long line nymphing

[bam]

Scenario is a 20 ft wide stream approximately 2 feet deep with high banks on either side... rather uniform, but slow current with trout spaced out evenly. Water is gin clear and smooth on the surface. Got casting room from way above or way below the fish but the closest you're getting without spooking the trout is 30 feet or more. Fish are feeding in the bottom 1/3rd of the water column... probably on midge larvae.

I typically skip this water since one spooked fish at the tail or head ruins the whole stretch, but today I spent some time on a couple sections like these and was rewarded with a nice 12 inch brown on a small phesant tail. Catching that one felt better than the dozen I dredged up in faster water. Took me forever just to get into position and made it count on the first cast. I tried for a few others, but screwed it up with an errant cast or a plop on the surface from some small shot. Floating indicators were a no-no. For me, this is the toughest scenario out there. You need to time the sink rate so the bottom doesn't mess up the drift and perfect casts are a must. Other than learning some patience, how do I up my odds when long line nymphing?

 

[Maurice]

get out of the frog water......Luca Brazzi sleeps with tha fishes.

If yer gonna live with tha fishes, your only choice is to either cast to risers or high stick those close to you on the bottom.

Its resting water for them, rewards are sparce. they are not there to feed. Its opportunistic for them. Make it exciting for them and they may bite.

 

[Fishidiot]

Based on your description of flat, clear, shallow water.....I'd attack it with a hopper dropper game plan. The fish aren't deep so a small, unweighted nymph dropped about 18" off a foam beetle would probably be my first set-up. The beetle alights gently and looks natural and will function as a strike indicator. Try to get a quartering cast to the fish and place the beetle maybe 3' above them and just let it slowly drift over 'em. They'll often take the beetle. If they at least rise up and check out the bettle without feeding you know you're casting to catchable fish. A Zebra Midge or tiny wet ant would be my next ones to try if the traditional nymph didn't work.

 

[SeanC]

I agree with fishidiot. Sounds like a great dry dropper scenero espicially with only 2 feet of water. There is 2 ways I fish the situations.e
1. Im a huge fan of dry dropper using hi vis parachute adams in various sizes. If you think they are eating midges I would give them what they want ( zebra, poison tung, juju midge etc). I use very light tippet as well not because im worried so much about the fish seeing it but more so because I dont use split shot and the thinner the tippet the faster the sink rate of you small nymph.

2. Im also a huge fan of floating a curly indicator in slow frog water.
The ability to detect the slightest take is unreal. I usually will have 4' of light tippet material after my curly in this case with 1 or 2 different midge patters tied on.
I was just out last week and found that the fish were held up in the slower slack water and I used this method and did extremely well.
There is many opinions regarding the use of the curly indicator, some like it some dont. Give them both a try. The more arrows in you quiver the better.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Alot of trout inhabit "Frog Water"!

 

[jayL]

bam wrote:
Scenario is a 20 ft wide stream approximately 2 feet deep with high banks on either side... rather uniform, but slow current with trout spaced out evenly. Water is gin clear and smooth on the surface. Got casting room from way above or way below the fish but the closest you're getting without spooking the trout is 30 feet or more. Fish are feeding in the bottom 1/3rd of the water column... probably on midge larvae.

I typically skip this water since one spooked fish at the tail or head ruins the whole stretch, but today I spent some time on a couple sections like these and was rewarded with a nice 12 inch brown on a small phesant tail. Catching that one felt better than the dozen I dredged up in faster water. Took me forever just to get into position and made it count on the first cast. I tried for a few others, but screwed it up with an errant cast or a plop on the surface from some small shot. Floating indicators were a no-no. For me, this is the toughest scenario out there. You need to time the sink rate so the bottom doesn't mess up the drift and perfect casts are a must. Other than learning some patience, how do I up my odds when long line nymphing?

We fish the same water all the time, and this post pretty much confirms it.

We should compare notes some time, either on the stream or over a beer. PM sent.

 

[pcray1231]

I usually skip such water. Not an easy situation, no doubt about it. But I suppose I'll go with a dry-dropper if forced to fish it.

 

[MKern]

I skip too, but the dry dropper is a good idea. However, I would change my whole rig to target 1 fish.

For the dry dropper, this time of year, I'd use a parachute dry like a slightly oversize BWO with midge larva dropped off the bend.

 

[mcwillja]

I agree with the others that a dry/dropper in that scenario would be a good choice. Another good choice would be to float a curly indicator if you are long line nymphing.

 

[jayL]

I fish those frog water stretches all the time around the spot that bam is probably talking about. A greased furled leader is the key.

 

[David]

Make casts that straighten out about a foot above the water so it falls gently. There will typically be a little bounceback towards you, so cast a little past your target.
Using a indicator fly is a good option, but I've seen even that send fish scurrying. If they are taking midges, tie on a unweighted midge and cast as noted above. Use greased leader as Jay mentions. Then simply watch the part of the leader on the surface that is closest to the fly...that will be your indicator. Giving a gentle twitch can also elicit strikes in this situation.

 

[bam]

Points taken. I guess I need to work on my casting and presentation more than anything. As much as I don't like to admit, casting to those spooky fish is probably where the real problem lies for me.

What do you all grease your leader with... Gink?

 

[jayL]

Mucilin.

 

[govtmule]

about 2 feet deep huh?...yeah the greased up leader with a midge pupa not larva would be my first choice, maybe attached to a size 18/20 bwo nymph. I'd start out light, maybe just pupa so you dont get hung up then maybe do the tandem thing if you need to go deeper. I bet if your fly is half way down the column and you get a good drift he'll take it. You'll be able to see the leader pretty good with it all greased up. I guess if you use a furled that would be even easier (i dont but may try it soon)...this technique has been pretty good lately for trout taking midges just under the surface.

 

[goodfortune]

How long of a leader are you guys using when fishing nymphs or midge pupa this way? Also, how far down the leader would you apply grease/floatant?

 

[David]

goodfortune wrote:
How long of a leader are you guys using when fishing nymphs or midge pupa this way? Also, how far down the leader would you apply grease/floatant?

Completely dependent on the situation. The bigger the water and the deeper the depth, the longer the leader. In a situation as is described, I would say the length of the tippet is the critical thing. I would grease the whole leader, but leave the tippet untouched. Have the tippet about 3' (1.5 times the depth) which is a relatively long tippet...but the tippet will sink quicker with a tiny unweighted nymph and the leader + floatant will have better surface tension with the greater diameter.
In a situation where it is deeper, it just isn't realistic to have a tippet much longer than 3'. In that case I would grease all of the leader minus 1.5 times the depth. Of course, when you get deeper, the splash of a splitshot isn't going to spook the trout as readily, so the shorter tippet becomes less of a factor.

 

[govtmule]

since ive done it mostly for sippers under the surface i start with grease up to about 6" before the fly, this means it'll sit like 3" below the surface when riding downstream. dont get the mucilin on the fly....id even clean your hands with dirt/mud and apply it to the remaining leader and fly to make sure it sinks...ive noticed sometimes my whole leader and pupa floating which i dont want. leaders about 10'...maybe a little more. im still trying to work at this method, so its still a learning process for me....

 

[wetnet]

mcwillja wrote:
I agree with the others that a dry/dropper in that scenario would be a good choice. Another good choice would be to float a curly indicator if you are long line nymphing.

In full agreement with both of these tactics for this scenerio.

 

[jeff]

bam wrote:
Scenario is a 20 ft wide stream approximately 2 feet deep with high banks on either side... rather uniform, but slow current with trout spaced out evenly. Water is gin clear and smooth on the surface. Got casting room from way above or way below the fish but the closest you're getting without spooking the trout is 30 feet or more. Fish are feeding in the bottom 1/3rd of the water column... probably on midge larvae.

I typically skip this water since one spooked fish at the tail or head ruins the whole stretch, but today I spent some time on a couple sections like these and was rewarded with a nice 12 inch brown on a small phesant tail. Catching that one felt better than the dozen I dredged up in faster water. Took me forever just to get into position and made it count on the first cast. I tried for a few others, but screwed it up with an errant cast or a plop on the surface from some small shot. Floating indicators were a no-no. For me, this is the toughest scenario out there. You need to time the sink rate so the bottom doesn't mess up the drift and perfect casts are a must. Other than learning some patience, how do I up my odds when long line nymphing?

You got it right. Approach said stretch from above and throw a wet/nymph on and and just feed line out. You don't have to worry about spooking or lining them. When fishing this way it is best not to use light tippet as the take is harder on your tippet than usual.

 

[flipnfly]

i think in that situation if it were possible to attack from the down stream end with a weighted wet fly / nymph tandem but then again i tend to spook more fish than i catch