Fishing World

Posts Tagged ‘Relationship’

Many fly anglers, especially beginners, spend lots of time and practice in perfecting their back and forward cast stroke. This of course is a good thing, and a perfectly executed back and forward cast that lands a fly with accuracy exactly where the angler intended, is a beautiful thing to watch. It also provides a great feeling to the angler when he knows the cast was perfectly executed.

However, many new anglers spend all their time working on the back and fore cast, and little if any on executing a roll cast. In my opinion, and the opinion of many expert fly cast instructors, the roll cast should be the first casting style that is learned proficiently.

The roll cast introduces basic but important elements such as the understanding of the relationship between water tension and the line in loading the rod. As well, it requires the caster become aware of “straight lines”, and how the fly line will follow the direction of the rod tip as it is in motion. It’s also a great way to learn the fundamentals of other casting techniques while still being able to deliver 30 feet of line out in front of the angler.

Because of the relationship of water tension and the line, the roll cast is best practiced on the water. There’s not much point in practicing this cast on grass or land.

Knowing how to execute the roll cast will also provide the fly angler with opportunities to cast to feeding fish when it is impossible to back cast due to structure behind the angler. Fly fishing can be carried out by simply knowing the conventional back and forward cast, but increasing skills in other methods make it even more enjoyable.