[jfbasser]

Rocky bank with a 20 degree incline 20 feet of casting room behind...4 knot current right to left ...on left bank and cannot wade so I do not believe there is a way to "anchor line"...Is there a cast that will cast a fly up current to make a drift?

 

[fredaevans]

My first two choices for tight conditions are the

spiral roll and the circle cast. Both take very little free room, 95% of either cast is down/up stream and will chuck a heck of a lot of line with a reasonable degree of change of direction.

Another choice (dependent on how much line your working with) is to just 'chuck it' up stream in an 'overhand cast.' Do this often when 'short lining' (under 50' of line out). Not pretty, but it does the job very nicely.

As fly starts to move towards you (fly will be upsteam above the line) dump a couple of 'stack mends' to get the line above the dead drift. This "move" accounted for at least 1/2 of the fish I hooked this weekend.
fae

 

[flytyer]

Another way to cast upstream in this type of place is by using an upstream Snap-T. You simply move the line upstream far enough so that the fly is pretty much even with you, this is followed by moving the rod downstream while watching the 'white mouse' (as Simon so aptly names it), and when the 'white mouse' gets even with you, launch your upstream cast. This needs no room behind you at all. And it forms a wonderful anchor. Casts of 80+ feet upstrream are possible with this variation of the Snap-T.

 

[jfbasser]

Thanks for the help...I will see what I can do!