Rollcasting
Thu, 05/28/2009 - 21:29
Have you found that certain rods/outfits in your arsenal are easier to generate better quality roll casts with than the others? Which one? Do you prefer roll casting using a WF or DT? Fast action or medium action rod? Shorter rod (under 8') or something longer (in the 9' range)?
Zonk
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The longer the better, medium-fast, line doesn't matter except at less than 10 or longer than 50 feet.
With a dry fly and a new line I can roll cast my 9' 6wt ZXL and see backing on the spool. I grew up rollcasting long distances due to morons walking behind you --I didn't back cast more than 10% of the time until I started living out here.
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Good advise given. The only thing I can add is the I can roll cast a DT floating line with less effort and further.
I can't understand why more people don't use this cast. It is invaluable and highly underrated.
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Be nice to everyone but have a plan to kill them, if necessary!
Completely agree. Most of the streams I fish here in the East have trees and shrubs along the banks and hanging overhead. Roll casting is a necessity. Frequently, I do side-arm roll casts to get the fly under overhanging limbs.
At my age, I'd rather have a talking frog.
I prefer, and find it easier to roll cast rods under 8.5' with a medium action rod. For 9'ers I like med-fast to fast rods for more distance and control. I don't use roll casts often when fishing dries. I substitute a side arm backcast for most uptream presentations when cover and brush are close by. Fishing wets and light streamers, I utilize the roll cast quite often; even on a large open river. Too many false casts dry out flies you want to remain wet!
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I use the roll cast frequently. I believe the best line for roll casting is the Wulfs triangle taper.
IMO, a dt line will roll cast easier then a wf line due to the longer belly of the dt line. Rod length and action I believe make little or no difference if the right timing and the acceleration of power is used properly for the cast.
To each their own. I roll cast WF (don't care for DT or TT) with an 8' GLASS rod.
My favorite however is an 8'6" W.W. Griggs Vintage Half and Half rod. Oh and SHARKSKIN or WINDCUTTER II....wf
Just my opinion
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Not to keep beating a dead horse, but on standard taper fly lines the first 30' for DT and WF are exactly the same.
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scientific_Anglers/Fly-Fishing/Products/FloatingFly/MasteryFresh/Trout/
Somewhere there is a Cortland chart that shows the same thing.
As far as the rod goes, the taper is absolutely critical in dictating how well it roll casts. It is not so much how fast or slow as how and where the rod flexes. Rods with "hinges' tend to roll cast much better than super fast, straight taper rods.
Lee Orr - Maker
www.vandaliarodworks.com
That is not true with the triangle taper, however. The weight of the distal 30' of line is the same, but the rate of the taper from the heavier line to the tip is not the same as in a DT or WF line. The energy transfer in a roll cast is better with a TT line in my opinion.
When roll casting more then 30' feet of line differences between line tapers becomes more apparent. A dt line is easier to roll cast after 30' because of the lack of taper after the head. Roll casting a wf line less then 30' should be no different, because of essentially the same initial taper. I am basing this on years of teaching. An accomplished caster should be able to roll cast any taper effectively.
I had a Scott G in a 9ft 5wt...it was my Prairie river rod and perfect for it. The Prairie has a lot of canopy over it and if it wasn't a roll cast it was just hanging the line in the current and slowly lifting it up for a low forward cast. I prefered a DT line and kept my elbow low with that 9 ft rod in the low trees. I fished with a guy down here last weekend and was amazed at how much time his line was up in the air false casting. A mini haul and shooting line along with that roll cast, I'm betting I was making 10 casts to every 1 of his. He commented on that the fish were in the water and not in the air and tried to false cast less...
It's kinda funny but in my 10 seasons on the streams I doubt I've roll cast 3 times...
It's a good cast and I could use it in some spots I'm sure, just never did it. And I can.
I fish bamboo mainly, perhaps that's why. It won't hurt the rods but...it's me I suppose. It seems awkward with 'boo.
Jeremy.
...if you wanna get to Heaven, you gotta raise a little hell!