Which nymphs should I use?

[Spydeyrch]

So, I am going to be going out to a small local lake trying to get some bows. It will really be my first time fishing with my first fly rod!! I am pretty stoked!!! I am going to be dry fly fishing but also want to try my luck with some nymphs. I am just not too sure which I should try. I might even tie a few at home or there at the lake to see if the take well.

What are some of your suggestions as to which nymphs I should try. Again, I am going to be fishing in a lake going after rainbows. Thanks in advance!!

-Spydey

 

[bigsteel]

gold ribbed hares ear,prince nymph,zug bug,,i would tie some wooley buggers as well

 

[troutdude]

NEVER leave home, without Woolly Buggers...olive, black, and brown.

I also never leave home, without olive green and black Jim Teeney nymphs (or something similar).

I've personally caught FAR MORE trout on the above patterns, than using any other pattern or fishing technique/method.

P.S. Think SLOW retrieve, and then go slower.

 

[Spydeyrch]

Yup, I have about 6 different wooly buggers all of different sizes and colors. one of them I even tied myself!!! I will have to see if I have the material to tie the other ones mentioned.

Think SLOW then go even slower. I like that. I used to tell my climbing students the same think when we would warm up doing our bouldering exercises.

thanks guys for the suggestions. I will have to see if I have any of those other nymphs and if I have material to tie them.

I am excited!!! But I need to make sure that I dress very warm. It is supposed to be around 11 degrees F tomorrow morning up until mid to late morning! COLD!!! And I am going to be wading, maybe using my float tube.

Wish me luck!!

-Spydey

 

[mrlindeman]

What trout dude sayed. Another nymph that would be good is like a caddis pupa under an indicator. You can adjust depth to meet the fishy in the water columb they are hanging out in. The same applies. Just twitch the thing dont strip it in more than maybe 2-3 inches very slowly at a time.

 

[Sinkline]

Spydey, This time of year there is very little bug activity outside of sporadic Choronmidae hatches on most Stillwaters. It takes a pretty heavy hatch to get fish on the surface during Winter. The lethargic Winter lake feeding trout are mostly browsing around near the bottom slowly picknig up things like snails, Daphnia, various larve & immature nymphs. Immature versions of popular Stillwater organism are good choices so long as you fish them near the bottom and as the others's mentioned, SLOWLY.

If you are new to Winter time Stillwater flyfishing I would stick with an olive size 8-leech pattern (Wooly Bugger) and forget the other patterns until you get your "feet wet" with lake fishing.

The line (float or sink) you will need depends on the depth of the water you will be fishing. Just be very PATIENT letting the fly sink and fish the fly just above the weed beds or bottom. Strikes are often nothing more than a heavy feel on the line like the fly has hung in the grass. If you feel anything on the line that doesn't feel normal set the hook.

If you are gonna be fishing freshly stocked hatchery plants then it will be a differnt game than described above as those fish have not figured out where food can be located and are usually swimming about just a foot or two below the surface. If that is the case then use a size-14 soft hackle pattern and your float line.

Good luck.



Randy

 

[halibuthitman]

For the most part I would have ro agree with sinkline...but I wouldn't turn my back on a san jaun worm or any of the brassie's.. chironamid and baetis are gonna be the only active bugs.. fish a san jaun worm near the edges or a dark olive or black bugger until the sun hits the water hard, then some brassie's or soft hackles.. if you tie your own look up a carrot nymph.. and if there are a lot of fresh pellet heads in there tie a scud or prince nymph in pink... silver copper johns also slay hatchery fish on sunny days.. good luck-

 

[mrlindeman]

For the most part I would have ro agree with sinkline...but I wouldn't turn my back on a san jaun worm or any of the brassie's.. chironamid and baetis are gonna be the only active bugs.. fish a san jaun worm near the edges or a dark olive or black bugger until the sun hits the water hard, then some brassie's or soft hackles.. if you tie your own look up a carrot nymph.. and if there are a lot of fresh pellet heads in there tie a scud or prince nymph in pink... silver copper johns also slay hatchery fish on sunny days.. good luck-

Whoe that was some good info Hitman! I learned from that myself. This is the thread and a half we gotta keep this one goin!!

 

[GungasUncle]

Black or olive (or a black & olive!) bugger - size 10 or 8 fished on a 4X tippet. (I'm seeing a theme in this thread - long live the almighty woolly bugger!)

If you want to be potentially more effective, add a 10-12" dropper of 5X off the bend of the bugger, and add a smaller nymph, like a caddis pupae, a soft hackle wet, a zug bug - or get old school and fish a neat old attractor wet fly pattern like the Parmachene Belle, Red Ibis, Partidge & Orange, Royal Coachman, or Leadwing Coachman.