Roll casting with a short 3wt.

[fishinguy 0]

Maybe I'm just be trying to convince myself to buy a 9'3wt...

[tjm 0]

 

The Wulff Ambush is a scandi line. I have the 195 grain that I use sink tips on.

 

It starts as a 9ft 4 piece 3wt designed

Line charts tell me that 195gr is heavy 7Wt, and you use that on a 3Wt rod? 3=~100gr, I thought, doesn't that over load the rod?

[rstaight 0]

Let's answer why the Ambush is a Scandi. The head is triangular in shape tapering back. A Skagit line is level. This is all on the head on both lines. Quick answer.

 

Now for the over loading a 3wt. I asked a lot of questions about the Drift rod. Because of increasing stiffness by adding butt sections you could actually cast a 7wt line with the rod in the 12ft configuration.

 

As far as a 195 grain line being heavy for a TFO Drift, it's actually on the light end for a switch rod. The gentleman I spoke to said this rod can handle Up to 245 grain.

 

The reason I got the 195 grain was what everyone else is thinking, 3wt. Now that I have cast it as a 12ft switch rod, 225 grain would be much better.

 

If you want more info on this rod call Mad River Outfitters in Columbus Ohio. They were really helpful.

[saltydancindave 0]

I have a 5'9" 3wt fiberglass rod that I'm really enjoying fishing. Only issue is it's not a great roll caster with the 3wt weight forward line I'm using. I'd like to be able to better utilize the rod when fishing small streams with a lot of brush in the banks and when fishing lakes with step banks. Is the rods length going to just limit my ability to roll cast any reasonable distance? Or will a double taper line (maybe a 4 or 5wt?) be what I'm looking for? Or should I get a single hand spey line for it? I'm mostly fishing soft hackles, small streamers, and dries. Nothing real heavy. I would like to be able to cast a good distance from the bank though. Thoughts? Experiences?

Having a few 5' + fiberglass fly rods, which after some research into shorter leaders tied a number of modified Joe Humphries leader formulas that made roll casting with shorter leaders all the difference over 9' or even 7 1/2' packaged ones.

[spiralspey 0]

Definitely having a rod under 6 feet is going to limit distance, but techniques like those silvercreek mentioned, dynamic roll casts and adding a haul, will help you no matter what line you're using. I think with a rod that short a specialty roll casting line will do less for you than learning good techniques.

 

If you do decide you want a new line, the best roll casting lines have a long front taper like the wulff triangle taper and rio single hand spey line. They have heads that are perhaps a bit long for your short rod, but they roll cast very well with the light stuff you're interested in fishing. I fish a Rio SH spey on my 8.5' 3 weight and it's the best all around trout line I've ever fished. I can't say I'd recommend the ambush. It's short head and taper would be nice on your short rod, but at 190 grains for a 3 weight it might overload a soft fiberglass rod, and overhead casting it would definitely be unpleasant.

[rstaight 0]

I agree, the Wulff Ambush is not the line for a short rod. I don't use it unless I have the rod setup as a 11 or 12 foot switch rod.

[fishinguy 0]

Thanks guys. Might end up going with a cheaper 8'4"3wt and a SH spey line down the road if practicing technique a bit more doesn't get me where I need to be. Then again, if I'm going to get a line and spool or reel, I might as well try it on the short rod first.

[mikechell 0]

... if I'm going to get a line and spool or reel, I might as well try it on the short rod first.

This. The worst that happens (well, other than breaking a rod) is that you don't like it and move on.

[Kudu 0]

Silver

Thanks for posting that cast. Very graceful.

[fishinguy 0]

Silver

Thanks for posting that cast. Very graceful.

And looks very easy to get wrong too. I'll be practicing the technique with all my rods.

[spiralspey 0]

Practice is a good thing, but if you want some more good videos on roll and single hand spey casting, check out the ones Simon Gawesworth does on the "in the riffle" channel on YouTube. Very straightforward, explaining the techniques and why they work as well as showing common mistakes. He's a great instructor as well as a super nice guy.

[chugbug27 0]

@spiralspey

really helpful video, thanks for pointing it out

http://intheriffle.com/the-riffle/roll-cast/

[fishinguy 0]

So would an 8 1/2' rod or a 10'(Euro nymph) rod be better suited to single hand spey techniques?

[spiralspey 0]

I would lean towards the shorter rod. A longer rod usually makes things a little easier, but euro rods usually have a soft tip and a stiffer butt section which isn't so great as a roll casting rod. If you want a good roll casting rod, you really want a rod with a little slower, more full flexing action. Fiberglass is great for roll casting, but glass isn't for everyone, and there are lots of moderately priced graphite rods that are great as well.

[tjm 0]

@ chugbug27, The companion to that video in which he introduces a dynamic roll cast, change of direction roll cast or as it is called nowadays a single spey cast, http://intheriffle.com/the-riffle/single-handed-spey-cast/