Nymph fishing 365

[afishinado]

The Nymph Angler is Sustainable

Most of the die-hard anglers I run into are nymph-first fishermen. Or at least their nymphing game is strong, and they don’t hesitate to break it out. That’s because nymphing catches a lot of fish — more than dries and streamers combined, over the long haul.

troutbitten.com

 

[tomgamber]

I used to nymph a lot. I rarely nymph these days. I've hit the point where I believe we all know what will catch fish. I want to be able to make a fish fall for what I am presenting. Anyone can get a girl with money. But can you charm one?

 

[JeffK]

I nymph more, largely because I see less hatches. For example, most times I went to the Little Lehigh this summer no fish rose for the sparse trico spinner falls. Used to be reliable dry fly action from July into October (although it got tougher as the season progressed). This year was tough to find any risers for tricos. Fish took sunk ants and trico spinners readily, but dry action was tough. Sulphur hatch is the same. Used to be super reliable - less so now. The Delaware system still has good dry fly action in my experience, but I get up there less each passing year and fish more in close spots.

I do love chucking streamers. But agree that one can burn out on that. One good thing about the "Euronymphing" craze is that nymphing is taking on all sorts of refinements that make it more fun. When I used "chuck and chance it" nymphing I got bored quickly. But introducing more nymphing strategies makes it more enjoyable, and effective.

 

[rancid waders]

I stumbled onto the idea of " what won't they take" and will abruptly change patterns if the magic fly is doing too well. Course if that theory doesn't work find another to try or put today's magic back on

 

[jifigz]

I used to nymph a lot. I rarely nymph these days. I've hit the point where I believe we all know what will catch fish. I want to be able to make a fish fall for what I am presenting. Anyone can get a girl with money. But can you charm one?

I'm the same way. I want to catch em how I feel like catching em that day. If it doesn't work I'll go home with a book and a nice cup of tea and just relax.

Catching fish is cool but so is relaxation.

 

[afishinado]

I'm the same way. I want to catch em how I feel like catching em that day. If it doesn't work I'll go home with a book and a nice cup of tea and just relax.

Catching fish is cool but so is relaxation.

^Minus the "cup of tea" (I'm a coffee drinker), I agree. I nymph fish because like to and find it a challenge....sometimes. But I would hate being married to only one FFing technique. I like to fish dries, wets, nymphs or streamers at times. While dry fly fishing is my favorite, I do agree with the author when he wrote dry fly fishing is not effective at times and trying another technique. Both both the long and short of FFing, for me anyway, is to have a good time on the stream whichever method I choose to FF, and catching a lot of fish, or big fish is really not in the equation.

 

[Bamboozle]

I almost always tie on a nymph first unless I see fish rising...

It is also my preference on small wild trout streams after an enlightening experience on a Pocono Class A when dry flies were not enticing the fish. On a whim I switched to a nymph and clobbered them.

Sometimes even if I know I could catch them on top, I prefer nymph fishing over anything (which in may case means dries because I hate streamer fishing) simply because I don't have to be concerned with my fly floating or drying it and redressing it if it isn't...

 

[poopdeck]

I just want to catch fish however they feel like getting caught. My ego does not get in the way of that. With that said, I prefer nymph fishing because it routinely catch’s way more fish and there is nothing really exciting about a trout taking a dry fly. Generally speaking, It’s not like a bass smashing a popper.

 

[jifigz]

^Minus the "cup of tea" (I'm a coffee drinker), I agree. I nymph fish because like to and find it a challenge....sometimes. But I would hate being married to only one FFing technique. I like to fish dries, wets, nymphs or streamers at times. While dry fly fishing is my favorite, I do agree with the author when he wrote dry fly fishing is not effective at times and trying another technique. Both both the long and short of FFing, for me anyway, is to have a good time on the stream whichever method I choose to FF, and catching a lot of fish, or big fish is really not in the equation.

Oh, I'm a coffee drinker big time. But I love a cup of tea in the middle of the day.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I nymph a lot, but I am not married to one technique. I did not learn to fish from George Daniel or Domenic from Troutbitten, but I have spent the last several years just trying to get really good at this technique. I am sort of coming out the other end of it and wanting to return to the foundational stuff I did as a young mitch.

It may be hard to got back completely because the success is addictive the way a rising fish is addictive or a pig rolling on your streamer is addictive, just in different ways.

The main reasons I nymph are the time of day I like to fish to avoid people, that I fish all year long and prefer the cold months (again, to avoid people, perhaps), because I have caught more big fish nymphing than even on streamers, and I am drawn to pocket water when I think of trout fishing.

Catching a lot of fish sucks, for sure! And big fish are ugly, especially invasive browns that start looking like pike. Who would want to catch one of those!

 

[jifigz]

And big fish are ugly, especially invasive browns that look start looking like pike. Who would want to catch one of those!

Only idiots who don't understand that PA trout fishing is about brookies in hemlock lined mountain creeks rising to an Adams or an elk hair.....

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Only idiots who don't understand that PA trout fishing is about brookies in hemlock lined mountain creeks rising to an Adams or an elk hair.....

Can't we just like it all!?

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I stumbled onto the idea of " what won't they take" and will abruptly change patterns if the magic fly is doing too well. Course if that theory doesn't work find another to try or put today's magic back on

I like that sometimes too. It's like, okay, that is working, will this other fly work? I will also do things like throw a streamer all day for one fish or only throw topwater even though odds are against it. And then some days I just want to catch a bunch of fish because that is also fun....

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I used to nymph a lot. I rarely nymph these days. I've hit the point where I believe we all know what will catch fish. I want to be able to make a fish fall for what I am presenting. Anyone can get a girl with money. But can you charm one?

Red hair occurs in just 1 to 2 percent of the US population, and what percentage of them are attractive red heads, so that check outs, Tom. Nothing wrong with liking a challenge!

 

[Nymph-wristed]

But introducing more nymphing strategies makes it more enjoyable, and effective.

I def feel that way. I feel like the time I have spent dedicated to nymphing this Euro way has just added new strategies and answers to problems that arise, new ways to address old challenges. Some will stick, and some will fall away....

 

[dc410]

The main reasons I nymph are the time of day I like to fish to avoid people, that I fish all year long and prefer the cold months (again, to avoid people, perhaps), because I have caught more big fish nymphing than even on streamers, and I am drawn to pocket water when I think of trout fishing.

Yep, and that’s exactly why I couldn’t find you last Saturday. Nice job!!!

 

[salmo]

I used to nymph a lot. I rarely nymph these days. I've hit the point where I believe we all know what will catch fish. I want to be able to make a fish fall for what I am presenting. Anyone can get a girl with money. But can you charm one?

Pretty sexist if you ask me.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Yep, and that’s exactly why I couldn’t find you last Saturday. Nice job!!!

I wasn't trying to lose you that day! I think we went to different parks....

 

[Kyle]

i nympth when i have to. i fish every month of the year so i do alot of nympthing. and i enjoy it. of course when i see fish rising or chasing emergers i switch up my flys. but still love catching trout on nympths. its fly fishing. and nympths are a fly as far as im concerned.

 

[jifigz]

Can't we just like it all!?

You know I'm joking. I do like it all. I just might feel like catching fish one way or another on a given day.

Today, for instance, I was on my jon boat bass fishing. Fish weren't all that aggressive. I only caught one decent one.