The Casting Connection

August 2024

By Capt. Scott Swartz

Scott Swartz founded the Atlanta Fly Fishing School, which began in 1999. It is the largest such operation in the Southeast and the only Trout Unlimited “Gold Endorsed” school in the United States. His Florida Fly Fishing Schools started in 2008, helping anglers
learn to successfully fly fish in saltwater.

One of the first things successful trout fly fishers learn is to manage line on the water for drag-free fly presentations. Trout spend their lives watching the current deliver food. They are experts at avoiding flies traveling too fast, too slow or moving sideways in the current. Success is often determined by how well we present a fly like a natural bug that lost its grip and is helplessly drifting with the current.

The primary way to achieve a natural drift is to minimize the drag your fly line and leader have on the fly. This is typically done by on-the-water mending of line. After making a cast across moving water a quick circular “flip” with the rod tip will reposition a portion of line upstream removing tension between the line and fly. With your rod horizontal pointing toward the fly a clockwise rotational flip of the tip will reposition the line to the right and a counter-clockwise rotation will reposition the line to the left. This is a skill easily learned, although the effort and timing varies depending on the weight of the fly and the length of the cast.

In addition to on-the-water mends there are also aerial-mends. These help by starting with a mend in the line as it lands on the water.

Fly Fishers International uses this definition:

Mends

• Manipulating the fly line layout by rod movement after the Stop on a Delivery Cast.

• Aerial Mends – mending before the line/leader lands on the water.

• Water Mends – mending after the line/leader lands on the water.

Two aerial mends that are good to know are the reach mend and curve mend.

REACH MEND

To make the reach mend is easy. After the stop at the end of the forward casting stroke simply “reach” your rod and arm upstream as the line falls to the water. To have a mend run the entire length of line, from rod tip to fly, you must reach to the side immediately after the casting stroke stop. If you pause, before reaching, only the line closest to you will mend upstream.

CURVE MEND

The curve mend is a bit more challenging and works to get just a portion of your line mended upstream. It is great when casting across a fast current tongue to slower water. A curve mend is simply two quick reach mends, one made after the other, in opposite directions. After the forward stop of your cast, reach to the side immediately followed by reaching back to center. This happens fast! With practice you can control the location and size of your curved mend. Reaching out and back to center immediately after the casting stroke will place the curve toward the tip of your line while a pause after the stop will place the curve closer to your rod. Likewise, a quick reach will create a small curve length whereas a pause between reaches will create a long curve length.

Learning to aerial-mend takes practice only because it happens fast. There is a short window of time between stopping your delivery cast and when the line lands. With just a little practice you will discover the pleasures of aerial-mending and delivering a cast with your line landing on the water exactly the way you choose.

Try combining the aerial mends with your water mends for exceptionally long drag free presentations.

Send comments or your casting questions to: Scott@AtlantaFlyFishingSchool.com