Presentation on HookedLee

What is mending, and when do I need it?

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mending is what you do after the cast lands. The fly is in the right place, but the line between you and the fly is lying across water that moves at a different speed. Left alone, the faster water grabs the line and tows the fly — that is drag, and it kills the presentation.

A mend puts a curve or a stack in the line, so there is slack to pay out before the fly starts moving.

The three mends you actually need

Upstream mend. From a downstream position, flick the rod tip upstream so the line lands above the fly. The belly of line then feeds the drift before it tightens.
Reach mend. Extend the rod upstream during the cast so the line lands in a curve without an extra motion. Quietest of the three, and the one to use when fish are spooky.
Slack-line / S-cast. Lay the line in an S across the current so different seams feed line at different times.

When to mend, and when to walk

Mend when the current between you and the fly is faster or slower than the current the fly is in. If the fish is close or the water is uniform, mending can do more harm than good: every mend moves the fly a little, and on flat water that is enough to spook a fish.

The alternative to mending is repositioning — move your feet so the line lies in friendlier water. It takes longer, but it is always cleaner.

Mending, drag, dead drift and slack line are all terms in the FFI Fly Casting Definitions; the mechanics of the reach mend are covered in the CI exam tasks on reach mends in the exam section.

What is drag, and how do I beat it?

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Drag is the single biggest reason a trout refuses a fly that looks perfect. The fish does not see a fly and a line — it sees a small object behaving impossibly. A natural insect drifts with the current; a dragged fly skates, sinks unnaturally or tips sideways. On a clear pool, a trout will often move away rather than take.

The causes

Fast water between you and the fly. The line is in a quicker seam than the fly, so it tows it.
A bad casting angle. Casting straight across a current makes the line cross several speeds.
Wind on the line. Even on a dead-calm surface, wind can push a floating line faster than the drift.
Too little slack. A straight line from rod tip to fly is a lever: the moment the current tightens it, the fly moves.

Four ways to beat it

Change your position. Fish from below, from above, or from the bank so the line lies in water moving at the same speed as the fly.
Mend immediately after the cast. An upstream or reach mend buys seconds of drag-free drift.
Use more slack. A slack-line or S-cast lays line in curves; the drift consumes the curves before it moves the fly.
Go under the surface. A nymph below a fast surface layer is far less affected: the leader can drag without moving the fly out of the zone. That is one reason nymphing is so effective in broken water.

Reading it

Watch the line, not the fly. The moment the line straightens or starts to accelerate, the drift is over — pick up and cast again rather than fishing out a dragging drift. A drift measured in seconds is normal; a drift measured in tens of seconds is a fish.

What is a dead drift?

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A dead drift is the target state of almost all dry-fly and nymph fishing: the fly moves with the water and nothing else. No drag, no skate, no unnatural sink rate. When people say they are getting a good drift, this is what they mean.

What breaks a dead drift

Line drag. The line is in a faster seam and pulls the fly.
Leader drag. The leader is heavier or thicker than the fly, so it tows it even when the line is mended. Long fine leaders and soft presentation help.
Angular drag. You are casting across the current, so the fly sweeps sideways even when the line is slack.
Your own movement. Shuffling your feet moves the rod tip, which moves the fly.

How to get one

Position first. Stand so the fly drifts toward you or across-and-down with the line in matching water.
Cast with slack. Reach mends, S-casts and slack-line casts put curves in the line; the drift spends those curves instead of moving the fly.
Mend early, not late. One mend as the line lands is worth three after the fly has moved.
Follow with the rod. Let the rod tip track the fly downstream so the line stays straight to the fly without pulling it.
Re-cast rather than salvage. Once the drift is dragging, pick up. A new cast is cheap; a spooked fish is not.

How long should a drift be?

Long enough to cover the lie, no longer. In pocket water a two-second drift through the right seam takes fish; on a slow flat pool a thirty-second drift may be needed because the fly has to travel a long way to reach the fish. Judge it by whether the fly is still dead-drifting, not by the clock.