Mending isn’t just about eliminating drag—it’s a powerful tool for depth control when nymphing. By manipulating how your leader and fly line interact with the current, you can slow your flies down, speed them up, or force them to drop into deeper water.

• Upstream Mends for Extra Sink: If you need to get your flies deeper, faster, an upstream mend immediately after your cast allows your nymphs to sink with minimal resistance before they start drifting naturally. The trick is to mend just the fly line, not the leader, so you don’t pull your flies out of the sinking process.
• Downstream Mends to Keep Nymphs Higher in the Column: If you’re fishing over submerged boulders or weed beds and want to prevent your flies from snagging, a gentle downstream mend puts subtle tension on the leader, keeping your nymphs from dropping too fast.
• Repeated Micro-Mends to Control Depth on the Fly: In varying current speeds, stacking small upstream or downstream mends throughout the drift allows you to make real-time adjustments to depth without re-casting.
• Sideways Mends for Tucking Nymphs into Seams: Instead of just mending upstream or downstream, a sideways mend toward slack water can guide your flies into slow-moving seams where fish are holding deeper.

Final Thought

Mending is about more than just correcting drag—it’s a depth control tool that can place your nymphs exactly where trout are feeding. Mastering this technique lets you fine-tune your drifts without changing weight or re-rigging mid-session.