Video: A safer way to manipulate a throwline/bag

I guess this isn't really a climbing technique, but it's what you have to do first so....

This is by no means original by me, but I use this method A LOT - almost everytime I set a throwline unless the setting is trivial.

Many will already be aware of the method; it's pretty simple once you understand how to do it and it's advantages, which, BTW, are numerous:
1- it almost guarantees you won't get your throwbag hung
2- it assists in manipulating the throwbag in the tree
3- you can pull it down and start over, say to add an additional throwbag for more pull-down weight, without losing your current setting and progress
4- you can repeat it several times to clear difficult areas in the tree - I've done it as much as four times on one setting just being careful not to get a throwbag stuck

Due to 'technical' issues, the video is not quite as clear (i.e. how to do it and why) as I had intended, but here it is - there is additional 'verbage info' in the description on YouTube:

Pretty slick. I had a similar situation happen to me today. Missed my limb and got the bag stuck in a tight crotch while trying to pull it out. I had to put a weight on the other end of my line and get it over the limb from the opposite side of the limb. Then pull the bight over the limb/crotch to free it all. The frustrating thing was that I no sooner got unstuck, then on the next throw I had the same thing happen on a different limb. AAGGHH!. Took me 30 min. of goofing around on a line set for a quick deadwood removal that only took 10 min. once I had my rope set.

Oh well, these things happen on occasion.

I suspect we've all had those 'moments'. It is frustrating when a stuck throwbag turns a 10 minute climb into a big deal just retrieving a stuck throwbag.

I've seen some of the best get throwbags hung, once I saw a pro hang two throwbags in a row with me telling him they were gonna hang.

I've found IF the throwbag goes over/through the tree and comes back down to the ground, one is very unlikely to get a throwbag hung using the method in the video.

That was a very clever way you retrieved the stuck bag! You may not always be able to do that, but it sure is a good method to keep in mind!