First Day out

[jstine412]

Well I had my first day out and was a good day even though no fish. I went with my brother and father, they both have fly fishing experience but were live bait fishing on the Quittie in Lebanon and they were catching a bunch of rainbows and brooks. Casting was improved a lot compared to my first time every casting a fly rod the other week. I did slap the fly a few times on the water, but my question is about my roll casting in which when I would try to flip my line out it seems the fly would kind of bunch up on the water and not layout where i wanted it. i was using a Black caddis and a parachute blue winged olive. Any help would greatly be appreciated. I am going out again in the morning I will let you know if it improves at all and hopefully with some luck I land my first trout on my new fly rod.

 

[afishinado]

A roll cast is really the same as a forward casting stroke.
Here are some videos





Rock and roll!.............Good luck!

 

[Fishidiot]

jstine,
Welcome to PAFF and welcome to the Beginner's Forum. You've come to the right place to ask questions and we'll do our best to help yuh out.
As you discovered, roll casting is tricky, especially with dry flies such as you were using. In my experience, roll casting is much easier if you have some weight - maybe a split shot or a heavy streamer fly. This weight makes it much easier to "turn over" your leader and get it to straighten out. Check out the vids Afishinado posted and review the technique. For your next excursion, try getting your dry flies out with conventional casts (if vegetation allows it). I think you'll find this is easier than roll casting with dry flies.
Good luck. Let us know how you made out.

 

[jaybo41]

Welcome to PAFF jstine. These guys have given good advice on roll casting. Don't hesitate to ask questions, there are some very helpful and knowledgable members here that will be happy to help!

One thing I will add is that when fishing smaller dry flies, a smaller tippet diameter helps turn over the fly a little better. This chart is something good to keep in mind. When I throw BWO's and Caddis in 18 or lower, I will typically use 6X tippet.

Good luck and let us know how you do the next time out.

 

[stevehalupka]

if your flies are too deep in the water column when you try to roll cast, the line will not extend the way you wish it to. Learn to spey cast, it creates perfect inertia of fly line and water

google 1-handed spey techniques with jeff putnam

I've taught a few people around me this technique, and they all agree it works better than your typical roll casts.

I use snap t's and double spey's with a single handed rod to throw big streamers all time.

just become comfortable with your fly line and rod... and it will come w. trial and error.

 

[jstine412]

I got out this afternoon. Manada Creek, Dauphin CO. and landed my first rainbow on a fly rod. It was awesome watching my fly get presented perfectly and watch the trout rise and take it, I am officially hooked!! Thanks for the video on roll casting, I saw exactly what I was doing wrong and corrected it.

 

[ryguyfi]

It's always more exciting to get a trout to take a dry fly, but some days it just isn't the most productive way to fly fish. Try some woolly buggers, nymphs and streamers for some subsurface fishing. You may catch some more fish that way.

 

[PaulG]

jstine


nice going, on your first trout, Manada is not a easy stream! Hope you get many more! I remember my first on a fly and that was a long time ago. Probably one thing you'll never forget!

PaulG