Euro nymphing observations

[dwa111]

It's been 10 months since I've been in Mifflin and I've tightlined a bunch. Here are a few observations, some of which may be obvious or misguided:

- Swing your flies to end your cast. Do this especially if your flies are moving from faster to slower water. It doesn't matter if your flies don't have feathers, trout will happily eat a perdigon or a walts on the swing.
- Use stealth when needed and learn to cast farther in low water conditions
- Don't be afraid to give your nymphs some movement. Some days you won't catch a fish on the dead drift
- Fly selection priority: 1) Weight/profile 2) style 3) color Keep it simple... walts, frenchies, perdigon or other slim profile nymphs. Put away those hare ears and pheasant tails
- With the above said, fish those pats. They net bigger fish on average. Look for water where this bulky fly won't have trouble getting down
- Rod tip high after you hook a fish and bring the big boys to shallower water
- Always fish the edges. A good portion of the fish I catch out of the main flow
- Always be ready for a fish if your flies are in the water. You could be grabbing a drink and a 16 inch brown will eat your dangling flies

Happy to hear others tips but I thought I'd share my learnings.

 

[Sylvaneous]

I visited my friend out west. An acquaintance of his used to be on the competitive fly fishing circuit. There is pretty much A way they fish and they VACUUM the fish in a 'beat'. It's surprisingly like cane-poling a worm. Things come full circle.
Syl

 

[dwa111]

I have a lot more fishing to do to get to that point!

 

[Bruno]

This is a fly fishing message board

 

[OldLefty]

Based on that one observation I might as well take my nymph box and throw it out with the trash. I've been told my style of tying nymphs makes me a dying breed. This is just more support for that perspective.

 

[Paraleptalata]

I will take your boxes of flies OldLefty. I like fishing flies that look like things in nature. Its kind of fun.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

OldLefty: I'm with you on this....except for Royal Coachman, Humpy, Micky Finn, etc.

 

[timmyt2]

LOL Bruno

 

[Tups]

I would rather deal with ATVs that euro-nymphets.

 

[HeavyWater]

Thanks for posting your observations. I agree that Pats is awesome.

Some people don’t like nymph fishing I guess. But when there no bugs on top and no risers I usually nymph. And I don’t like fishing with a bobber. What they call euro nymphing isn’t much different than how Joe Humphreys taught nymph fishing.

It can be a lot of fun hooking big fish in the heavy water. I guess if there was always rising fish I wouldn’t nymph that much. But a lot of the time the trout are eating below the surface. Or at least they not rising.

 

[jifigz]

To each their own. Fish however you wanna fish. Just enjoy your time in nature while you're on this planet for the short time that you're here.

 

[dwa111]

It's just another technique to catch fish and it's quite fun, at least to me. There is also a skill and feel to it. But of course there's more to FFing than long rods. I go out with my 8 or 9 ft rods plenty, especially lately for smallies. But if I want the best chances to net trout? I'm tightlining.

 

[Billems]

I'm not charmed with the method. Yes, it's deadly effective. You could acheive the same success with a 12ft cane pole. Those tunghead flies are so heavy I call 'em spark plugs. Where's the grace? Where's the beauty in casting? where's the damned fly line? I'll stay with my bamboo fly rod, and tied leaders, dries, wets, nymphs with no beads. And I want nothing to do with competition when I go fishing. That whole tournament trouting thing is vulgar. Okay, back to your regular programming.

 

[wgmiller]

I switched over to tightlining/Euro tactics/flies a year or so ago and it has completely changed my time on the stream, for the better. My fly boxes have gotten simpler and overall I feel like my pack and fly fishing arsenal is much less cluttered. To each their own, but it's been a game changer for me!