Roll Cast vs Wiggle Roll Cast vs Switch Cast

Here is a video I made to demonstrate the difference between a static roll cast, a wiggle roll cast (WRC) and a switch cast. The switch cast is considered by many to be the foundation of all Spey cast. Roll cast is obviously necessary as well since all spey caster will need to roll out their line (taking out all the slack) in preparation for the actual Spey cast. The wiggle roll cast (WRC) on the other hand is a relatively new cast I invented for still water spey application and it is an excellent cast for situation where you have limited back room for a proper switch cast and yet want to get better distance than the conventional roll cast.

In this video, all three cast are executed one after another in succession so that you can directly compare and gain appreciation of  the difference between them. Note that the static roll cast has the smallest D-loop and the least energy in the D-loop. With the WRC, the D-loop did  not get very much bigger but has a lot more energy in it. That energy helps load the rod for a better cast. Last of all, the switch cast has the biggest and most energized D-loop and therefore produce the most powerful cast.

Spey Casting - Roll cast vs Switch cast #2

Here is a great video I found explaining the difference between a Roll Cast and a Switch Cast. This is a better video compared to my previous video on the same subject ( Roll Cast vs Switch Cast ).

Peter Kutzer does a good job explaining the mechanics of the cast. He also added a sub category for the roll cast that he called a dynamic roll cast. Not sure if this is a good idea because to me, differentiating between static roll cast and Switch cast (which is the dynamic form of roll cast) should be good enough  and less confusing all round.

As long as the fly & leader does not leave the water during the D-loop set up phase, it is static roll cast. If the fly  & leader leave the water momentarily and splash down again to form the anchor and D-loop, then it is a Switch cast.

Wiggle Roll Cast

When fishing double-hander with intermediate sink Skagit head (custom cut), I often find myself roll casting  twice just to bring the head (and fly) up to the surface before I could commence with the main cast. Because most of my fishing is done in still water, I don't have the benefit of the current to help buoy  up the head.

I find double roll casting tiresome after a while and soon started experimenting with a different  roll technique. I finally settled on this technique that I find very workable and named it the Wiggle Roll Cast because of the wiggle I throw into the loop prior to the actual roll cast.

This roll cast is not just limited to lifting intermediate head but is also useful in lifting fast sink tip. Neither do you need to limit yourself to one wiggle. If need to, you can even throw in a double or triple wiggle to help surface the fly. In this video, I am casting a floating set up and very respectable distance can be gained with this cast as it affords a deeper and more dynamic D-Loop compared to the standard static roll cast.

Updated 22Jan2015: Here is a better version of the video in slow motion. I am casting with a TFO BVK 3wt Switch rod with a 235 grain Ambush line.

Roll Cast vs Switch Cast

I often get questions from people starting out in Spey casting to explain what is a switch cast. Here is a video I made to illustrate the difference between a switch cast and a roll cast. Switch cast is the foundation of all Spey type cast and is often the first cast to learn when starting out Speying. While a traditional roll cast is limited in its D-loop size, a switch cast allows for a much deeper D-Loop to be formed and can achieve better casting distance. The switch cast is also sometimes referred to as a jump roll.