[Rob Brownfield]

Right, a scenario most of you have come across, but one I have not worked out yet!

So, standing on the right hand bank, fairly overgrown bank with a strongish down stream wind, double hander and I want to put a fly across the current.

The rod is 12'6", the line is a Guidline 36' foot shooting head designed for the rod.

A standard double spey means the D loop is on the bank and thus the fly catches the grass as it whips past. I tried putting my anchor further out, but to no avail.

A circle C/Snap T to the left and then a single spey off my left shoulder worked, but was too dangerous due to the downstream wind.

A snake role put the anchor further across the stream, but still had the d loop on the bank.

Any suggestions?

Once in the water I was fine with a double spey, just an issue when on the bank.

[Hamish Young]

Stay in the water 

[Matt Henderson]

I was thinking the same thing too H!

[Marc Fauvet]

aerial speys 

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Rob,

Get plenty practice at a static roll cast with a shoot first then, when you make your upstream sweep keep the rod fairly flat and a good way out in front of you and bring the anchor further upstream than you normally would.  When you sweep downstream, do it slowly with quite a high rod then "poke" the line out into the stream before setting up a static roll cast.  Lay the D loop on the bank and let it sit for a second or two (as if it were a static roll) and the fly should come nowhere near the bank.  It is not very dynamic but it will get a fly out when you are in a tight spot.

Cheers

Ben

[Rob Brownfield]

Hi Rob,

Get plenty practice at a static roll cast with a shoot first then, when you make your upstream sweep keep the rod fairly flat and a good way out in front of you and bring the anchor further upstream than you normally would.  When you sweep downstream, do it slowly with quite a high rod then "poke" the line out into the stream before setting up a static roll cast.  Lay the D loop on the bank and let it sit for a second or two (as if it were a static roll) and the fly should come nowhere near the bank.  It is not very dynamic but it will get a fly out when you are in a tight spot.

Cheers

Ben

And in English?...lol

[Rob Brownfield]

Stay in the water 

Now, is I were around 9 feet tall this might be possible as there is 6 foot of water right in front of me. Do they allow tubes on the Don?

[Rob Brownfield]

Ben, what you are describing is kind of what I am attempting, but I am not doing the final "poke". Will try that tonight I hope, although I am guessing the rivers will be up and brown after yesterdays slight shower!

Thanks for the answer.

[Iain Goolager]

Do they allow tubes on the Don?

Need I answer?


Is water disturbance an issue on the stretch that you are fishing Rob?

I've found myself using my own ***tardized toytown Perry Poke quite often to get a fly out in similar conditions.

Iain

[Hamish Young]

I confess I had a more elaborate post prepped and readied to go last night, but decided the comedy value of suggesting you stay in the water was too good to resist Rob 

I use a Perry Poke quite a bit, mostly as I find it easy and a way of covering up some of my spey casting short-comings.
A search on youtube revealed too few clips of use, but this one might be of some value:

H

[Marc Fauvet]

hey Rob,
here's some Pokin' to use as an example. none of them seem to have the tight space behind you describe, so in your case the idea is to poke out farther. in extreme no-room cases it's good to remember that D loops don't necessarily need to go past or behind the caster. the cast can't go as far but at least one's fishing !
fwiw, it's not very pretty but it works great, it's a good cast to have in the repertoire.
if you regularly have this back-space problem it can be worth having an extremely short(er) and heavy head to quickly change as a backup in your vest. 







cheers,
marc

[Ben Dixon]

Rob,

Sorry if that was unclear!!  The important thing here is to get the anchor as far away from the bank as possible and even more important is that you do not do as you would normally do and hit the cast as soon as you've formed the D loop.  Let it sit for a few seconds so the delivery is more like a static roll cast than a it is a Spey (or live line) cast.  It won't go as far but it will prevent the hook from catching the bank in most cases.

Cheers

Ben

[Rob Brownfield]

Ben,
No, it was clear, thank you. Summary, a more static anchor further out in the river?

Hamish/Marc,
Yeah, I have been watching a few Pokes on YouTube and I get the principle, but in practice it just seemed to end up messy and disturbed the water. I just need to practice and practice.

Marc,
Yes, I already bought a shorter head than what I was using (From a MacKenzie 12.5m to a Guideline 11m). It has helped. I spoke to the Guideline designer via e-mail and he said to use a tapered nylon leader rather than a polyleader and that has also helped as I can leave more of the flyline on the surface.

Ian,
So I will be floating past you at Parkhill this weekend

Thanks for the advice chaps..will have a bash tonight after climbing. Basically the bits I have been fishing have a deep margin so I have to fish off the bank. Where I can get in, I will, even if its only a few feet out, it means the normal casting then works.

[Andy Finlay]

If all else fails you could always use a spinning rod and a Rapala  , might need it if the weather is anything like the forecast.

[Rob Brownfield]

If all else fails you could always use a spinning rod and a Rapala  , might need it if the weather is anything like the forecast.

Away with your evil suggestions!!!...A worm is more like it