Mending Line (4 of 14)

Male: Watch what happens when I cast directly across stream. See what's happening behind me? When I cast directly across stream, that line bellies almost immediately, pulls the fly along with it, and causes what we call drag. Sometimes, you want it when you're fishing a Steelhead fly, salmon fly, a streamer, or a wet fly, but when you're fishing a dry fly or a nymph, you don't want any drag at all, on it. You have to do something to avoid getting that drag. There's a couple of ways to do it. One way to do it is what's called a mend. People get really confused about mending, and I think it's because it's so easy. They think it has to be more complicated than it is. This is a mend: I make a cast and with a stiff arm, I just flip my line upstream. That's all you do; that's a mend. Mends can be used to eliminate drag or to control the speed of a fly swinging in the current. I really like the way my friend, Montana guide, Molly Seminek explains it. Tell me about you how you teach people how to mend? What do you tell them when you first get them out here on the water? Molly: When people ask me about mending, the first thing I want them to try to do is play around with a rod more; make circles with the line, lift it, and get comfortable with moving it around, because we are often too careful. The way to mend is to lift the line off the water and break that line water tension. Take your rod tip and direct anywhere you want and just use the tip, and just fling it. Step 1, break the tension. Step 2, direct line whichever line you want it to go. Have fun with it and play with it. Use the rod and don't worry about making mistakes, because first you have to get the feel of mending.