best way to fish nymphs?

[robkonowitch]

I realize that I have spent a great deal of time attempting to fish without propper presentation.

When fishing nymphs, should I dead drift them or strip them in?

 

[krayfish]

Most of the time, dead drift mimics what the fish see. Certain nymphs or specific hatches...swinging can be jre effective. I had takes on the strip as I was getting ready to re-cast but I write them off as a fluke.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Like Krayfish said, most nymphs are fished dead drift. That being said, you can strip them slowly. There are swimming nymphs.

 

[robkonowitch]

Thanks!!!

 

[RonB]

I mainly dead drift them but I also twitch them to the surface at the end of the drift at times. Also try hand retrieves depending on the nymph I am using

 

[BrookieChaser]

I should add, if you're going to strip nymphs, I would recommend looking at the hand-twist retrieve.

 

[lv2nymph]

Active Nymphing
Aggressive Strategies
(For casting, rigging,& moving nymphs)
By: Rich Osthoff
A good read this winter,for those times when a good dead drift just doesn't cut it.

 

[robkonowitch]

All advice is GREAT

 

[marcq]

always fish them tandem. I dead drift them as long as I can then let it swing then give it two or three strips then throw it back and repeat.
don't know what the swing represents maybe an emerging bug moving up in the water but the strip is trying to make the nymph looking like it swimming up to the surface.

 

[Fishidiot]

robkonowitch wrote:
When fishing nymphs, should I dead drift them or strip them in?

I'd suggest that you approach nymphing as a dead drift fishing method.

As others above have pointed out (correctly), you can catch fish with movement or stripping the fly... however my personal recommendation is that you focus on dead drift presentations at this point in your progression. This means that you should practice upstream presentations and focus on strike detection. If you're a fairly good caster with some fly fishing experience, you can fish tandem flies as marcq suggests, but if you are new to fly fishing I'd recommend you fish one fly at a time as this will reduce tangles. Work on short presentations - this is often referred to as "high sticking" - where you hold the rod up to keep line off the water. I also strongly recommend you utilize strike indicators if you are hoping to improve your success with nymphs as detecting strikes during dead drift presentations is difficult. Strike indicators can really help beginning nymph fishermen.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Fishidiot wrote:

robkonowitch wrote:
When fishing nymphs, should I dead drift them or strip them in?

I'd suggest that you approach nymphing as a dead drift fishing method.

As others above have pointed out (correctly), you can catch fish with movement or stripping the fly... however my personal recommendation is that you focus on dead drift presentations at this point in your progression. This means that you should practice upstream presentations and focus on strike detection. If you're a fairly good caster with some fly fishing experience, you can fish tandem flies as marcq suggests, but if you are new to fly fishing I'd recommend you fish one fly at a time as this will reduce tangles. Work on short presentations - this is often referred to as "high sticking" - where you hold the rod up to keep line off the water. I also strongly recommend you utilize strike indicators if you are hoping to improve your success with nymphs as detecting strikes during dead drift presentations is difficult. Strike indicators can really help beginning nymph fishermen.

This is good advice.

 

[osprey]

I agree with a dead drift but i have to add that "Leisenring Lift" on the end of the cast .........nice and slow but not too slow , straight up.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Dead drift below a dry fly indicator works good for me.