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IMPORTANT
SITE UPDATE:
Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com
Learning To Fly Cast - Part 7
Roll Casting - a family of great fly fishing casts
Our September 2004 contribution from Ally Gowans
It seems like a long time since I last mentioned roll casts, back in Part 2 in fact but that does not reflect the importance of roll casting methods because they are just as important as straight line casts but their versatility is probably not so well known. Because the "D" loop does not need much space behind the angler, roll casts are ideal for fishing in confined spaces, where for instance, there are bushes or trees behind. The mechanics of each method are based upon sufficient energy being applied to a length of line behind the rod to propel it beyond the rod during the forward cast. Every cast is dependant upon a good back cast, whether it is a straight line or a "D" loop. I hope that these upcoming articles will dispel any doubts about roll casting because this family of casts is extremely useful and highly practical.
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Click here to run a roll casting movie |
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Start with the rod about 10:00 |
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Turn the wrist out to the side |
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Sweep round and back |
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Make the D loop |
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Turn the rod inwards and forward |
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Accelerate and stop |
Theory
Roll casts depend on the back cast forming a semi elliptical loop called the "D" loop. Ideally the line has minimal contact with the water when the remainder of the loop is perfectly formed in mid air, allowing the power stroke to be delivered with maximum efficiency. During the roll cast, the rod does not stop, it changes direction and speed and keeps loaded at all times. Consequently the tip of the rod "turns" as the cast is made and the "D" loop is formed. There should be no slack in the line at any time. It is recommended that all roll casting practice be carried out on water to ensure a smooth lift (grass tends to be unreliable).
Basic Roll Cast
Basic roll casts can be made with a stationary loop of line drooping to the water surface from the rod tip, a valuable method of casting a short distance or straightening line in preparation for a longer cast. To place the rod and line in the correct positions lift the rod to about 10:00 and swing it round the outside of your body until it is at about 2:00 behind. The line will be hanging from the rod top in a smooth curve to the water surface as shown in Fig. 1. The forward cast or power stroke is delivered in a slightly upward direction to 11:00 to ensure that the line is propelled clear of the water. Make the cast crisply and aim upwards to ensure success (Fog. 2). Single handed roll casts depend on fast acceleration and you can safely use wrist action (unlike best practice for straight line casts). The line should extend completely in the air before falling to the water surface.
Longer roll casts
Longer roll casts are made by forming the loop and delivering the power stroke in one continuous motion turning motion. The "D" loop is formed by elevating the rod to 10:00 tilted at a suitable angle away from the body, with the arm somewhat extended. The arm is then drawn back towards the body by compressing the biceps muscle and, simultaneously, the rod is swept backwards to 1400 by the wrist opening and turning in a loop to the position for acceleration into the power stroke. The loop described by the tip of the rod is what constructs the D loop and by stopping the rearward motion of the line by turning the rod it allows the leader and the tip of the line to alight on the surface to provide the anchor for the power stroke. This is the signal to turn the rod and commence the forward cast. Ideally the forward cast should commence at the instant that the line has touched the water surface. If the line is not anchored, the energy from the power stroke will be discharged immediately and instead of the line being propelled forwards flies may whiplash violently and endanger the angler. If the cast is only slightly mistimed the whiplash will not be serious but it will be audible and provide a message to hesitate slightly to ensure that the D loop is correctly formed before completion of the cast. A well executed roll cast sends the line high, straight and true away from the angler, similar to the delivery of the overhead cast.
If there is too much of an anchor i.e. water contact is excessive and worse still if the line is "dumped" and slack, the line will fail to lift cleanly from the surface and the cast will fail. Care has to be taken to get the timing right with sinking lines, they can be allowed to rest for only the minimum of time because if they submerge it is difficult to get enough energy into to power stroke to lift them cleanly and complete the cast. If they submerge too much the line must be rolled onto the surface and the cast repeated before it has a chance to sink again. It may be necessary to reduce the amount of line being used in the loop to do this.
Variations
Single handed roll casts can be made from both forehand and backhand, in order to cope with obstacles or the wind. The rules are the same as previously discussed for casting in windy conditions, always make the cast on the downwind side of your body. For maximum efficiency the angle between the D loop and the forward cast should be as near a straight line as possible. Therefore align the D loop with the direction of the forward cast before making the roll cast. It is easy to make a roll cast in an "inward direction" i.e. to the body side of the previous cast but to make the cast "outward" requires some adaptation because the "D" loop has to be turned to the new direction. This is called the Single Spey cast and will be covered in the next Part.
The Roll lift
One final adaptation of the roll cast is the "Roll Lift". In this case the roll cast is used as a means of lifting a dead line from the water to make a straight line false cast. To perform it correctly the line must be hit even higher and harder than normal to ensure that line is straight and that the fly does not kiss the water when the straight line back cast commences. It is a very useful cast because it prevents disturbance and is a great method of picking up a dry fly that has floated downstream towards you.
Next stage
Advanced roll casting, spey casting and double spey casting will be included in the next part of the series meanwhile roll casting methods benefit greatly from hauling techniques so try some experiments with the roll casts and the forward haul.
Alastair Gowans is an professional fishing writer, instructor, demonstrator and photographer based in Perthshire, Scotland, internationally well known for his casting expertise, famous salmon flies and contributions to many fishing publications. See his web sites www.letsflyfish.com and www.flyfish-scotland.com for lots more fly fishing information