Man there is alot to learn about this affliction!
I am not quite understanding the term “mending”.
I assume it has something to do with taking up excess slack ib the line when casting upstream or quartering upstream.
Can someone lend me some insight on how to mend?
This is going to be good…doesn’t lend itself to words though there are those who may be able too…
I’ll start off by saying,it’s just the opposite…mending is throwing slack in the line.
So I then would assume it is a tactic when letting your line drift downstream?
Yes,
A tactic for dry flies to give you a drag free drift…actually for wet flies too.
And for steelhead how you present the fly to them.
Remember…you can mend upstream or downstream:cool:.
A mend is a simply way to get more drift out of your cast by not allowing
your line to tighten so to cause your fly to drag.
Your best approach to a good mend is to start with a nice slack or wiggle cast to allow the line to pile out in s-curves on the water.
Keep an eye on your fly-line so not to allow all the slack out from your original cast, turn your wrist so to allow the tip of your rod to flip mending the fly line in the direction opposite your drift. Rod tip & wrist flip left or right depending… Another words while holding on the the cork you flip
your thumb with the rod either to the right or to the left.
You can also throw some slack into your mend by controlling more loose line out on the water during the mend. Simply release some line from your finger hold during the mend.
What you want to do is throw loose line up from your original drift
all the while not allowing the fly to move while you preform the mend.
The whole idea is to maximize your flies swim time on the water in the most natural way possible. Hence the phrase “Drag free drift”
Once you get this down you can reach out with your rod during the mend
to even get more drift. This is known as the reach mend. AKA; reach cast
Take care
Steve Molcsan
I have heard about making a frontwards or backwards “C” with the tip of your rod as a method of mending…Can someone paint me a visual picture?
This is infintely easier to demonstrate than to explain. If you can take lessons, do so. If not, get a video.
The idea is that the fly floats down the river without anything making it act unnaturally. The line pulling the fly in any way (drag) makes the fish wary of the fly. So, imagine the line as your connection to the fly, and the current (or currents, there are always more than one) taking the line and pulling it in various directions. Mending is your corrections of those currents moving your line, so that the fly drifts without any drag. There are many ways to mend.
IMO, mending is one of the most important skills to learn in order to catch fish. It isn’t the pretty, photogenic part of casting, but it IS the part of the presentation that turns a pretty cast (or an ugly one) into a fish on the line.
Mending is a line manipulation technique. The point of mending is to extend the drag free portion of a dead drift. It is extended by by taking the down stream bow in the line and by rolling the rod tip up and over (mending) the the bow no longer pulls on the fly (drag free). It easier that it sounds but does take some practice.
See Presenting the Fly, by Lefty Kreh, page 190-191 or any other fly casting reference. The picture make pretty clear whats happening. Then go try it on a river and see how it really works! That’s the best part.
Enjoy!
Joe
A mend is a simply way to get more drift out of your cast by not allowing
your line to tighten so to cause your fly to drag.
Your best approach to a good mend is to start with a nice slack or wiggle cast to allow the line to pile out in s-curves on the water.
I like to cast and just before the line starts on the water lift the rod tip up and then back down to complete settle the cast on the
water, this allows just a bit more slack for the fly to drift freely.
Once on to of the water keep an eye on your line so not to allow all the slack out from your original cast, turn over your wrist so to allow
the tip of your rod to flip mending the fly line in the direction opposite your drift. Rod tip & wrist flip left or right depending… Another words
while holding on the the cork you flip your thumb with the rod either to the right or to the left. Dose not take much wrist movement
to move the rod tip just enough.
You can also throw some slack into your mend by controlling more loose line out on the water during the mend. Simply release some line from
your finger hold during the mend. Play the line out with your free hand.
What you want to do is throw loose line up from your original drift all the while not allowing the fly to move while you preform the mend.
The whole idea is to maximize your flies swim time on the water in the most natural way possible.
Hence the phrase “Drag free drift”
Once you get this down you can reach out with your rod during the mend
to even get more drift. This is known as the reach mend. AKA; reach cast
Take care
Steve Molcsan
Here is a good video for a online demo.
dishunter,
I believe what you mentioned would be a Reach Cast, actually the first step you can take in mending a line. When you make your forward cast and unload your rod, you then move the tip of your rod either to the left or to the right depending upon the direction you want the line to mend.
That causes a large bow in the line, say upstream, because the water in the middle of the stream is flowing faster than the water where you have your fly.
Then as soon as the fly, or strike indicator if you are nymphing, hits the water, you then toss in a large mend up stream or down stream as the situation dictates. You then can toss one more small mend to adjust the line close to your rod tip. Finish the drift drag free and then pick it up at the end of the drift to cast again.
Larry 
—sagefisher—
Think of mending as casting your line once it is on the water. Mending can involve throwing slack into your line or taking it out. It effects how your fly swims besides achieving the drag free drift.
Mending is picking your line up and replacing it on the water.
http://www.stripermoon.com/articles/article16.html
This is a great article that talks about mending and tending line and its impacts on how it effects your fly; even though it has nothing to do with dry flies or nymphs or fresh water.
Mending is a good way to control depth besides drag free drifts and the like. It is surprising to learn that you can fish deeper with a floating line in current than you can with a sinking line and it all goes back to mending.
Good casters can cast, good fishers can mend.
Better than anything that I could write in a paragraph or two: http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/speakers/jason/jason.cfm
Casting, Mending, and Presentation for Difficult Angling Situations by Jason Borger. It is an audio program that you can download on to your IPod or listen to on your computer. It’s an hour and 28 mins long. Good stuff indeed.
Rick
Now this is pretty cool.
What a cool link!
A mend is a simply way to get more drift out of your cast by not allowing
your line to tighten so to cause your fly to drag.
Your best approach to a good mend is to start with a nice slack or wiggle cast to allow the line to pile out in s-curves on the water.
I like to cast and just before the line starts on the water lift the rod tip up and then back down to settle the cast down on the
water, this allows just a bit more slack for the fly to drift freely.
As soon as you start to see a belly from in the line that’s a Que. that it is time to think about a mend or repositioning.
Keep an eye on your line so not to allow all the slack out from your original cast, turn over your wrist so to allow
the tip of your rod to flip mending the fly line in the direction opposite your drift. Rod tip & wrist flip left or right depending… Another words
while holding on the the cork you flip your thumb with the rod either to the right or to the left. Dose not take much wrist movement
to move the rod tip just enough.
You can also throw some slack into your mend by controlling more loose line out on the water during the mend. Simply release some line from
your finger hold during the mend. Play the line out with your free hand.
What you want to do is throw loose line up from your original drift all the while not allowing the fly to move while you preform the mend.
The whole idea is to maximize your flies swim time on the water in the most natural way possible.
Hence the phrase “Drag free drift”
Once you get this down you can reach out with your rod during the mend
to even get more drift. This is known as the reach mend. AKA; reach cast
Take care
Steve Molcsan
A mend is a simply way to get more drift out of your cast by not allowing
your line to tighten so to cause your fly to drag.
Your best approach to a good mend is to start with a nice slack or wiggle cast to allow the line to pile out in s-curves on the water.
I like to cast and just before the line and fly lands lift the rod tip up and then back down to settle the cast down on the
water, this allows just a bit more slack for the fly to drift freely.
As soon as you start to see a belly from in the line that’s a Que. that it is time to think about a mend or repositioning.
Keep an eye on your line so not to allow all the slack out from your original cast, turn over your wrist so to allow
the tip of your rod to flip mending the fly line in the direction opposite your drift. Rod tip & wrist flip left or right depending… Another words
while holding on the the cork you flip your thumb with the rod either to the right or to the left. Dose not take much wrist movement
to move the rod tip just enough.
You can also throw some slack into your mend by controlling more loose line out on the water during the mend. Simply release some line from
your finger hold during the mend. Play the line out with your free hand.
What you want to do is throw loose line up from your original drift all the while not allowing the fly to move while you preform the mend.
The whole idea is to maximize your flies swim time on the water in the most natural way possible.
Hence the phrase “Drag free drift”
Once you get this down you can reach out with your rod during the mend
to even get more drift. This is known as the reach mend. AKA; reach cast
Take care
Steve Molcsan
This is a good explanation:
http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/techniques/monahan_mending.aspx
and this is the reach cast, which is in essence a mend but in the air.
http://www.midcurrent.com/video/clips/wulff_dynamics_14.aspx