Mending Part 3

In the last two blogs I’ve covered the correct way to mend a fly line in order to get the drift you desire and how to detect the strike and hook the fish.
Actually this third part could be labeled “when not to mend”.

The very important techniques I teach in our schools and that I write stories about which I call “sweeping a streamer” and “swing nymphing” one never…never mends. Simply because mending the fly line will rob you of the ability to detect the strike with these methods. Let’s look at the effective technique for using these methods.

Let’s assume you are standing beside a six foot deep pool 20 feet out and you want to run your Murray’s Olive Strymph right along the stream bottom and you have only a floating fly line.

1. Your first cast is made up and across stream 15 feet at a 45 degree angle. DO NOT MEND but allow your Strymph to sink deeply on a slack line. Watch the two MFS Indicators on your Bright Butt Leader and when the uppermost one has sunken out of sight you know your fly is deep.
2. Now strip in the slack line with your line hand.
3. At this point extend your fly rod up and out over the river at a 45 degree and swing it downstream ahead of the drifting fly at the same rate the fly is drifting.
4. Keeping a tight line on the fly in this way enables you to feel the strike and you can quickly set the hook.
5. Successive casts are made three feet longer, still at this 45 degree angle, and your Strymph will drift along the stream bottom a little further out in the river. This method is very effective out to 30 feet, then wade downstream stopping at ten feet intervals to repeat this sequence. This technique assures you that every fish in front of you has seen your fly.