They had to grease their silk lines otherwise it would be a slow sinking line. So they would grease it and mend it. That was Greased Line fishing. But some people got a hold of the book and thought it meant drag free; but it defies the laws of physics to swing a fly drag free.
The way we tie our flies and present them has changed. We do lead the fly now. Before we would do that in soft water to keep the fly off the bottom. Leading the fly keeps it fluttering and moving well, especially flies tied with soft materials like marabou and rhea.
Leading helps your fly sink as well. If you throw it across the river and mend, and then feed the mend, the fly goes down and you lead the fly. The tip goes downriver sideways sinking as it goes without any pull on it… However, if you immediately start back mending, the current pulls the fly up. So if you are leading the fly, as long as the current is not too rapid, the fly is broadside to the fish and you don’t need to drop a loop or do anything when the fish takes, you just tighten and the fish is hooked.
Ok, now how about a few simple questions, how about your favorite river?
Dean
Favorite Fly Pattern?
Summer: Amato’s Night Dancer
Winter: Some combination of Orange/Purple. My “Steel Flash” pattern is favorite of mine now. Another combination I like is Orange and Red. About half the time now I fish a dark fly; black and purple or black and blue. I love black and blue.