Jessed wrote:
if I like it I'll completely switch to that style.
Why limit yourself to one way? Indi rigs, dry/dropper, etc. all have their place and being able to do them all as needed will make you a better fisherman. Tightline/Euro nymphing is not a silver bullet. Do not fall into the trap of thinking it is.
First thing I've noticed was how long it was from the loop to the tippet ring.
Yeah. Tight line leader set ups should be fairly long. A lot of people prefer to have no fly line out past their rod tip when actually fishing. Personally, I prefer about a foot or so of fly line past the tip.
I'm assuming you add as much tippit to the tippit ring needed for the depth you will be fishing?
Yes, and that length will typically be notably longer than the actual depth of the water you are fishing. The tippet/leader usually fishes at an angle through the water column. Changing that angle will also allow you to fish different depth without constant re-rigging.
As far as weight goes it seems confusing, I've noticed if you use a lot of weight you're feeling your split shot not your fly and that's not what you want and if you don't you can't really feel your fly with out jigging it and that's not presenting the fly naturally.
Weight, whether it be on the flies themselves or added to your tippet, should be enough to get the flies down quickly, but it is not necessarily there for you to feel the flies or detect strikes. It's there to sink your flies and take the slack our of your rig. The goal of having weighted flies or shot on your leader is to fish properly at the desired depth. IMO, don't worry about feeling the bottom or your flies. Feedback should be primarily visual. You are not dragging a grappling hook along the bottom. Watch the angle of your leader as it enters the water and amount of slack in the leader. The angle should generally be sharper as the water gets shallower and swifter, closer to vertical in deeper and slower water. If you cannot adapt to depth and current by changing how long you let the flies sink before beginning to lead them or speed at which you lead them, then ad weight in small increments or switch to heavier flies. You can also add a little weight if you are having trouble keeping slack out of the leader. With that said many anglers use way to much additional weight when it is not needed. Which brings me to a related point...
Something that you will occasionally see is guys tying outrageously large and heavy "anchor" flies. These are usually misguided attempts by anglers who have not learned how to properly lead their flies in the drift, or do not have confidence that their flies are deep. That's not so say there aren't times when decent amount of weight is needed, but the goal should be to have just enough weight to get the job done.
I'm also a bit confused on detecting strikes? It seems like it would be super difficult! Any tips would be greatly appreciated
If you are fishing correctly you will see them in your sighter and often feel them also. Even though you are fishing a "tight" line without slack, you will still see the sighter pause and any small amount of slack or memory in the leader be drawn tight on the strike. You will learn to distinguish actual takes from snags or dragging bottom. However, you should set the hook on everything. Even after you get accustomed to fishing this way, just set the hook whenever you sighter does anything unexpected. Sighter twitches, set the hook. Sighter slows down, set the hook. Sighter changes direction, set the hook. Feel a tap, set the hook. Line feels "heavy", set the hook. etc. etc. etc.
Often enough it will be a fish.
