Do Nymph Types Really Matter?

[JeffK]

I think Kray said it best. IMHO, top or bottom most of the time trout will feed opportunistically and most reasonable patterns work. But when there is a super hatch with a whole bunch of some bug either swimming around or floating on top fish will key onto that bug. I had one buddy who always fished pheasant tails under water and he generally caught tons of fish and big ones too. But there are times it does matter.

 

[Tigereye]

Hard to say if you need to match specific nymphs. As others posted a generic nymph. Ie PT, HE, Prince, etc, in the right sizes can be effective in multiple situations. Depth, natural drift and time in the strike zone play a big part. Occasionally a little bling ( bead, flashback, hot spot, wire rib) will help. Sometimes it hurts.

Still, if i decide to kill a fish or two, on stream autopsy usually shows fish can have midge pupae and helgramites in their gut. To me it says one of two things, fish are opportunistic predators eating what they can catch, or 2 i can only catch the dumb ones not focused on a particular bug.

 

[PennKev]

That's true.

Another way to see this is when two people are fishing together and one is catching far more trout than the other. Then the first guy gives the second guy one of his nymphs, and now the second guy starts also catching a lot of trout.

In both cases, the fly made a big difference.

I've seen just as many times, probably more, when the second guy still can't buy a bite. Even after re-rigging so that all aspects of fly, weight, leader length, tipped diameter etc. are a match.

I've also fished with others were 2 or 3 of us all fished very different flies but all had excellent results.

There are many variables when it comes to catching fish. Fly selction is often surprisingly low of the list of things that needs to be figured exactly.

 

[caddisflyer]

I've seen just as many times, probably more, when the second guy still can't buy a bite. Even after re-rigging so that all aspects of fly, weight, leader length, tipped diameter etc. are a match.

I've also fished with others were 2 or 3 of us all fished very different flies but all had excellent results.

There are many variables when it comes to catching fish. Fly selction is often surprisingly low of the list of things that needs to be figured exactly.

I agree. A live crayfish or Cranefly larvae(waterworm) will catch trout almost anytime and anywhere. It does not matter if they are on dry flies or what. They just love them. Yet an imitation of the same critters ,although sometimes effective, does not seem to trigger the same response. Same could be said about Stonecats and smallmouth. On one hand the fish are super selective and only want a specific insect on the other they go nuts for the same bait almost anytime. In other words there are still things we can learn about what triggers them.

 

[caddisflyer]

I think Kray said it best. IMHO, top or bottom most of the time trout will feed opportunistically and most reasonable patterns work. But when there is a super hatch with a whole bunch of some bug either swimming around or floating on top fish will key onto that bug. I had one buddy who always fished pheasant tails under water and he generally caught tons of fish and big ones too. But there are times it does matter.

A small pheasant tail dropper is a good choice!

 

[Dr.J 1952]

I think it depends on the stream you are fishing. Stocked trout will take most anything the first week or so. They get pickier as the season progresses. A few patterns can simulate the same thing. I tie sulphur nymph imitations on a pattern from Dan Shields at Fly Fishers Paradise in State College. Once on Spring Creek, my buddy and I were using that pattern and we seemed to be the only ones catching fish. A pheasant tail or a hare’s ear in a dark brown are very similar to the sulphur nymph pattern. Sometimes you need something different. That’s why I’ll tie a Hare’s Ear in the traditional manner or with a gold bead head or a gold bead head with a flashback. I usually tie my bead heads on a scud hook. I probably carry too many flies but there has been many occasions where that fly I tied years ago and never used works. Fished Yellow Breeches once and wasn’t having luck. Switched to #14 Hares Ear and started catching fish. There’s no one answer.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

The fishing manager at an Orvis shop told me in his experience he doesn't really think it matters what type of nymph you use. If a trout sees a nymph drifting by, and they're feeding, it's going to take it regardless. Thoughts on this? I'm a little overwhelmed by all the different flies (and/or nymhs), and I'm never sure which to use without stopping in a fly shop located where I'm fishing and asking. But this also seems like a way to accumulate a ton of different flies and presents the challenge of remembering where to fish which flies...

Keep it simple. Its easy to to get overwhelmed. I would suggest "less is more" works when it comes to setting up fly boxes. I have boxes set up by bead size because I put more importance in that. In a2 sided box marked for 3.3 mm bead heads, I might have perdigons, Walt's worms,pheasant tails, hares ear, and killer bugs but varied in hook sizes(12-18), body and bead colors, Crystal flash tailing and ribbing, CDC collars, etc. If I'm catching fish on a tan perdigon and I lose my last of that color, fishing a tan hares with the same bead size usually works better than a smaller or bigger bead head but same pattern and color.
I have sulphurs,march brown, blue quill, bwo, etc patterns in boxes with dries and emergers and catch fish on them. But they are usually on days where I'm anticipating a hatch and am targeting the type of water that insect is present on that day. Knowing the insects, sections of crick they like, if they swim or cling, etc.is good stuff to know but probably not for a beginner.
I feel like the best advice I have for somebody getting in to nymphing would be spend time getting better at knot tying so you can change flies faster on the water.And when you're on the water slow down, flip some rocks ,observe small fishes, and just learn to " read water."
Enjoy fly fishing.

 

[bigjohn358]

95% of the time I have a pheasant tail numph of some sort on. It represents so many different types of nymphs that it just works. I'll have other nymphs on with this to represent something else or fish a different zone in the water but the pheasant tail is always my confidence fly. I have all kinds of variations of pheasant tails.