4.) For Task #
7 : Demonstrate a roll cast using a single haul, shooting line to achieve a
distance of 55 feet or more. The expectations are stated as
follows: " A dynamic, thrown D or V loop, e.g., a 'flick-lift', positioned
approximately 180 degrees from the target, is expected on this task.
Consistent loops with the top of the loop no higher than the caster's
head.
What you are describing is a Single Spey without a change of direction,
commonly known as a Switch Cast. This shouldn?t be called a roll cast. A roll
cast is where the line from the tip is static prior to beginning the forward
stroke. These are 2 different animals from 2 different traditions. Somehow
these names have gotten confused within the CICP since DH casting has come
into vogue in the last decade. I think that many were learning single handed
spey and didn?t perceive a difference or thought it was the same thing. It?s
not. I don?t feel it is good practice for committee members who have limited
experience with DH techniques to get involved with naming conventions.
When I took the DH workshop at the National Conclave with Al Buhr, Denise
Maxwell and Dan McCrimmon, they made the distinction between the 2 casts. With
a DH rod the tip and line came to rest for a DH roll cast and was dangling
downstream as all Spey casts do at the start. Otherwise it would be a Switch
cast which includes a D loop.
I strongly feel the MCCI committee needs to re-think this.
As lead examiner on my past MCCI exams, I have felt the same way as
you do and did require a dead stop before the forward stroke is
begun.
I
have used the terms "switch cast" and "forward Spey
cast" as
synonyms . I've been applying them to a roll type cast in which a
dynamic D-loop is used with no full stop prior to the start of the forward
stroke. No change of direction being necessarily employed. I realize
that not all two handed casting experts agree on the use of these
terms.
Whatever name we use for these casts, apparently the MCCI
testing committee did see fit to allow the dynamic D-loop for this
task.
Perhaps Dusty Sprage (head of that Committee) will help us out here
with his comments.
Gordy
"This
differs from the way Tom White and I taught many of you to do it in the
past. We did so by having the caster flick a long narrow loop of line
way back straight behind to lie static on the ground prior to making this
distance roll cast. (Of course, the fly and leader and some fly line had to be
in front of the caster.)"
I never understood the use of
this technique. It is unreasonable to use when fishing since you are either
laying all that line on the water, which makes it impossible to cast, or in
pretty much any stream situation the line is now tangled in twigs and stones.
This isn?t something I would show to a beginner in the fear it would confuse
them. I carry 6 penny nails painted orange and anchor the line about 25-30
feet in front of them when on grass. If working one on one I step on the fly
and then let it go as the loop passes me.
You are
correct, Guy, in that the way Tom and I taught this would have very limited
application in the real World of fishing. I did cite one
example where I used it to advantage. That was a situation where I was
fishing a wide stream and needed a distance cast of about 60' or perhaps a bit
more to a seam. There were pine trees behind me about 15' behind me with
low hanging branches. I could have made a side arm straight line back
cast, but elected instead to flip a backcast loop to lie still on the carpet
of pine needles below the branches ..... and then made the forward stroke of
this roll cast. Worked fine.
Of course
this won't work when your back cast loop is on water, nor when you have
anything behind which will entangle the
line.
You may
remember that Joan Wulff also demonstrated this technique to the
candidates at a Conclave MCCI Workshop a few years ago. I
remember one of her statements which was to the effect that the longer that
static loop behind the caster, the better the rod would load and
the greater the distance achieved.
Since this
does have such rare use, I have not been teaching this for the past couple of
years and only mentioned it because it probably still exists in the repertoire
of those to whom we taught it.
All the
more reason to air this one
now.
I also
sometimes either step on the fly/leader or use an ice pick to anchor the
leader if the candidate requests it. Some use a "roll cast tool" as a
mock anchor. I'm careful to let the candidate choose the
distance between the caster and this anchor as though the cast was being
made on water. I do that because I want to be sure the candidate knows
the logical "set-up" for this task.
I think we
all agree that this task and other roll cast tasks as well as Spey casts are
far better done on water ..... but at conclaves, that isn't always an
option.
Gordy
Guy Manning