Many fly anglers fish the wrong way.  They pull up to the river, strap on their waders, rig up their rod, tie on some flies, and simply go down to the river, cast, and watch their presentation move downstream.  They think they’re fishing; in reality, they’re only casting.

These fishermen are missing one of the most important concepts in fly fishing: line control.  While they stand there casting millions of water molecules are moving at different speeds and in different directions—all of them pushing and pulling, accelerating and decelerating the fly line, indicator, leader, and flies during every point in the drift.  Although these forces can never be absolutely eliminated they can be minimized by manipulating the fly line and rig as it makes its way through the water; this process by which line control is maintained is called mending. 

There is no such thing as a uniformly flowing river.  From the smallest of headwaters to the biggest of streams, any observant angler will notice that water moves at different speeds in different places in the river.  Fly fisherman will run in to problems when they are forced to cast over these changes in speed as different forces on the line will cause a process called drag.  Dragging presentations are almost always not natural, and can significantly influence fishing success.  On the other hand, in certain methods of fishing drag is not frowned upon, but is instead a key ingredient in the recipe for success.  Mending in certain ways can affect line in a way that induces drag and motion, provoking strikes from fish that are excited by that particular form of presentation.

What is mending?

                     Let’s examine the definition.  According to dictionary.com the definition is as follows:

mend

v.   mend·ed, mend·ing, mends
v.   tr.

1. To make repairs or restoration to; fix.

2. To reform or correct: mend one's ways.

Repairs?  Restoration?  What wrong was committed by simply casting in to the water?  As explained above, the problems are not necessarily caused by the fly anglers, but more likely by the myriad of different forces exerted on different points of the fly line and presentation.  The purpose of mending is the correct the differences in these forces in order to achieve a goal with the fly line.  These goals vary from situation to situation—sometimes an angler will want more drag on a particular section of fly line in order to give a certain movement to a fly whereas at other times an angler may want to eliminate drag in order to allow his or her presentation to drift naturally with the current.  In order for an angler to make the proper mend, they must also have a decent understanding of the hydraulics of the particular location they are fishing.  The hydraulics in every fishing situation will differ; practice and careful observation are the best ways to master the flows of the river and to properly manipulate the line and presentation accordingly.

The Upstream Mend

The upstream mend is a commonly used maneuver in fly fishing when an angler is faced with a situation in which they are forced to deal with fast water while attempting to fish a slower portion of the river.  The fast water will suck the fly line and presentation downstream, and out of the strike zone; an upstream mend allows the angler to pick up the line, and place it upstream allowing the presentation more time in the strike zone without the presence of drag. 

The Downstream Mend

The downstream mend is almost exactly the opposite of the upstream mend.  The downstream mend is used to fish fast water that is surrounded by slow water; in this move the fly line is lifted off the water and placed downstream, allowing the line and presentation in the faster water to catch up and maintain a drag-free drift.

Combining Mends

Certain situations will require more than one mend, and sometimes multiple mends of different types.  In these situations anglers should be mindful of hinge points in the fly line as they will dictate where a particular section of line will need to be mended.  Both upstream and downstream mends can be done in the same drift.  Likewise, multiple upstream or downstream mends in varying degrees of severity can be done as well.  Fly fishermen should keep in mind that when attempting to make multiple mends one should start with mends farthest away from the fisherman and closest to the presentation.  Once the farthest (and often hardest) mend is made, the angler should work their way in.

Keys To A Successful Mend

a.  Begin the mend with a tight line.  Anglers that have excess line or slack line out in the mending process will simply move the excess line, and not the line that is on the water. 

b.  Mend the line as soon as is necessary.  Oftentimes waiting to make a mend will cause the drag on the fly line to worsen, and   thus, makes the mend harder to execute.

c.   Be forceful while remaining in control while making mends.  Too many anglers do not mend line with the proper authority required to achieve the desired result.  Beginners making their first attempts at this technique will often over-mend which will result in the presentation being moved along with the line.  Sufficient time on the water will educate the angler as to how much force is necessary to move just the fly line to the desired place.

d.   The amount of line that can be picked up by the angler during the mend is dictated by two factors: movement of the fly rod, and force applied to the line.  Anglers should be aware of this combination at all times, especially when one of these factors is limited in a situation (ex: mending from a bank with overhead cover where rod movement in a vertical direction is limited)

e.   “Hinge points” in the mend should occur where water speed changes.  Mends that hinge on places other than current seams may be a source of drag on a presentation.

Conclusion

Mending is a crucial step in learning to fish moving water efficiently and effectively.  The proper and calculated manipulation of the line through different currents will allow a fly fisherman to properly fish his or her presentation in essentially any situation; at times the goal of this manipulation will be a drag free drift, at others the angler will be attempting to add drag to the presentation in order to give a certain action or life to the fly.  Anglers that master the skill of mending and the decision making needed to decide how and when to apply this skill will undoubtedly experience more success on any sort of moving water for any species of fish.

Mastering this skill does require a significant amount of practice and time on the water.  Patient anglers that approach each fishing situation and the mends it requires as a challenge unique to itself will experience success in the particular fly-fishing method they choose to go after their quarry.

Any questions on this article or the technique of mending can be directed to author and local steelhead guide Brett McCrae at brett@flyandfloatfishing.com

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