Mending your line.
Recently worked with a fly fisherman who had been throwing streamers for Brown Trout on the Grand River in Fergus Ontario and was having lots of luck in the early morning hours but when 8:00am rolled around the fish stopped chasing the flies and his luck began to run out.
He came to me seeking some help on how to nymph for these Grand River Brown Trout with small flies and light tippets. Most people who have had luck with large flies seem to shy away from small hooks such as size 16-20’s. However these small flies will pull out the largest trophy trout a river has to offer.
My client quickly learned that taking a lesson on how to mend the fly properly will bring you success. Education and taking a learn to fly fishing course on different aspects of this sport is critical if you want to move to another level. Just because you know how to cast a fly does not mean you should not seek some extra help. Even the expert who gives the lessons should be seeking help from his peers to keep himself or herself growing within this sport.
The key to the right presentation with a size 20 midge is to definitely stay behind the fly. Have your fly line behind the fly so the fly can tumble down the current looking like a natural bug. We all think we are mending the fly enough yet in reality we don’t do it enough. Next time watch your fly line and see how much bend is in the fly line as you are working a riffle. Keep that bend to a minimum for more success!
