[red owl]

I'm probably going to give you bad advice but here it goes.... I have a lot of trouble with the wind. You can reposition yourself so the wind is at your back and do sort of a high back cast and then "let 'er rip" and you'll be casting out 100'. The wind may be blowing so that the only way you cast do that is with a downstream cast rather than the desired upstream cast, if that is the situation then use wet flies, etc and do a swing cast where the fly rises right where the trout is hopefully located.
The other option is just to forget the back cast. This is possible with a roll cast or tension cast, by tension I mean let the line float downstream and then you do a "lob" cast upstream in a pocket water situation.
But... you really should learn to cast in at least moderate wind, low and line speed (double haul).

 

[red owl]

What's an x rap?

 

[red owl]

I have one sinking line and it doesn't sink that fast so I don't use it that much but sinking lines are easier to cast in the wind. As I said, I think changing tactics is part of the answer. No 60 foot dry fly fishing- switch to short line nymphing, etc.

 

[red owl]

I found shore fishing more difficult than being out wading but I was nymphing. When in the water the line has nothing to snag on when I go to cast and the wind takes it.

So part of your issue is the back cast tangling on underbrush? The standard technique is to roll cast when there is a lot of brush behind you.
And, don't give up!!! I don't care how challenged you may feel at the start, keep plugging away and you'll catch some fish. After some time you'll make less mistakes, spook less fish, learn the nuances of casting, but the important thing is to get out there and do it. Everyone goes through that stage, no one starts out an expert fly caster. I like what Lee Wulff wrote; that fly casting was NOT easy, it was hard, that's why there are books and books and schools, etc. on the subject. BUT trout are bug eating fish. Fly fishing is the way to get them.
Story time: I started fishing seriously when I was maybe 12 years old. I bought a spinning reel and an assortment of spinners and spoons. I cast from shore into some rapids and lost a lure on every cast. I then tried pools but there weren't many fish. One evening, on the way to a pool I saw a guy fly fishing at the rapids where I lost all my lures. I asked him if he had caught anything.
"Not yet but last night I caught 6 trout"
That was big time news to me. I watched him for a while, the floating line, the floating fly, nothing to snag. I saved up my money and bought a Eagle Claw Fiberglass 7 1/2' fly rod, a Pfluger reel, a dt floating fly line and some flies, and waded wet and more often than not came home with a trout or two. That was many years ago and in those days I ate all the trout I caught. Now I am purely catch and release.
I'll bet a lot of folks have a similar past.

 

[red owl]

Fly fishing is a truly great sport with a life time of learning. There is so much to it, the insect life, the fish, tying your own flies. The places you normally fly fish are going to be scenic. It is also one of the few forms of fishing that you can actually get some exercise, wading in rough water can get you tired. The other great thing is all you need is your rod, reel, flies and a way to get to the river. Bass fisherman with boats, motors, trailers, fish finders, trolling motors, etc. etc. etc. I've done that and you spend a lot of time just messing with all the equipment. I love fly fishing. Welcome aboard.

 

[red owl]

There is a lot of variety in casting. George Harvey of PA did a "snap" like opening a screen door, at the end of his forward cast. Lee Wulff came up with sort of a continuous oval cast where pressure on the line was continuous- no pause. The salt water guys destroy the 10- 2 rule by going way back. I generally try to keep it pretty much on the 10-2 thing, getting to where the line flows out in front and then drops like a feather. That is really important. same with the pick up. Don't "rip" the line off the water- you'll spook every fish.
You must find your own way grass hopper.;D