River fishing - Mends and curves.

[haresear]

A couple of people have asked me about aerial mends and when to use them. I replied to a similar post on another forum and thought this might be of interest to some of you too so I've copied it below...

The reach cast is good when we have fast water very close to our bank and slower water farther over where we are fishing.
To put slack further across the stream, (like when the current is pushing through the middle of the river and your target is the slower water on the far side of it) the aerial mend is the one to use. I'm assuming we are fishing a dry fly or a nymph dead drift.

The aerial mend in this situation is quite simple. After the stop and when the loop is unfurling, just move your rod tip deliberately upstream and bring it back again to point at the target before lowering the rod tip in the usual follow through. It is worth practising this and by experimenting you will see how you can place the curve where you want it by waiting and also alter the size of the curve by fine tuning the timing and the size and speed of the sideways movement . Annoyingly, I find it more difficult to put a left curve in than a right curve. This is probably something to do with being right handed.

There is another way to make the same cast and it involves a sort of semircular corkscrew movement of the wrist. I can do it but can't explain it.

I find it can also be useful to put an aerial mend in a downstream direction, particularly when fishing a streamer, or for sea trout or salmon in slack water.

The S cast or wiggle is one I would use when fishing when we have to cast across varying currents like in boulder studded water. You can make this cast by making a vertical wiggle or a horizontal one. I used to think the vertical movement gave me more accuracy, but I'm now not sure on that.

There are all sorts of situations and grey areas on the river, but that probably about summarises my approach.

[Wildfisher]

Great tips Alex. I use  the  wiggle and reach casts  all the time. Are you shooting line when you  do the aerial mends?

[haresear]

Mostly I'm shooting line Fred. I was trying to get the hang of curving to the left tonight on the river.
i can't do it properly with my right hand and end up with a curve to the left and a curve to the right (a sort of mini wiggle). The only way I can get a good curve to the left is by casting with my left hand, which I was also doing tonight.

This fish seemed to approve (sorry about the fogged lens, but it was that sort of night)

[haresear]

Hi Zoomer, I think you are describing what I was getting at here, only your description is better than mine...

There is another way to make the same cast and it involves a sort of semircular corkscrew movement of the wrist. I can do it but can't explain it.

Sounds like your left curve is better than mine Alan. You must show me
When making the left curve, do you spin clockwise as I do, or anti clockwise?

I think I'll have to put in some practice on that and also casting with my left. Still can't haul like that.

Alex

[haresear]

Alex, i spin in the direction of the curve, belly of the curve to the left spin to the right as it were, might sound odd but its like making the cast to the fish then when the loop forms make another cast with the shooting line in a different direction, you cant draw the rod tip back so you have to go in a circular direction,

Ah, I think I understand now. When I described the corkscrew movement I was thinking of a semi circular movement in the direction of the curve. Sounds like to put the curve in the other direction you are continuing the movement and going full circle with the rod tip. Would that sound about right?

Help ma boab, I thought we were on sexyloops

Alex

[haresear]

andrew is coming tomorrow, looks like a curve casting extravaganza 

Good stuff. We can learn from the castermeister and share his wisdom on the forum.

Alex