Nymph/Wet flies in shallow water

[jrj]

Looking for some advice on how to successfully fish nymphs/scuds/wet flies in small shallow streams. Was fishing a very small mountain stream this weekend and had no issues with the pools, but the shallow bank cuts where fish were seen, I could not get the fly in there.

Tried with a float but the fly was 3-4" inches below the float.

Thanks in advance.

 

[afishinado]

jrj wrote:
Looking for some advice on how to successfully fish nymphs/scuds/wet flies in small shallow streams. Was fishing a very small mountain stream this weekend and had no issues with the pools, but the shallow bank cuts where fish were seen, I could not get the fly in there.

Tried with a float but the fly was 3-4" inches below the float.

Thanks in advance.

You may want to try a dry/dropper rig. Tie a short section of tippet to the bend or eye of a dry fly that floats well and is visible. Here is a video to get you started.


See All Orvis Learning Center Fly Fishing Video Lessons

 

[ryansheehan]

+1 on the dry dropper, elk hair caddis makes great indicator.

 

[NewSal]

A little off topic, but sense were on the topic of dry droppers.. What is your guys go to length when you are fishing dry droppers? I know that 1.5x depth of water is the go to, but I fish the lil j and the water depth is usually anywhere from 1.5-4ft deep, so instead of retying the tag every time I move I usually just fish a 3.5' dropper exclusively no matter the depth and just keep it that way pretty much all day, and have pretty decent success. Sometimes I will re-tie my dropper if the depth is extremely shallow, or deep, but if its in that "average" depth I will just keep the 3.5'.

Do you guys tie on new droppers every time you move locations to match water depth, or do you have a go-to length you typically like to fish?

 

[jrj]

:hammer:

I work the dry / nymph combo frequently on deeper water and it never occurred to me to try it on shallow water. Great suggestion and thanks for kicking it loose in my brain.

 

[ryansheehan]

I typically leave it at about 2.5-3 feet with a dry dropper, but it does depend on the river and situation. There are times when I'm fishing a nymph with a dry as an indicator and there are times when I'm fishing a dry with a dropper. The way I look at it you can't have it both ways. Either your dry has a drag free drift or your nymph does, the current speeds are quite different. That's not to say you won't catch fish off of both but there are lots of different things that go into it.

 

[troutbert]

Take off the indicator.

Use a sinking inchworm. Before tying on the chartreuse chenille, weight the hook with thin lead substitute wire.

Walk and fish upstream.

 

[foxfire]

+1 to Troutbert. Indicators inhibit the presentation into undercut and otherwise difficult sections of the shore/stream - at least for me.

 

[bigjohn58]

IF you want to use an indicator in situations like that I usually have a lot of line below my indicator even in shallow water. 2+ feet easily below the indicator. Use nymphs that have little to no weight (a lot depends on the current though) and have it when you cast that the nymphs loop around towards the bank but that your indicator stays out further. The current will often sweep the nymphs under the bank. This way your indicator does not go over the fish because the nymphs stay out to the side.

 

[McSneek]

troutbert wrote:


Use a sinking inchworm.

aka green weenie!

 

[Pr0digal_son]

jrj wrote:
Looking for some advice on how to successfully fish nymphs/scuds/wet flies in small shallow streams. Was fishing a very small mountain stream this weekend and had no issues with the pools, but the shallow bank cuts where fish were seen, I could not get the fly in there.

Tried with a float but the fly was 3-4" inches below the float.

Thanks in advance.

I run into this problem so much with the very small streams I fish. I have kept tying different lengths all day long many times. Mostly now I try to find where the fish are and stick with that tippet length. If it is deeper I just stay dreeper and avoid riffles. A lot of it depends on the time of year for me and species.

I never ran into many problems with Brookies because they will hit dry flies until it gets super cold. Then when it was colder I focused on deeper pools. But the Browns are always tougher for me. Earlier in the spring I had issues because fish were deeper and shallower. I can't run 1.5x the depth because some of these places the current is so slow I would get a 1 foot drift and be snagged on the bottom.

 

[Pr0digal_son]

troutbert wrote:
Take off the indicator.

Use a sinking inchworm. Before tying on the chartreuse chenille, weight the hook with thin lead substitute wire.

Walk and fish upstream.

I will have to tie some with differing weights and give this a try. This idea really cures some issues for me. Thanks!!




Also,does anyone know of a good indicator that doesn't butcher your leader?? I like the antron style ones for stealth but they hammer your leaders when you cinch them to the rubber ring.

 

[NewSal]

Pr0digal_son wrote:

troutbert wrote:
Take off the indicator.

Use a sinking inchworm. Before tying on the chartreuse chenille, weight the hook with thin lead substitute wire.

Walk and fish upstream.

I will have to tie some with differing weights and give this a try. This idea really cures some issues for me. Thanks!!




Also,does anyone know of a good indicator that doesn't butcher your leader?? I like the antron style ones for stealth but they hammer your leaders when you cinch them to the rubber ring.

These are the only indicators I have ever used that have not kinked or otherwise messed up my leader AT ALL, and they are super easy to slide up and down to adjust depths but yet tight enough to not move around during casting. By far the best indicators ive ever tried.. give them a try, I seriously doubt youll be disappointed in them ..

http://holsingersflyshop.com/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=1224&name=floatmaster-38q-round-white-strike-indicator&Itemid=61&category_pathway=93

 

[Chaz]

I've had great success casting upstream under trees roots and along cut-banks with nymphs. The amount of weight is important, because you don want the fly to get caught on the bottom. Usually the fish smack the fly as soon as it hits the water.

 

[Dave_W]

troutbert wrote:
Take off the indicator.

Use a sinking inchworm. Before tying on the chartreuse chenille, weight the hook with thin lead substitute wire.

Walk and fish upstream.

I'll endorse this too. In fact, if the creek is really skinny (as they tend to be this fall), a completely unweighted worm will work well in some spots that lack much current. A very small, lightly weighted streamer can work well too. Just keep the colors bright and you can follow the fly by eyesight.

 

[pabrookie94]

The best stealthy and non kinking indicator I've used is the New Zealand indicator