Nymphing

[nawilliams]

Hey I'm tryin to expand my understanding of techniques and I'm wanting to see how everyone, if you do, fishes with nymphs, i.e., favorite nymphs, favorite rig to use, ect. Any advice is awesome as well!

I have tried throwing nymphs before, both as a dropper an with a float, but never seem to have any luck, nor do I have any confidence in it. I always end up wanting to just dump all my nymphs in the water and walking away!

 

[lancer09]

I've never had a ton of luck DRIFTING nymphs, when I fish them I usually high stick them, just because I like having a feel of the line.

 

[williamhj]

I fish nymphs though prefer dries. As for favorite nymphs, whatever is working! It depends on where and when I'm fishing as to what is working. Sharing where you are or where you fish might help folks give some specific fly advice

I fish a two nymph rig where a heavy nymph is suspended under an indicator and a lighter/smaller nymph trailing behind it. I try to get the heavy nymph close to or even bouncing off the bottom. To do this I adjust the length of tippet between the indicator and use either the weight of the fly or weight on the tippet. On a river I usually start with a tippet length about twice the depth of the river to get the fly down and adjust from there till I tick bottom periodically without losing a fly every other cast. For dry, dropper I tend to use just one nymph, but again my selection depends on what they are hitting. I often don't use as much weight as, unless I'm using a big foam hopper, the heavy nymph will sink my dry fly.

Unless you know exactly what they want, nymphing is often a trial and error game. Use different flies, switch up your trailing fly till you find something they take. If you fish with someone else, it's a good idea to use different flies until one of you starts catching fish.

If you can, go out with a guide and say you want to learn to nymph. A buddy and I got a 1/2 day trip through group-on and I learned a ton! Guides can get you into nice fish, but I find real benefit when I can learn from them.

 

[mcnerney]

Check out the Video Library, there are several videos on nymph fishing. Also look on YouTube and do a search for nymph fishing, lots of information there. Rick Haffele has a great book on nymph fishing called "Nymph Fishing Rivers and Streams".
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Nymph-Fishing-Rivers-Stream-Biologists-Surface/dp/0811701697/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340120102&sr=1-1&keywords=nymph+fishing+rivers+and+streams"]Amazon.com: Nymph-Fishing Rivers & Stream: A Biologist's View of Taking Trout Below the Surface (9780811701693): Rick Hafele: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mYVTbd9lL.@@AMEPARAM@@51mYVTbd9lL[/ame]

 

[MoscaPescador]

Hey I'm tryin to expand my understanding of techniques and I'm wanting to see how everyone, if you do, fishes with nymphs, i.e., favorite nymphs, favorite rig to use, ect. Any advice is awesome as well!

I have tried throwing nymphs before, both as a dropper an with a float, but never seem to have any luck, nor do I have any confidence in it. I always end up wanting to just dump all my nymphs in the water and walking away!

Best advice? Go fish with someone who knows how to effectively fish nymph rigs and observe. If that means hiring a guide, make that happen.

Other advice? Learn how to control your drifts by managing your line. Learn how to mend your line and how to limit the amount of drag on the line by the current.

Favorite nymphs? It varies. I am mostly a match the hatch kind of guy.

Favorite rig? If I am going to strictly nymph, I have a dedicated leader system. It starts with three feet of heavy butt section material (30 pound test). If I use an indicator, it is placed on the butt section. Connected to that, I will have five to six feet of 2x or 3x leader material. That makes the leader body. I connect the butt section and the leader body with a small swivel. I will connect about 1.5 to 2 feet of smaller diameter tippet to the leader body. I use a tippet ring between the leader body and the tippet. I place my weight above the tippet ring.

Easy rig? Get a 7.5 to 9 foot leader. Tie a piece of tippet to it. Put an indicator about one to one and a half the depth of the water from the first fly. Add some weight about six inches to a foot above your fly if you need to. Find a fishy piece, and enjoy.

The reality of it all is that nymphing is probably the most effective way to fly fish once you get the technique down. During the day, most fish will hunker down deep picking off food that drifts down their way.

If you continue to have issues nymphing, go back to my best advice.

Dennis

 

[kayo]

Get the nymph down. Add enough weight to bounce of the bottom.

 

[nawilliams]

What are you all using as an indicator?

 

[siskiyoublues]

Favorite rig? If I am going to strictly nymph, I have a dedicated leader system. It starts with three feet of heavy butt section material (30 pound test). If I use an indicator, it is placed on the butt section. Connected to that, I will have five to six feet of 2x or 3x leader material. That makes the leader body. I connect the butt section and the leader body with a small swivel. I will connect about 1.5 to 2 feet of smaller diameter tippet to the leader body. I use a tippet ring between the leader body and the tippet. I place my weight above the tippet ring.

I dig this set up, I am going to give it a shot.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[MoscaPescador]

What are you all using as an indicator?

I use Thingamabobbers.

 

[mikel]

Best advice? Go fish with someone who knows how to effectively fish nymph rigs and observe. If that means hiring a guide, make that happen.

If you want to take a couple of years off your learning curve, follow this advice.

 

[MoscaPescador]

I dig this set up, I am going to give it a shot.
Thanks for sharing!

In those deeper pocket waters of the Upper Sac, McCloud, Pit, make your leader body a bit longer. I'm sure that know how deep those holes get.

Dennis

 

[siskiyoublues]

In those deeper pocket waters of the Upper Sac, McCloud, Pit, make your leader body a bit longer. I'm sure that know how deep those holes get.

Dennis

Oh Yeah,
I''ve been fuddling with 7.5 foot tapered leaders constantly cutting off and tying on bits.
I've been trying to figure away to do away with all of it and just use a butt and straight leader and never thought of the tippet ring.
Good stuff.

 

[nawilliams]

If you want to take a couple of years off your learning curve, follow this advice.

I would, but at moment I don't know anyone that lives close enough that actually consistently and effectively fishes nymphs, and guides, though I really would consider that option, aren't anywhere close. Living in Oklahoma where there is really only two "trout" streams doesn't help!

 

[mikel]

I would, but at moment I don't know anyone that lives close enough that actually consistently and effectively fishes nymphs, and guides, though I really would consider that option, aren't anywhere close. Living in Oklahoma where there is really only two "trout" streams doesn't help!

sounds like you need a vacation in Colorado or Arkansas . Lot's of good advice here. It's really not a difficult way to fish, as long as you understand mending and line control to get a good drift. The best set up in the world will not catch fish without a decent dead drift. Once you learn to mend, the rest is cake. Good luck. -m

 

[MoscaPescador]

I would, but at moment I don't know anyone that lives close enough that actually consistently and effectively fishes nymphs, and guides, though I really would consider that option, aren't anywhere close. Living in Oklahoma where there is really only two "trout" streams doesn't help!

Have you looked around for a fly fishing club in Oklahoma?

Many clubs have mentoring programs.

Dennis

 

[freebird630]

If you want to take a couple of years off your learning curve, follow this advice.

I agree with the above posters as I was clueless on nymph fishing when I started using a fly rod and my fishing partner was an expert so he spent a lot of time with me teaching me techniques on nymph fishing. His help greatly helped my learning curve and I nymph fish 95% of the time. I only dry fly fish when I see a lot of surface action and can identify a pattern that matchs what ever they are feeding on.

 

[milt spawn]

Get as deep as possible without snagging up. Find a reason to set the hook on each drift. Turn over some rocks or use a seine and mimic the available food. And google up "Leisenring Lift", that and its variations should help. milt.

 

[thewalker1013]

I would, but at moment I don't know anyone that lives close enough that actually consistently and effectively fishes nymphs, and guides, though I really would consider that option, aren't anywhere close. Living in Oklahoma where there is really only two "trout" streams doesn't help!

There's a yahoo group called blue river flyfishers that you should join, lots of folks to fish with in that area. Also hold a great One Fly event, the first was this February.

Great flies I've used there are dead-drifted woolly buggers and Rainbow Warriors, also standard Hare's Ears, pheasant tails, zebra midges, rs2s. I wouldn't be caught dead on any of the rivers I fish (in TX, OK, and CO) without some of all of these in various sizes in my box. Also always carry a good caddis larva pattern

 

[JoJer]

Since no one else has mentioned it...
I get my best results with nymphs when I fish the edges of slots. The old standard rule for trout is- where the most water goes through the narrowest spot is where the fish are. The sides of those slots, where the fish can stay out of the heaviest current and still see all the food going by is where your nymph should be presented deep and drag free. That means starting the drift well enough above the target area so the bug has time to get well down.
Since nymph rigs tend to be a mess to cast and control, try for short drifts and easy, short water loaded casts.

 

[kayo]

Nymphing Tactics