tactics

How to Be a Great Nymph Fisherman

By Scott Richmond

Getting your nymph down near the bottom can make the difference between a good day and casting practice. But those last few inches of depth can be difficult to achieve. Find out how to do it.

o you know the difference between a good nymph fisherman and a great nymph fisherman?" an angler once asked. "One split shot!" he said, answering his own question.

It was a good answer. When fishing for trout in rivers, most nymphs need to be presented no more than 10 inches from the bottom. When nymphing, just a few extra inches in depth can make the difference between casting practice and a day you'll remember the rest of your life. Unfortunately, those extra inches can be hard to achieve. Here are a few tips to help you get your fly down where it belongs.

1. Weight on the leader. This can be a split shot, a "Twist On," or moldable weight. Add the weight 12-18 inches from the fly. (Remember: adding weight to the leader is against the regulations on Oregon fly-fishing-only waters). Unfortunately, weight on the leader will make your rig difficult to cast. It's very easy to get the leader hopelessly tangled around the weight. Also, accuracy and distance are sacrificed. For easier casting, open up your casting loop when tossing a weighted rig. The longer and thinner your weight, the easier it is to cast. That's why I usually use the moldable stuff; I squeeze it around the leader in a ball, then roll it out so it's thin (the same way I made "snakes" with Playdough when I was a kid). Many fly shops sell handy dispensers with several sizes of shot. For all products, there are good alternatives to using lead; while not as dense, they are more environmentally friendly.
2. Use a weighted fly. Buy or tie flies with weight under the dubbing, or with a beadhead. (Basically, a beadhead is a split shot on the fly instead of on the leader). A beadhead makes it easier for a small fly to not get "fat" and out of proportion due to weight under the dubbing.
3. Use a two fly rig. With very small nymphs, such as the size 18 or 20 nymphs that imitate blue-winged olives, you can't put enough weight on the fly to make it sink quickly in moderate to fast current. A solution is to use a very heavy fly, such as a heavily weighted stonefly nymph, in combination with the small fly. An advantage of a two-fly rig is that you present two different patterns to the trout. A disadvantage is that when the rig is irretrievably hung up on a submerged rock, you will loose twice as many flies.
4. User thinner leader. Drag is proportionate to the thickness of the leader. So using thinner leader creates less drag, which lets the fly sink faster.
5. Pile line. After your fly hits the water, throw in a quick mini-cast or two so slack line piles on top of the water at the point where the fly went in. This reduces drag and lets the fly sink faster.

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 11/25/1998.

Rate This Article

5=tops  3=average  1=low

You must be registered and logged-in to rate an article. How to do this.

This article has not yet been rated.