Mending?

[deathb4disco]

1. So the first issue is whether your partner was performing the correct aerial mend. You said he was in back and doing a reach cast. If he was casting to the bank, where the flow is slower than the location of the boat, he would need to read the flow of the boat, the flow of the water between the boat and the target, and the flow of the water at the target. Moreover, the guide is rowing upstream AGAINST the flow.

The boat was flowing downstream, but I understand your point.

2. I think this was a learning opportunity. First ask your partner whether his mends were working. If they were not, that is your answer. He could not read the various flows so the guide believed seeing the line on the water would allow him to see how he should mend.

If I remember correctly, my friend performed one reach cast. The guide immediately corrected him and told him to do it the other way.

3. If the reach cast was reducing drag, then ask him whether he was mending the rod TOWARD the guide. In other words, was he interfering or limiting how the guide could row?

From what I understand, it did not interfere with the guide.

[deathb4disco]

I suspect the caster in question may have been moving his body around way too much to try for a wider loop, thus causing the drift boat to veer of course. Just a thought.

That may be the case. As I said before, the guide was very particular about where he wanted us to stand.