available distance sticks were made by Cygnet in 2013.
Why Use Wraps As A Casting Tool When Fishing
In most fishing scenarios, you can gain an edge with accurate casting.
Whether it’s consistently casting to the same spot or trying to hit a feature a certain distance out with pinpoint accuracy, using distance sticks, wraps and a reel clip will help no end.
Here are some applications where the ‘wrapping’ technique could gain you an advantage…
- Creating a tight bed of bait with a spod rod and fishing over the top of it.
- Fishing very tight to an Island without the worry of casting straight into it!
- Fishing to a hidden, underwater feature without the need to keep a marker rod out.
- Casting to the same spot at night.
- When using certain tactics that require consistent baiting on the same spot such as ‘The Method feeder’ tactic.
How To Use Wraps & Distance Sticks For Accurate Casting
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use wraps and distance sticks to help you gain an edge with accurate casting…
1. Place two distance sticks into the ground 12 feet apart. Some distance sticks come with a 12ft length of rope attached for convenience. If yours doesn’t then you can place a 12ft rod on the ground and place the sticks at each end.
Distance sticks being placed each side of a 12ft rod
2. Use either a marker rod, your observations of the water or local knowledge to decide where you will be fishing.
3. Set up a rod and reel that is capable of casting the required distance and tie a suitable lead weight to the end with no rig attached.
4. Cast the lead out to your chosen spot and then wind in any excess line until you feel the lead.
5. Clip the line on the spool of your reel to the line clip.
6. Wind in and replace the lead tied to the line with your fishing rig or spod.
7. Place the rig or spod against one of the distance sticks, let off the reel’s bail arm and then start wrapping your line around each distance stick in a figure of 8 motion whilst counting each wrap.
8. When the line reaches the line clip, record the number of wraps it has taken to reach the line clip. If the line stops in between the distance sticks, mark on the floor the exact position.
9. Reel back in the same motion as you peeled the line off between the sticks.
10. You are now ready to cast your rod out in confidence that it will hit the same spot you previously identified. Always remember to unclip your line after you have cast out.
11. When you need to cast out again, repeat the process in point 7 but this time clipping the line to your reel clip when you hit the exact number of wraps you recorded.
You can check out this useful video that also takes you through the exact process…
How To Use Wraps Without Distance Sticks
You do not have to use specially-made distance sticks to perform this task. The same result can be achieved using bank sticks or tent pegs although certain features on distance sticks can make the process a little easier.
An example of these include grooves in the sticks for the line to wrap around or isotopes in the top of the sticks to help the process in the dark.
These distance sticks by Korda boast these handy features.
How To Calculate Wraps To Yards
To calculate wraps to yards for fishing purposes you simply multiply the number of wraps by 4.
For example, if an angler says they are fishing at 20 wraps, they mean they are fishing at 80 yards out from the bank
How To Calculate Wraps To Feet
To calculate wraps to feet for fishing purposes you simply multiply the number of wraps by 12.
For example, if an angler says they are fishing at 10 wraps out, they mean they have cast their rig 120 feet from the bank.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has explained all you need to know about wraps in the context of casting when fishing.
Our fishing wrap calculator has been designed to make this simple conversion easy for you so you can spend more time fishing and less time performing mathematical equations!
Thanks for reading
Happy casting!
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