fly fishing from river and stream banks
I'm new to
fly fishing and to the forum, and would appreciate any pointers on fishing from river/stream banks. Boats and wading are not an option for me (I'm 72 and have balance problems and arthritis, and generally weak legs), so most of my fishing has to be from the banks. My streams are all, delightfully, in mountainous regions (East Tennessee), so trees and bushes are everywhere. I'd appreciate any tips on avoiding getting snagged and on finding locations where there might be open space to fly cast from the bank.
One thing I've seen online is stripping baskets. They seem to be recommended for a few specific situations, and fishing from banks isn't mentioned, but I was wondering if using one might help?
I've also started trying to roll cast, based on info I found online (articles and videos), and that can certainly help, although I'm not sure I have the knack down yet. When I roll cast, even with a very strong cast, the fly line only travels part of the way, then the rest of the line just plops down around it. With about a 20 foot line, if I do about 5 roll casts in a row, the line finally goes out in a straight line for the whole 20 feet. But as I understand it, I should be able to do this in one cast, not 5. Any suggestions?
Any and all suggestions and advice would be appreciated!
Jerry