In the Casting for Recovery program they teach the ladies to roll cast on the lawn and most of them are quite good at it. However, when they get to the water (Pond or stream) they can't do it as well. The line in the water offers more resistance than in the grass and requires more effort to cast. Tie up a leader of short sections of line and leave the tag ends sticking out, this will give more resistance when lawn casting.
Thanks for all the hints, doesn't seem to matter what rod, and only minimally what line. But I think I have a DT line, and will use that just for a little help.
The Hayes video is really interesting. I wouldn't call his cast a traditional roll cast, but I can't wait to try it.
Randy
Yes, the problem I see with his casts are if you have trees behind you, or undergrowth. But looks like it would be pretty easy to pick up.
The right line can be helpful, especially depending on how heavy a rig you are trying to turn over (overlining can help), but technique is key. Easiest method is to invest in a class from a decent instructor (FFF-certified is usually a good indication of quality). Developing single handed spey techniques is another path, and one of my local casting instructors has a pretty good video on the topic http://jpflyfishing.com/videos/single-spey_DVD.htm.
Is it useful to use a longer rod, a 6 wt rather than a 5, or just overline my 5?
I use a roll cast often, esp since I saw lefty give a demo on the roll cast, he pulled the tip of the line, up to the attachment to the leader, parallel to his position on the water, then performed the roll cast. He said " God wont let you roll cast with too much line out", I find a 9' rod, a dt line, and how good my timing is that day all add to how well I execute. A 4wt line works for me....Just my 2 cents
"Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it"
Ed Zern
You can roll cast with any length rod and the appropriate line for that rod. All depends on how far you want to roll cast and how big (wind resistance) and heavy the fly is going to be. If your timing is correct, you should be able to roll cast farther with a longer rod (think spey fishers and their very long rods) and a heavier rod/line combination will handle larger and heavier flies. But, just how far do you want to roll cast? There comes a time when normal casting will get you out there a whole heck of a lot farther than a roll cast. The roll cast is a very specific type of cast used mostly in very specific situations.
Go with what you have, learn the timing and technique, then you will be able to make a good roll cast with almost any rod.
Larry ---sagefisher---
I got to thinking about roll casting, something that I use every so often and I fish with a variety of rod actions and lengths. I will roll cast with any of them but I just never really thought about what would be the best rod and line for roll casting.
So, I asked a friend of mine who is a certified casting instructor and this is what he had to say.
Regarding rod action, the best choice for most casters is a medium fast rod. The casting stroke for a roll cast is short and few people can get enough loading done in that limited space using a really fast (stiff) rod. On the slow side, few people can keep the desired straight line path for the rod tip with a soft rod.
Regarding rod length, the longer the rod the better so long as there is enough space available to accommodate the length.
It is also very important to consider the fly line as it impacts the roll cast!
Energy is transferred to the fly line through a combination of energy from the loaded rod and energy from the forward movement of the rod during the casting stroke. Relative to overhead casting, roll casting depends more on the energy from the loaded rod. The weight of the fly line in the D-Loop is a very significant factor in loading the fly rod. That is why the longer rod works better for roll casting.
Regarding the fly line, as the length of the cast increases, the weight of line in a WF line will decrease for the D-Loop unless the amount of line shot is increased. A DT line may work better for some applications. Best of all though would be to consider a taper specifically designed for roll casting. Simon Gawesworth has designed such a line for Rio called the InTouch Single Handed Spey line. It maximizes the weight of line available for the D-Loop.
I hope this helps to answer some of your questions.
Larry ---sagefisher---
Thanks for the details, Larry, I don't have the luxury of consulting an expert, so appreciate you doing it for me.
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