K
kingfish
Can someone help me go over how to properly fish with nymphs? I'm having some trouble trying to figure it out.... any help would b appreciated
Nymph troubles...
S
sapo
That is a difficult question to answer, because there are so many ways to fish nymphs. But I do this method most successfully:
If the river is swift moving and 4+ feet deep, I usually use a stonefly nymph or big prince nymph with a dropper to the target nymph (although the fish will take the big flies also). However, if it's under 4 feet or if it's slow, then what I do is use a strike indicator or piece of fly line as an indicator about 5' above the nymph. Anyway, here's how I fish them-
Nymphing for me is best done in water less than 6 feet deep with a broken surface. Riffles and pocket water are usually the most productive nymphing water. If your whole body is facing upstream (you would have to be in the water for this) I have had success casting upstream and letting the nymph come back to me. However, casting at a 45 degree angle upstream and then letting the fly drift/swing downstream is really effective also. I picked up a few fish yesterday when casting upstream and letting the fly come to me before recasting upstream, but I also had success letting the fly drift across and sort of swinging it downstream.
Pretty much the key is to use the right nymphs and get them in the target water, the methods of fishing them don't need to be exact.
If the river is swift moving and 4+ feet deep, I usually use a stonefly nymph or big prince nymph with a dropper to the target nymph (although the fish will take the big flies also). However, if it's under 4 feet or if it's slow, then what I do is use a strike indicator or piece of fly line as an indicator about 5' above the nymph. Anyway, here's how I fish them-
Nymphing for me is best done in water less than 6 feet deep with a broken surface. Riffles and pocket water are usually the most productive nymphing water. If your whole body is facing upstream (you would have to be in the water for this) I have had success casting upstream and letting the nymph come back to me. However, casting at a 45 degree angle upstream and then letting the fly drift/swing downstream is really effective also. I picked up a few fish yesterday when casting upstream and letting the fly come to me before recasting upstream, but I also had success letting the fly drift across and sort of swinging it downstream.
Pretty much the key is to use the right nymphs and get them in the target water, the methods of fishing them don't need to be exact.
K
kingfish
Thanks for the info!!! What do u use for droppers??
S
sapo
Welcome.
On droppers, it depends what river..but for the weighted fly usually a heavy prince or stonefly nymph works, as for the target nymph below that, it depends the river, and what hatches are going on. I like zebra midges, copper johns, pheasant tails, smaller prince nymphs, scuds, bwo's, green caddis pupa, and many more. If you know the hatches that are going on in the river then you will be a lot more successful.
On droppers, it depends what river..but for the weighted fly usually a heavy prince or stonefly nymph works, as for the target nymph below that, it depends the river, and what hatches are going on. I like zebra midges, copper johns, pheasant tails, smaller prince nymphs, scuds, bwo's, green caddis pupa, and many more. If you know the hatches that are going on in the river then you will be a lot more successful.
K
kingfish
How far do u tie the Flys from eachother
K
kingfish
How do u tell if there's a strike since u can't c the nymph?
T
TimberTodd
I try to keep it to about 18"-24" between flies and if you are using a strike indicator, watch it for movement or to go under. Otherwise watch you line for movement or for it to stop. Watching your line is a lot trickier. Good luck and let us know how you do.
S
Socaaron
Kingfish, the easiest way to attach the two flies is tie the leader from the trailing fly to the bend of the hook on the leading fly using the distance suggested by TT. Even using barbless flies don't worry about it slipping OFF as the odds of that occurring are quite low. Another method I like to use that hasn't been mentioned yet but can be very productive is the dry dropper. Tie a medium to large dry fly(size 14 or bigger) to the end of your leader, then using tippet tie a smaller nymph(size 14-18) to the bend of the dry fly shank. This allows you to fish both the dry and nymph at the same time with the dry fly acting as your strike indicator.
Couple of notes on this method.
My preferred nymph is a bead head pheasant tail, bar none the best all-around nymph in my opinion and great for when you're just not sure what to use, don't worry about going small with this one I've had great success with sizes 18-12
For the dry I personally like a stimulator or something tied with elk hair the extra buoyancy is important, if you know whats hatching and the size is appropriate MATCH THE HATCH!
In central Oregon a hopper is a great choice certain times of the year
And finally casting....lol you need to cast this rig pretty smoothly just like any 2 fly set-up otherwise you'll getting some annoying snarls that will shorten the life span of you leader.
Enjoy!
Couple of notes on this method.
My preferred nymph is a bead head pheasant tail, bar none the best all-around nymph in my opinion and great for when you're just not sure what to use, don't worry about going small with this one I've had great success with sizes 18-12
For the dry I personally like a stimulator or something tied with elk hair the extra buoyancy is important, if you know whats hatching and the size is appropriate MATCH THE HATCH!
In central Oregon a hopper is a great choice certain times of the year
And finally casting....lol you need to cast this rig pretty smoothly just like any 2 fly set-up otherwise you'll getting some annoying snarls that will shorten the life span of you leader.
Enjoy!
Last edited:
jamisonace
This is all good info but watch a couple videos on YouTube then go try it out.
K
kingfish
Thanks a lot guys that's a lot of help
Shaun Solomon
Hopefully it is not too late to reply to this...
I spend most of my time fly fishing nymphing. I enjoy catching fish a little more than watching lint float, and most of the time nymphing will out produce dries or streamers.
Here are a few things to consider.
Number one, if you really want to learn to nymph, don't take dries. Leave the box at home. Dry-dropper fishing is super fun and can be very productive, but it is tangential to learning how to nymph. When I first started fly fishing, I was hitting local hatches (Colorado) with dries and having some pretty good success, but a coworker showed me pictures of some nymph-caught giants, and it got my blood up. So I started nymphig 100% of the time, and it didn't take too long to get it together. You can't learn a new method properly if you don't commit to it.
Number two, don't try to cast nymph rigs. At least, not the way you cast dries. If you must false-cast, do it only once. Slow the casting stroke W-A-Y down and keep a big, ugly open loop. It will save you days of re-rigging. Roll casting (and water loading your back cast if needed) are the only two casts you will need about 95% of the time.
Number three, get a longer rod if it is practical to do so. Nine footers are standard, ten or even longer are good. Don't rule out a switch rod. But remember, you want one with a soft and supple tip. Power in the mid-section will help control surging fish and turn over chunky rigs, but the soft tip will assist in tactile bite detection (more on that in a moment) and protect light tippet if you need to use it. Small flies don't seem to be de rigueur in Oregon, but when they are called for it won't do to be using 3X tippet.
Four, use a longer leader. This will raise some eyebrows, but stay with me here. Tapered leaders are designed to transfer energy efficiently from the fly line to the fly. This makes a lot of sense if you are casting dries, as you want to lay them out nicely, and deliver the fly with accuracy. Nymphs are made to drift at the mercy of the currents, and as long as you can get the terminal of your rig into an area about the size of a hula-hoop on the beginning of the drift, you will be able to correct placement issues with the rod through direct manipulation of the rig or through mending. A progressively stiffer (tapered) leader is not very helpful in nymphing, and indeed many experienced nymphers feel tapered leaders are a hindrance. Who are the best nymphers in the world? The Europeans. They don't use tapered leaders, and neither do I, usually. A long (up to twenty foot) piece of 8, 10, or 12lb. nylon from my butt section or fly line loop is connected to a short "step down" piece of lighter mono, then to my tippet. Stay with me here.
A long piece of lightish nylon (not fluorocarbon, nylon) will just swirl and dance in the current as pretty as you please. The stiff butt section of a tapered leader fights with the water, but mono will go with the flow. Micro-drag is one of the biggest causes for refusal from trout, day in and day out. How many times have you seen a fish zero in on your bug, float along with it for a bit, and back off? You think they decided at the last minute they didn't like the color or the brand of dubbing? They didn't like the way it was moving. My 2¢. So get a long leader and go with the flow.
Five, learn to nymph by feel. There are certainly times and places for bobbers (aka "strike indicators"), and I carry several styles, but whenever I can avoid using them, I do. Unless you are on a perfectly flat piece of low-gradient spring creek with a perfectly flat laminar flow, indicators must be constantly adjusted. Fish this bucket here, move the bobber. Fish that seam there, move the bobber. That riffle? That cutbank? See where this is going? I noticed a long time ago that keeping your hooks wet is the surest way of hooking fish. If you are fiddling with your rig, you are not catching fish. I fiddle with my rig a ton, adding or removing putty weight, or pulling snot-grass off my bugs. Anything I can do to cut-back on the rig-fiddling will keep my flies wet and get me more fish. But there is more to it than that. Direct manipulation of subsurface flies can add an element of attraction. Gear guys call it by another name: jigging. Now I am not saying to sit there and jig the bugs all day, but a little twitch here and there, a little lift now and then, will work wonders in provoking takes. Trust me.
Six, diversify your methods. By all means, learn to western style high stick with bobbers. Then, also learn to French, Polish, and Czech nymph.
Seven, use your eyes. Almost all the fish I catch when I am nymphing I see before I cast to. My eyes are terrible, I am not Captain Eagle Eyes or anything. I just take the time. Seeing a fish is about the surest way I know to prove to yourself that there is a fish there to be caught. Seeing a fish gives you so much information. I like to use the fish as my indicator. If I know my bugs are in his kitchen, and he eats something, well, I am not the smartest guy in the world, but I can do that math. Set to the fish and you will have a lot more success than if you wait for the bobber to give you permission.
I guess that is about all I got for now.
Cheers.
SS
I spend most of my time fly fishing nymphing. I enjoy catching fish a little more than watching lint float, and most of the time nymphing will out produce dries or streamers.
Here are a few things to consider.
Number one, if you really want to learn to nymph, don't take dries. Leave the box at home. Dry-dropper fishing is super fun and can be very productive, but it is tangential to learning how to nymph. When I first started fly fishing, I was hitting local hatches (Colorado) with dries and having some pretty good success, but a coworker showed me pictures of some nymph-caught giants, and it got my blood up. So I started nymphig 100% of the time, and it didn't take too long to get it together. You can't learn a new method properly if you don't commit to it.
Number two, don't try to cast nymph rigs. At least, not the way you cast dries. If you must false-cast, do it only once. Slow the casting stroke W-A-Y down and keep a big, ugly open loop. It will save you days of re-rigging. Roll casting (and water loading your back cast if needed) are the only two casts you will need about 95% of the time.
Number three, get a longer rod if it is practical to do so. Nine footers are standard, ten or even longer are good. Don't rule out a switch rod. But remember, you want one with a soft and supple tip. Power in the mid-section will help control surging fish and turn over chunky rigs, but the soft tip will assist in tactile bite detection (more on that in a moment) and protect light tippet if you need to use it. Small flies don't seem to be de rigueur in Oregon, but when they are called for it won't do to be using 3X tippet.
Four, use a longer leader. This will raise some eyebrows, but stay with me here. Tapered leaders are designed to transfer energy efficiently from the fly line to the fly. This makes a lot of sense if you are casting dries, as you want to lay them out nicely, and deliver the fly with accuracy. Nymphs are made to drift at the mercy of the currents, and as long as you can get the terminal of your rig into an area about the size of a hula-hoop on the beginning of the drift, you will be able to correct placement issues with the rod through direct manipulation of the rig or through mending. A progressively stiffer (tapered) leader is not very helpful in nymphing, and indeed many experienced nymphers feel tapered leaders are a hindrance. Who are the best nymphers in the world? The Europeans. They don't use tapered leaders, and neither do I, usually. A long (up to twenty foot) piece of 8, 10, or 12lb. nylon from my butt section or fly line loop is connected to a short "step down" piece of lighter mono, then to my tippet. Stay with me here.
A long piece of lightish nylon (not fluorocarbon, nylon) will just swirl and dance in the current as pretty as you please. The stiff butt section of a tapered leader fights with the water, but mono will go with the flow. Micro-drag is one of the biggest causes for refusal from trout, day in and day out. How many times have you seen a fish zero in on your bug, float along with it for a bit, and back off? You think they decided at the last minute they didn't like the color or the brand of dubbing? They didn't like the way it was moving. My 2¢. So get a long leader and go with the flow.
Five, learn to nymph by feel. There are certainly times and places for bobbers (aka "strike indicators"), and I carry several styles, but whenever I can avoid using them, I do. Unless you are on a perfectly flat piece of low-gradient spring creek with a perfectly flat laminar flow, indicators must be constantly adjusted. Fish this bucket here, move the bobber. Fish that seam there, move the bobber. That riffle? That cutbank? See where this is going? I noticed a long time ago that keeping your hooks wet is the surest way of hooking fish. If you are fiddling with your rig, you are not catching fish. I fiddle with my rig a ton, adding or removing putty weight, or pulling snot-grass off my bugs. Anything I can do to cut-back on the rig-fiddling will keep my flies wet and get me more fish. But there is more to it than that. Direct manipulation of subsurface flies can add an element of attraction. Gear guys call it by another name: jigging. Now I am not saying to sit there and jig the bugs all day, but a little twitch here and there, a little lift now and then, will work wonders in provoking takes. Trust me.
Six, diversify your methods. By all means, learn to western style high stick with bobbers. Then, also learn to French, Polish, and Czech nymph.
Seven, use your eyes. Almost all the fish I catch when I am nymphing I see before I cast to. My eyes are terrible, I am not Captain Eagle Eyes or anything. I just take the time. Seeing a fish is about the surest way I know to prove to yourself that there is a fish there to be caught. Seeing a fish gives you so much information. I like to use the fish as my indicator. If I know my bugs are in his kitchen, and he eats something, well, I am not the smartest guy in the world, but I can do that math. Set to the fish and you will have a lot more success than if you wait for the bobber to give you permission.
I guess that is about all I got for now.
Cheers.
SS
P
playhooky
Thanks for all that SS. New to nymphing I spent seven hours in the water last week on the Crooked and pulled two small Redbands to hand...I mean small (5-6" fish). Happy? No...not happy but better off than my partner which couldn't get the skunk out of the box. I concluded that I was not getting in the zone. I know there were prizes in that beautiful water, but out of ignorance I just didn't have the skills to succeed. I'm doing a lot of reading and will be at the bench again soon to tie some offerings that will test my vision....I'm sure 14's and 16's were just too much bug! I need to leave my rod & vest at home one of these days and find a willing soul on the water that I could wade with and just learn some basics from. I've got a lot to learn so always glad to see a post like yours. Thanks again. In the meantime I'm searching for small easy-to-tie nymph patterns that'll work on the Crooked in October. I'm going back after em'. Cheers!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
T
TimberTodd
A lot of good info and insight Shaun. Thanks for sharing it.
C
ChezJfrey
Very fine post, Shaun Solomon.
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