Also
known as a corkscrew cast this achieves a
similar objective to the double-spey and, at
least as far as I am concerned, has all but
superseded it, principally because it is
quicker, but also its more straightforward.
However this is not to say that the
double-spey is now completely redundant:- for
small changes of direction the double-spey is
more effective.
One
advantage of the snake roll, is that it is
very easy to cast angles greater than 90
degrees. Another advantage is that this cast
completely avoids those irksome situations,
where we fail to make a good upsweep of the
rod in the double-spey and end up with a
dogleg of flyline, on the water, at the start
of the roll cast.
This is
the basic snake roll: (right shoulder, right
hand)... downstream wind, true right bank:
Turn
and face at 90 degrees to the
direction of the dangle... move
those feet!
With
the rod pointing downstream, draw an
anticlockwise circle with the tip of
the rod, speeding up during the last
half, finishing up with a firm stop
with the rod angled backwards at 45
degrees.
Or,
perhaps, a better way is to draw an
anticlockwise spiral, increasing
speed, up to the stop, so that once
we have stopped we are in the
starting position of a roll cast.
-
What we are trying to achieve is for
the line to lift off the water and
for the fly, and a couple of feet of
flyline, to land about half a rod
length downstream, pointing in the
direction we want to cast, with a
nice D-loop being formed with rod and
line.
If
the fly doesn't come to within half a
rod length we have drawn too small a
circle. If more than a couple of feet
of line lands on the surface we have
put too much force into the start of
the circle. If not enough line is in
the D-loop we have failed to speed up
enough during the second half of the
circle.
Now
it's a roll cast.
To
snake roll off the left shoulder this is what
we do: downstream wind, true left bank:
Move
your feet to point in the intended
casting direction.
Draw
your circle or spiral in the
clockwise direction, off the left
shoulder.
Hit
the roll.
Longer
snake roll casts:
Our two
ways of casting further with roll casts keep
reappearing; we can haul and/or get more line
in the D-loop. However with regards to this
cast and the 'more line in the D-loop'
option, we can get something really sexy: the
double snake roll.
In
getting more line in the D-loop the
easiest technique is to start off
with more line downstream, outside
the rod tip. As you progress, you are
going to have to lift the hand, in
order to form these large D's.
Remember that if you lift the hand to
form the D, you must then lower it
again before you make the roll cast,
or to put it another way drop the
elbow!
As
with all roll casts you can shoot
some extra line into the D-loop.
As
you start using greater lengths of
line one circle will not be enough to
gather the fly up to within half a
rod length. This is when you draw two
circles! The second circle must be
noticeably larger than the first or
you will get into some unbelievable
difficulties... in other words draw a
spiral.
It
is possible to draw three or more
circles, but I've never found any
practical need for more than two.
With
regards to the hauling you can haul
as you stop the rod into the back
cast, which help to form those
dynamic pointed D's, but the most
effective time to haul is during the
forward stroke of the roll cast.
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