High-Stick Nymphing

[gochs]

Just a few weeks ago, I got sick of indicators and took a chance with high-sticking. I caught the most fish I've caught nymphing ever. I felt every hit (and rock and snag). Ever since, I haven't touched my Thingamabobbers. I have a couple questions:

1. Is this method successful all year? The excessive amounts of rain has the streams raging, which is good for nymphing. But could I high-stick when the flows calm down?

2. Should I be using some kind of indicator, like a coiled mono? My line is tight, and when the water clears, I'll be going down a tippet size. Could the coiled mono act as a "shock absorber?" Or am I being too crazy about it?

3. Anyone have some tips/hints that I should know about? I haven't researched the different types (Euro/Czech), does one outshine the rest?

My setup is two flies, a shot a few inches up, then a 9 foot leader.

And by the way, this is a lot more fun than watching an indicator!

 

[Fishidiot]

The answer to question #1 is definitely yes.

As for indicators, you can use a variety of them with high stick nymphing including coiled line (the latest fad) or older style cork or yarn clumps. As a general point, I recommend beginning FFers definitely use some sort of indicator when nymphing.
Many more experienced FFers don't care for indicators. I still use them fairly frequently but not always, esp on smaller waters.

 

[Nymph-O-Maniac]

gochs wrote:
Just a few weeks ago, I got sick of indicators and took a chance with high-sticking. I caught the most fish I've caught nymphing ever. I felt every hit (and rock and snag). Ever since, I haven't touched my Thingamabobbers. I have a couple questions:

1. Is this method successful all year? The excessive amounts of rain has the streams raging, which is good for nymphing. But could I high-stick when the flows calm down?

2. Should I be using some kind of indicator, like a coiled mono? My line is tight, and when the water clears, I'll be going down a tippet size. Could the coiled mono act as a "shock absorber?" Or am I being too crazy about it?

3. Anyone have some tips/hints that I should know about? I haven't researched the different types (Euro/Czech), does one outshine the rest?

My setup is two flies, a shot a few inches up, then a 9 foot leader.

And by the way, this is a lot more fun than watching an indicator!

This is how i learned how to fly fish. To me its super exciting and I can never get bored doing this method.

Id recommend using a dry fly as your indicator. You'd be suprised how many fish you catch on your dropper or your dry. It can get super exciting. Some tips or tricks would be to do lots of research on this method. Definetely try to use the line mending if you are shooting out tons of line but if you are throwing close to your body then just make sure you have the correct weight on.

 

[afishinado]

I most often use the end of my leader as a "sighter" by smearing some strke putty on it or tying on a bright colored piece of mono or backing.

Don't throw away your thingies though! When fishing across the stream over multiple lanes of current, an indy usually works best since you can mend and get a decent drift at some distance.

Above a dry/dropper was mentioned. This rig works well in skinny water and/or when fish are feeding up the column.

No rig is THE rig. The more arrows in your quiver the better chance you have for success.

 

[whheff]

All the above tips are spot on.
My tip would be to check you dropper fly connection every few fish. I have lost some nice fish because I didn't do this.
I am also using the sink putty instead of shot.

 

[Acristickid]

I pretty much have made the switch away from indicators, however; as said, there is no one method that is going to work all the time. I will use thingambobbers for deeper waters, where the drifts are further away and for most steelhead situations.

Highsticking to me is good for pocket water or some deeper water where you can get drifts at close range.

A sighter or indicator is kinda moot since your keeping the line tight when highsticking.

Czech nymphing where you still lead the nymphs (keep your rod ahead of your flies) because there still could be slack. I also find Czech nymphing the easiest of the euro methods to employ. The bolded part of this paragraph has been an importnat lesson and has proved to be successful for me. If you stay in contact with your flies it is possible that you can be successful with no sighter.

I would say the the coiled indicator is employed for the Spanish/French metods moreso than Czech but not exclusively, just what I seem to gather since czech is closer and more a tight lined method.

I use heavily weighted flies or shot on the line near the point fly (the end of the line) and employ a dropper with the tag end of a blood knot about 2 feet up the line. I am not too anal about my placements so I have no precise measurfements or rules. I might also try the the looped droppers- instead of the tagend droppers. You can make them up ahead of time and have them at the ready- perhaps in the future.

There seems to be some debate over who invented or who promotes these methods-to me it's just noise in the system and serves no purpose except for internet fodder. Since I have never seen a person claimed they invented it- ha!

Cabelas has or had a dvd on Euro nymphing with Vladi. Arron Jasper from TPO also has a Euro nymphing video. Both I thought for an angler who has not euro nymphed would be helpful. These are the only two I have watched.

 

[pcray1231]

Congrats on graduating past the indicator stage and onto the tight line nymphing stage, lol.

1. Yes, all year. However, the weakness is fishing far off or in slow water, indi's still have their place there. High sticking works best for me in faster runs and pocket water.

2. Thats up to you. Most often, I don't, I rely on feel and I've got good eyes for seeing line, leader, tippet knots, etc. But every situation is different.

3. The one trick I'll add is that you don't have to rid yourself of the indi and retool. Noone ever made a law that says the indi has to be on the water as a float. When you go from indi nymphing to nymphing on a short, tight line, the indi simply lifts off of the surface with the rest of your leader and line. It's not really in use at that point, but unless the fish are ultra spooky, it's not hurting anything either, and it adds versatility for those few times you want to make a longer cast.

 

[gochs]

Thanks guys! It's all great stuff. I think right now I don't necessarily need an indicator, because I've basically fished at Spruce Creek and Spring, both are rather small. I do lead my nymphs, so if I get a take, I feel it immediately. It feels like now, without using an indicator, I'm not missing subtle strikes, so I'm hooking up more.

And I've also learned I have to work on my hookset. (Wasn't there a post named "Don't set the hook like a sissy?" haha)

 

[flipnfly]

try this blue quill angler czech page and this and this