The Lift and Drop Mend

Jack Mitchell - Washington Flyfishing Guide - Owner The Evening Hatch Guide Service

There are various mends established in the line manipulation repertoire for the angler to use in adjusting his/her line. However there is one that I use over and over in many different situations that I have personally never seen any instruction and/or text on. It is what I call the Lift and Drop. In essence this technique is a Straight on Mend . Instead of a manipulation of your line upstream or downstream this mend is a manipulation of your line In line with the fly. The Lift and drop is similar in design to the Drag mend.

One of the key elements to this technique is to minimize any slack in your line before you attempt it. Often times when a cast is made there is slack induced into the line, on purpose or perhaps not. Many of our slack line techniques for Dry flies and nymphs encourage the over exaggeration of slack in the cast. Also many beginning anglers while not trying to induce slack into there cast, do so. Once the slack is minimized the angler then simply lifts the tip up and then drops the tip. The key is to lift and drop. Frequently when I show this technique to anglers, they perform it without exaggeration. It is Important to perform specialty techniques in fly line and rod manipulation with deliberateness as the rod is the tool and the angler is the craftsman. Therefore when you perform the Lift and Drop, You need to lift and Drop!

This technique Piggy Backed with other techniques used in presenting the fly can be very effective.

Purpose:

• To straighten your line out, and promote a drift
• To settle a sinking fly into a slot
• To prospect multiple seam lines in one cast/drift-Specifically on a 90 degree or quartered down cast
  
  

Jack

Original Article Link - http://www.theeveninghatch.com/thoughts/lift-drop-mend.htm