nymphing techniques

[chstrcntyfish]

I was wondering what techniques everyone uses when nymphing. I tried nymphing for the first tim yesterday night. I caught two fish, but I was using a very basic setup. I used a floating indicator with a single fly under it and a split shot to keep it against the bottom. Would I be more productive if I fished two nymphs under the indicator? What do you guys do?

 

[jaybo41]

I think you nailed the basics down, that is adding weight and keeping the nymph on the bottom. I like floats most often, but there are times, such as on small streams or clear water, where a float can be a hinderance.

Try using an attractor pattern, such as a Stimulator, as your indicator and hit the bottom with the nymph. You could also tandem your rig based on a hatch. Like a Griffith's Gnat and a Zebra Midge, a Caddis Pupa and an Elk/Deer Hair CDC Caddis.

Sometimes, I also will tie on a streamer, such as a bugger and use a scud or a caddis pupa.

Dead drift/high stick nymphing is where I find most of my luck while nymphing.

 

Personally, I don't use a split shot on my tippet or leader and instead, when I tie my nymphs, I weight them, instead. (not liking the idea of "polluting w/lead", I use a lead free weighting material to do this step).
I don't like "bobbers", so neither do I use "strike indicators". I was taught to use 'feel" in my fly line and "watching tip action".
I don't advocate, or, suggest this method for anyone it's just the way "I was taught' and it's always been very productive for me.
In answer to; "two nymphs being more productive than one"?
Yes, possibly so. But, then, 3 would be more productive than 2 and 4, would be...................and so on.
If you want to use the indicator style, of nymph fishing, tie on a bushy hackled dry as your "indicator" and who knows............ you may get a very surprising, "double hookup"!? I've seen other fly fishers, many times, fighting two fish at once this way,(which almost always, ruined their leader/tippet set up), but 99% of the time......if the fish are there, they'll hit one fly or the other!

 

[jayL]

I know you fish valley, so I might advise against using a dry-dropper tandem. Each hole is a different depth, and it will involve lots of clipping and retying of your dropper tippet to fish each hole thoroughly. I'd probably fish with an indicator, or use flybinder's approach. On bigger rivers, or at least more consistent depth ones, a dry-dropper is my go-to for covering lots of water.

Personally, I don't fish a nymph tandem that often... for whatever reason. However, it wouldn't kill you to trail a walt's worm, green weenie, or pheasant tail behind that scud. Give it a try and see if you like it.

 

[jayL]

Better yet, put the green weenie on first, then trail your scud behind it. The water's so clear that you should be able to see the weenie for strike detection purposes. That way you don't need an indicator on such low, clear water...

 

[Padraic]

If you are fishing Valley, I would go with the green weenie as an indicator also. Fishing nymphs in low clear water is tough. Using any kind of indicator makes it worse. I don't like split shot on the tippet in quiet pools either. I think it impedes presentation.

I've always been more comfortable nymphing in faster water where you can get right up into a riffle and manage the drift with or without an indicator. In pools I like to use dries or wet flies. When I do use nymphs, I like to pair them up as Jay L does. Nymphs are effective everywhere. It's just a question of how you like to fish.

 

[afishinado]

Great job! The fish are tough at Valley. Since you just started FF, and this was your first time nymphing, I recommend that you stick to fishing one fly with a small indicator. Use an indicator just big enough to float your rig. Try a small yarn indicator – less fish spooking splash. The most important thing is to concentrate on getting a good drag-free drift through mending and/or controlled slack presentations. Also, most of the time, keeping your nymph on or near the bottom will result in more strikes, so work on setting your depth and weight properly to fish near the bottom. When your casting and fishing skills improve, you can experiment with tandems, multiple nymphs, and fishing without an indicator. For now I would keep it simple – IF YOU FISH THE BOTTOM WITH A DRAG-FREE DRIFT, YOU’LL CATCH FISH with any reasonable fly pattern. Good luck.

 

[Coughlin]

Once again Mr. Afish weighs in with the best possible advice: Fish drag free.
Coughlin

 

[scotto]

I fish 2 to 4 nymphs at a time. Usually general patterns for the stream - 1 hares ear, 1 pheasant tail, 1 stonefly and 1 caddis larva. I will change up based on which are most productive. Sometimes I will tie a egg pattern or green(or pink) weenie in the line-up. I will tie in scuds or cress bugs for spring creeks. I do not like split shot, though somtimes it is necessary in very deep or fast water. I use a combination of weighted and unweighted flies to get the correct depth.

I use long fluoro leaders. I rarely have any fly line on the water, just the leader as I feel it is easier to control the drift with the fly line floating. At the end of my fly line I tie about 12" of red amnesia as my indicator. I am not even sure I look at it, it is just a confidence builder. Then my 10' to 15' fluoro leader. It cast be a little unwieldy to cast, but I don't cast as much as "FLIP" the rig upstream.

The "secret" is to control the line for drag-free drift. Mend, mend and mend again. Drag-free drift and getting the nymphs to the same level of the water column is paramount.

 

[sandfly]

you are only allowed 3 hooks by law scotto don't get caught with 4 on your leader...

 

[scotto]

What do you know, I am usually very careful about following the regs. I hope I didn't lose the respect of the board. I most often use only 3, to much machinery with 4 and now I will NEVER use an illegal number again. Thanks for the info.

 

[tomgamber]

Don't sweat it Scotto...While I would never fish more than two, just because i'd have them tangled constantly, I don't know if I knew that reg. either.