About a roll cast?

[hungNtree]

I had a professor once that said the only dumb question is one you don't ask. Well, I am going to ask and show my ignorance yet again. On a roll cast, I know you are suppose to do it on water so that you can properly load the rod. But suppose you are on a creek bank, behind you is a jungle of brush, trees, and weeds. No possible way to make a back cast. The biggest trout you have ever seen is on the opposite bank, head out of the water and mouth open, begging you to put a fly in there. The only option is to roll cast. If you are suppose to have the line already in the water, to properly roll cast, how do you get it out there to start with? How much line do you need already in the water for it to work? As always any help is greatly appreciated.

One other thing I am starting to wonder, do any of you pack dynamite in your fly boxes? I don't think it would be very sporting, but I bet it would be a blast

[Philly]

Sounds like the stream where I fish. What's it look like on either side of you? If you've got room start your cast parallel to the bank. Once you feel you have enough line out, start a roll cast. If you can direct the cast in the direction you want the fly to go, toward the opposite bank. It may take a couple of casts but you should be able to position the line to place the fly in front of that trout. Though a roll cast isn't the most subtle presentation. How much line you have in the water depends on how far you want to cast.
Make your normal cast. It takes about 40 feet of line to get close to the opposite bank on my creek. If you can cast comfortably 20 or 30 feet start with that. You can always feed line on the roll cast to get it where you want.
I carry enough junk with me on the stream, no room for dynamite.

[Jack Hise]

Hung;
Is there a pond close by where you can practice the roll cast? Learn to do it before you venture into the "Jungle"!
There is another way but I'll get beat up for this (everyone likes to pick on me!!)
JC Please Forgive Me!!
Make a short cast on the lawn (20-25'), have someone stand on your tippet, strip out enough line to bring the rod to 12 O:clock with line behind your ear with slack on the ground and make a firm cast. Of course your cast will lead back to someones foot but you'll get the idea. Training your assistant to lift thier foot and the proper time for a perfect roll cast is your problem! More Beer is a good incentive!!

[hutjensmpg]

This all depends somewhat on the angle you've got to the spot you need to cast to, but this what I do.

I let line out straight downstream until I have what looks to be the right amount. Let the line come tight against the current, then use that tension to cast it straight upstream (nowhere near the fish). Now raise the rod (it may need to be fairly quick depending on current) to get the rod/line in the correct roll cast set up. Roll cast.

It's not the most graceful thing on the planet, but it works for me.

[Steven]

Sounds like a good time to learn some kind of single hand spey cast - basically a change of direction roll cast.

Hutjensmpg is describing something similar to a snap-T cast (which technically isn't a spey cast). Depending on your positioning, a single spey or double spey would do the trick.

[Micropteris]

A suggestion I would make is to learn how to get line out the tip of your rod other ways than with overhead casts and actually pulling it out by hand. That way there you can get the line you need out on the water without needing to back cast and the like.

Learn how to wiggle the rod so line flows freely out the tip. Basically the deeper you can flex the rod into the blank the better it will shoot line out the tip in front of you. If there is current let the line straighten out down current. Try and cast that line up stream but as far out into the river as you can to start with then try and roll cast your line to where the fish is. As already mentioned roll casts can create a lot of water disturbace if they are not done right which could put a weary fish down and away to the next county.

As mentioned there are a lot of fancy spey casts out there that are solutions to this problem. A lot of the casts are based on the same principles of how a roll cast works. I am not going to try to explain them because the language has all kinds of jargon associated with it that even confuses me. Find some video on You tube or sexyloops.com to see how they are done. There is some great video on sexyloops.com on basic roll casts and spey casts with single handed gear. They can all be performed on the gear you have now. You don't need a fancy two handed rig for them. The spey casts are a great tool for any fly fisher's aresenal.

Dynamite is for rookies, try C4 instead.

[hungNtree]

Thanks Micropteris, I just checked out sexyloops.com, looks like a lot of good instructions. I appreciate all the help.

[Vulture6]

Depending on how far, I'd say try a "bow and arrow" cast -- it isn't pretty, but it'll get the fly where you need it in a situation like this.