Monday Morning Roll Casting Tips
Check out your local still water fly fishing venue and you will see a variety of styles as anglers swish backwards and forwards practicing their overhead casts in between hopefully catching a fish or two. But how many miss fish do they miss or do YOU miss for that matter? Do you Roll cast your line prior to an overhead? Perhaps you sweep the line to one side, flick it forwards and then begin casting giving the fish a chance to take at the very last minute? If this is the case then you have just performed a fairly basic Roll Cast.
Of course some anglers try this technique but end up with a crumpled mess therefore neglecting this simple but oh so useful skill. Instead practice is reserved for the overhead cast and as much distance as possible. Personally I would advise anyone, especially beginners, to practice their Roll Cast before they attempt to further their overhead skills. In fact the Roll Cast is the first technique I teach to a novice fly anglers, right after we have looked at the stance and grip. (Check out the blog post here for tips on stance and grip)
So why am I banging on about the Roll Cast on this bleak Monday morning? In short this technique is tremendously diverse and will definitely help you to enjoy your fishing this coming season. While the weather is fairly rubbish and we wait for the new fishing season with eager anticipation; why not give it a go? Use it to straighten the line when you begin fishing, fish in enclosed spaces, retrieve flies close the shore and pull a sinking line to the surface prior to recasting.
D Loops. The Roll Cast is all about a big D loop. Those of you reading this who cast regularly will know all about loops and if you don’t it is worth reading up on how they are formed and the benefits to casting efficiency. In fact what series of casting tips would be complete without information regarding loops?! I will blog some info soon.
A D Loop ready for action
Back to the Roll. So the D Loop is so called because the line hanging from the tip of the rod coupled with the rod blank form a shape that resembles a capital D. Loops are the shape formed within the line during backward and forward casts. This is the weight that can be used to flex the rod (often referred to as loading), resulting in energy that is then transferred to the line. During the overhead cast this process is achieved by allowing the line to fully extend upon completion of each stroke; but the roll cast is different.
Treat it like a golf shot! This cast does not rely on the line moving at speed to tension the rod but in fact uses the weight within the D loop coupled with water tension. Aim for a Big D and a small anchor of line positioned on the water, just enough to tension the rod. The key to good Roll Casting is to be very slow and purposeful with each part of the cast. I often advise my clients to treat it as they would a golf shot, a tennis serve or something similar.
Don’ Rush! Instead lift the rod smoothly, slide the line gently along the water and aim to place your thumb within the peripheral vision of your casting eye, imagine aiming a dart for example. In this position you will find that the rod tip settles high above your head, with a slight backwards tilt, the line hanging below to form the required D loop. If you like to use the clock method lift the rod smoothly to 10 and glide it to a back cast (D Loop) position of 1. The forward cast should be made back to 10. This is based on a right hand caster, reverse the numbers if left handed.
The D Loop in action
Faults
- Loss of tension > Rushing is the root of many problems. Hold the rod with “soft” relaxed hands and perform each movement purposefully, go too fast and the line will leap out of the water eliminating the crucial anchor point. The line will also quite possibly jettison into the nearest snag! Enjoy yourself, don’t rush!
- Poor Back Cast > Aim for a fairly upright rod. If you are prone to breaking your wrist (blog post coming!) then the rod will fall below 1 o’Clock (10 o’Clock if you are left handed) during the back cast resulting in a poorly formed D Loop and an excessive line anchor. These factors will often result in a crumpled presentation rather than good turnover. Aim for a BIG D Loop and small line anchor to cure this fault.
- Power Issues > I reckon I have most of my novice clients up to speed with loops and line tension within 15 minutes of starting a session. However very few manage to master the power application required so quickly. Have you mastered the power? Some anglers “hit” the cast suddenly applying power. This will not work and results in the line flying high into the air, a whole load of noise and an even worse looking mess. Others “wimp it”, being a little too soft. In this latter case the D Loop usually just folds up and splats down at their feet (or tangles round their rod, head etc ..). The key is to get a mix of the two, smoothly applying power and accelerating to a controlled abrupt stop. You have probably heard things like a “hammer tap”? Don’t think 6 inch nails but “picture tacks” …. all that’s required is a smoothly accelerating power stroke to that all important Stop. More blog material … we must discuss how to Stop! I don’t mind the hammer tap, but I prefer the “fly swat”. Think about this. When you are reading the papers and a fly decides to start messing with your hard earned R&R, what do you do? Charge around the room like a crazy thing trying to swat it? (I know some small waters may give the impression that many anglers do this!!!) …. or wait until it has a little rest. Then walk up to it carefully, cover the little sod and smoothly “swat”. Try this when Roll Casting …. but with a rod of course!
Control an abrupt stop ... Launch!
- Tangles > None of us likes a tangle, it’s frustrating and wastes valuable fishing time. The advice above will help to reduce tangles for sure but when Roll Casting it is also important not to cross the line over. So what do I mean by this? Simplified it is important when creating the D Loop that it is facing straight towards your target along with the anchored line. Ensure that the forward stroke follows this path. As an example say we are making a right handed Roll Cast, having formed a D Loop we should be stood to the left of the line. If we now aim the rod tip to the right and apply the power stroke/stop the line will cross and become tangled. So, check your D Loop & Line Anchor ensuring that you follow their path.
The Roll Cast is perfect for River Fishing
I am sure I could continue to analyse the Roll Cast this Monday morning but you probably have a coffee to drink and some work to do! The advice and faults identified above represent the key issues and hopefully I have inspired you to have a go. The best way to learn any cast is to break it down so always think Big D, Small Anchor and position both so that they are in line with your intended target. Hone your Roll Cast and you will soon savour the benefits not to mention the possibility of learning to Spey Cast in the future. More Blog material! Many thanks as always to Henry Gilbey for the images featured in this post. Check out more from Henry here.
Fly Casting is Fishing Glue
During the weekend the lakes outside our shop were frozen over with just a few gaps here and there, even so it was good to see several hardy anglers had braved the cold to try their luck. In such low temperatures it can be difficult to tempt the fish, but sticking with something simple like a Black Woolly Bugger, Taddy or similar mobile lure will often pick up a Trout or two. The key is to keep the fly in the water.
Observing from our shop door which provides a view across the lake I could see that the anglers were having a tough time of it and it was nothing to do with tactics. It was all about the casting.
Most of the anglers were regularly catching up on their back cast, or enduring the frustration of poor turnover …. a crumpled mess often resulting in tangles and lost fishing time. Just what you dont need if there is limited fishing space and the conditions are tough. All of the anglers had popped in to discuss where the fish would be located, what fly to use and so on, but not one quizzed me on their casting faults. One angler did drop by the shop to discuss his fly line which had lots of memory, a serious problem that hinders good casting no matter how fine tuned. But other than that, not a word about casting.
Knowledge regarding fish location, tactics and fly selection is all wasted if we cant present the fly accurately at the required distance. Fly Casting is our fishing glue …. it sticks our knowledge together and turns it into success. So while the going is tough out there with freezing temperatures rendering many venues unfishable is this not a good time to be tuning up the cast? I can guarantee that a little bit of effort during the low season will pay dividends later this year. During this week I will post a few tips/exercises to help get you going because the season is not so far away!
Casting Tip 1 : Grip – Stance – Comfort
- A comfortable stance coupled with a relaxed grip provides the foundation to good casting technique. If you have never thought about this then next time you go for a practice session look at how you position your feet while casting.
- Traditional style features a closed stance with each foot pointing at the target and positioned so that one foot sits just in front of the other. This is actually an excellent technique for lining up a cast accurately and also helps to ensure a straight rod path. However it is not the most comfortable positioning for everyday stillwater fishing in which case adopt an open stance.
- An open stance allows for freedom of movement and feels natural but be careful not to rotate the hips. Always keep in mind that we are trying to develop a straight rod path ….. get yourself comfortable and you should be well on the way! Check out this image which shows an open stance.
Fly Casting - Open Stance
- Now that we have a good foundation the next crucial element to address is the “grip” or as I prefer to term it “the hold”. Picking up the rod with relaxed hands is imperative to success, golf coaches call it “soft hands” and this most certainly applies to fly casting.
- There are a host of grips available but for general casting try placing the thumb on top of the rod, as per the image below.
A comfortable fly casting grip
- A good way to think about “holding” a fly rod is to imagine the grip you would use to pick up a screwdriver for example.
- Other ways to remember the grip include “a friendly handshake” or “using a tack hammer” …. we are not banging in 6″ nails!
The "screwdriver" fly rod grip
So there we have it, some extremely basic tips but the foundation to good casting nontheless and an all too often over looked element. Next time I will add some information regarding the formation of loops and good timing with a few excercises to help. Even if the playing field or garden doesnt inspire you then why not take 5 minutes out during your next fishing session to start developing your cast …. assuming there is no ice of course! With a little practice the techniques will become second nature and the results will speak for themselves.
Many thanks to Henry Gilbey for images used to illustrate this blog post. Check out more of Henrys work here
