http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFDPIn0L0Uw&NR=1
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He makes it look really easy. Wish I could do half as well.
I've never seen a video of such sloppy roll casting in my life. That said, it's only because no one has taken a video of ME roll casting !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
... and here I was thinking he was doing a pretty decent job, having only my own roll cast to compare it to, of course.
John
P.S. The video version strikes me as more of a spey style "touch and go" roll cast than a "traditional" single hand rod roll cast.
For those who might be interested, when casting shorter distances, and particularly with a slower action single hand rod, it is possible to eliminate the "touch and go" ( or water anchor ) and form the D Loop with all the line in the air and then power forward just about the time the fly gets even with you. You can't get as much distance with this technique because you don't load the rod as well, but you can get reasonable accuracy and you can do a change of direction, within reason. I started doing this on smaller creeks where there was little room for a backcast and where distance wasn't a factor and I didn't want to disturb the water as much as my roll cast does.
NOW I'm gonna find out all of you have been doing this modified "air anchor" roll cast for years.
I've been trying to become a great roll caster for years, but fall down when I try to do a change of direction, which is pretty important in everyday fishing. Now I think I see a way to practise your idea of an air anchor without water. I didn't realize that you weren't supposed to be able to change direction with the regular roll.
If your going to change direction, then you need to learn to spey cast, very practical with a single hand rod.
REE
John, once again i've stepped in it today...that was my twisted sense of humor again...i meant he was doing a great job and that i can't touch that.
I guess i'm just too happy these days and looking to add some humor and it's coming up ill placed and badly timed. Why i'm not a highly paid standup
comedian huh !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
I don't understand the "can't change direction" comments in this thread. A roll cast fails when the intended forecast crosses over the returning line on the water.
Notice in the video that the caster draws the line back to his right and casts 'up the middle' which is a bit to the left of the backcast (every time). There is a V between the direction of the backcast and the forecast when viewed from above.
If he had wanted to cast to the right he would need to make the backcast off his left shoulder so the "D" loop would be on the left and the space for the forward cast would be open to this right and the line would not cross itself. The caster would be drawing back on the left branch of the V and casting up the right side.
Of course currents can confuse the line on the water prior to initiating the D loop and so I agree with RonEE that a single-handed spey cast would be the next talent to learn. But for calm water and casts that are mainly directly upstream or downstream, the change of direction is not too hard as long as you don’t make the forecast cross the backcast.
Nice video.
More of a side are roll cast than an overhead roll cast. It works well when you have overhanging trees, but not when you are up against the right bank of a tight stream. So you need to be able to roll cast overhead, to the dominant side, and to off side of your opposite shoulder.
Also he is using a longer SOFT rod, softer than almost all of us use for regular overhead casting. Look at 2:02 and go frame by frame. The fly rod bends down to the butt. That rod really works well for roll casting a long line. Regardless, he is a great caster and teacher.