The Orvis Wonderline Easy Mend is the long belly version of Orvis’ Wonderline. The #6 Easy Mend has a 48ft head (6” tip, 6’ front taper, 34’ belly and 8’ rear taper). It’s not that much longer than a standard WF head but enough to make a difference. Typically, a WF head is around 40ft. Nor are the dimensions in line with current trends for very long rear tapers, but it all works well together.

This generation of Wonderline has an extremely slick surface. The coating has a degree of stiffness – supple but not squashy. From the spool, there is a little coil memory, which comes out with a pull. Where that firm, slick coating comes into play is through the rings. It is free running, smooth hauling and free shooting.

Orvis has nail-knotted a short length of mono to the tip and with a perfection loop at the business end, which is nice of them but the knot and loop are bulky. I’d rather nail-knot my own leader on there – so snip! On the other hand, that is a good reminder that tippet sized mono is too thin for attaching to the tip of a fly line. Line design means the mass tapers, reducing smoothly from the belly to the tip of the fly-line. Ideally that taper should continue into the leader. An abrupt change from fly-line tip to say typical 6lb tippet material means a large discontinuity and the tip of the line will tend to kick as the loop turns over. Far better to have a thick butt section (maybe 25lb to 30lb mono) and taper the leader to the tippet.

Casting, the Easy Mend is a nicely balanced line. I can gentle down and make the tip turn over smoothly, or tighten up and make the turnover positive. With the rear taper in the rings I am effectively in the same situation I would be with a DT line. Delivering a fly up to 55ft or so, I need shoot no line, one of the reasons for better presentation with a DT line. Of course, if I want to cast slack into a presentation it helps if I’m in control, which is exactly where the Easy Mend name comes from. That longer head gives me more control at that end of the casting scale. However, fly lines with longer bellies also lend themselves to longer false casting and that means distance – which is fun with this line.

Orvis’ designer has opted not to take the diameter of the running line very thin. Thin running line is great for shoot but not so good for long-range mends and reaches. This strikes a very pleasing balance – thin enough to let me shoot well, thick enough and stiff enough so I can false cast well beyond the head, and super control while the line is shooting and once on the water.
This is a first class general purpose line.