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Walter & Group....
Here are some of the answers to the questions on aerial mends :-
QUESTION: What rod movements do you make in order to achieve these aerial mends ?
>From Mark Surtees. Mark's answers are right on target. Below each of his answers, I'll insert mine. Generally the same answer with slightly different wording. Frankly, I think some of his answers are better than mine. :
Hi Gordy
1. A short, narrow mend.
A rapid and short sideways and back movement of the rod tip after loop formation.
[GH] 1. Brief movement of the rod tip to the side and then return to center.
2. A long narrow mend.
A rapid but long sideways and back movement of the rod tip after loop formation
[GH] 2. Long duration movement of the rod tip a short distance to the side and return to center.
3. A short wide mend.
A slow and short sideways and back movement of the rod tip after loop formation
[GH] 3. A brief movement of the rod a long distance to the side and then return to center.
4. A mend close to the caster.
Delayed until most of the line has unrolled
[GH] 4. Make the mend movement of the rod to one side and return to centerd, LATE and LOW.
5. A mend way out at 35'.
Immediately after loop formation, will stay right at the end if you shoot the line.
[GH] 5. Make the mend movement of the rod EARLY and HIGH. Consider forming the mend and shooting it.
(Best to minimize resistance to the shoot by letting go of the line from the line hand and pointing the rod in the direction of the target as you shoot. This helps avoid resistance straightening out your mend.)
6. A series of small wiggle mends.
Short evenly spaced side to side movements of the rod tip after loop formation.
[GH] 6. Move the rod tip a short distance to either side repeatedly in rapid succession.
7.. A series of very wide wiggle mends.
Long evenly spaced side to side movements of the rod tip after loop formation.
[GH] 7. Move the ENTIRE ROD a long distance to either side repeatedly in succession.
8. A Hump mend.
An upwards and back motion of the rod tip after loop formation.
[GH] 8. Move the rod tip up and down a short distance repeatedly in moderately rapid succession.
9. An "S" mend.
Left hand then Right hand, wide mends in sequence after loop formation.
[GH] 9. Move the rod to one side of the midline, then to the other side of the line, then return to center.
10. What is the main difference in layout between an aerial mend and a curve cast ?
Curve cast will deliver a slack free continuous curve from rod tip to fly. Mends deliver a discontinuous layout.
[GH] 10. The end of the line is straight after the aerial mend. It is curved after the curve cast.
11. What is your definition of an aerial mend ?
Mend made after loop formation whilst the line is still aeriolised.
[GH] 11. An aerial mend is a repositioning of a segment of the fly line prior to touchdown.
( A. In Mark's answers, above, he correctly added : "after loop formation". I didn't, only because I made the assumption that this definition was understood. For teaching purposes, his inclusion is the way to go.
B. Note that I said, "a segment of the fly line". Technically, when making an aerial reach mend, the entire fly line is repositioned. )
12. What guiding principles do you use when you teach aerial mends ?
Take your time….
[GH] Mark is correct about taking your time. I was thinking of some "basic rules of procedure" such as :-
12.. Guiding principles :
A. The DISTANCE that you move the rod to the side and back determines the WIDTH of the mend.
B. The TIME ELAPSED as you move the rod to the side and back determines the LENGTH of the mend.
C. The LATER you make the mend after loop formation, the closer it is to you.
D. The EARLIER you make the mend after loop formation, the farther it is from you.
E. When making narrow wiggle mends. it is best to move the rod TIP.
F. When making wide wiggle mends, it is best to move THE ENTIRE ROD.
G. It is much easier to make accurate mends if you are not casting into the wind.
H. When making aerial mends with a wind from behind, make them a bit wider because that wind will tend to straighten out the mend segment.
I. Using high loop speed when making short and medium distance mends is not advised, because this can yield resistance which can cause unwanted straightening of the mend segment.
(Credit goes to Dennis Grant for having taught me E. and F.)
Gordy
Mark Surtees
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From Syd Smith :
What rod movements do you make in order to achieve these aerial mends ? Most designations of "right or left" could be "left or right" . These are "short" answers.
1. A short, narrow mend. A quick, small horizontal movement of the rod tip to the right and left performed after the stop and with the line aeriolized in order to change the position of the line layout.
2. A long narrow mend. A quick and small horizontal movement of the rod tip right and left but held for a longer period of time at the extreme of right and left performed after the stop but with the line aeriolized to change the position of the line layout.
3. A short wide mend. A quick wide horizontal movement of the WHOLE ROD tip to the right and left for a short time at the extreme of right and left movement performed after the stop and with the line aeriolized to change the layout position of the line.
4. A mend close to the caster. A movement of the rod tip just before the line reaches the water on layout.
5. A mend way out at 35'. A movement of the rod/rod tip just after the stop which may or may not be "shot" to change the layout position of the line.
6. A series of small wiggle mends. Movements of the rod tip horizontally to the right and left of small degree continuing for as many wiggles as desired.
7. A series of very wide wiggle mends. Wide movement of the WHOLE ROD horizontally to the right and left for as many wiggles as desired.
8. A Hump mend. Movement of the rod/tip vertically up and then down to the degree of vertical "hump" desired and performed at the correct time after the stop with the line aeriolized to place the mend at the desired distance from the caster.
9. An "S" mend. Movement of the rod horizontally left (for standard "S") and then right, and back again to alignment with the caster, with the degree of left and right movement and time spent at the extremes of horizontal movement appropriate to the degree of "S" desired.
10. What is the main difference in layout between an aerial mend and a curve cast ? The movement of the rod in the aerial mend occurs after the stop and the movement of the rod of the curve cast occurs before the stop. The layout of the aerial mend produces a bend in the line before the leader and the bend in the line produced by the curve cast includes the leader.
11. What is your definition of an aerial mend ? A purposeful movement made by the caster after the stop and RSP and while the line is aeriolized affecting the rod leg of the loop that produces a change in the layout position of the line.
12. What guiding principles do you use when you teach aerial mends ?
1. The line speed should usually be reduced for mends but adapted to the distance from the caster at which mend is desire.
2. For narrow mends movement of the rod tip usually suffices, but for wide mends movement of the whole rod horizontally is desired.
3. Often an higher trajectory is utilized for mends.
4. Work on mending right and left.
Actually it goes on forever.
Syd
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[GH] Syd,
Well done.
When preparing for a Masters exam, I know very well that there can be some trepidation as to exactly what examiners will actually be looking for.
An example: How wide should "narrow mends" and "wide mends" be ? Most examiners, I think, will accept a 2' mend as a narrow one and a wide one as about 6'. These are approximations. I don't think any examiner will check it with a tape measure !
When width isn't stated as part of the task, most will accept a 5' - 6' mend around a designated close target, but when making a mend about a target way out at 35', a 2' to 3' wide mend is usually accepted.
This speaks to the EXPECTATIONS.
In the past, we feel that this has been arbitrary or subjective in so far as the examiners not all being in accord with exactly what to accept or reject.
The MCI Testing Committee has been working on standardization of these expectations. I expect that this will be discussed at the BOG meeting later this month. The idea is to standardize, then clearly print out these expectations for this and other tasks for all candidates to see.
Eventually, we expect to produce a video which will clearly depict these tasks and expectations.
Gordy
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