Nymphing without indicators

Thanks for the tips, when I go out this weekend (if it doesn't rain too much) I'll shorten my leader and see if I can detect anything.

For you guys that have the "sixth sense"..... when you use this sixth sense, are you setting the hook in an area that you "feel" would have trout. For example, if you are fishing a riffle-pool area, do you set the hook right where the riffle meets the pool (thats where I get a lot of takes) even if there is no indication of a strike. I find myself doing that even with an indicator. Is that what you mean by sixth sense, or are those intuitive times you set the hook completely arbitrary.
 
thedude1534 wrote:
Thanks for the tips, when I go out this weekend (if it doesn't rain too much) I'll shorten my leader and see if I can detect anything.

For you guys that have the "sixth sense"..... when you use this sixth sense, are you setting the hook in an area that you "feel" would have trout. For example, if you are fishing a riffle-pool area, do you set the hook right where the riffle meets the pool (thats where I get a lot of takes) even if there is no indication of a strike. I find myself doing that even with an indicator. Is that what you mean by sixth sense, or are those intuitive times you set the hook completely arbitrary.
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Hold on a minute, I never said I was that skilled. Seriously, that’s pretty much it. Its as much confidence that your fishing a spot correctly as it is a "sense".
If I think... wait, if I know that a trout lives there I set the hook when I know my fly is in that area. Sometimes you spend a while setting to nothing other times a fish is on when the indicator never budged. Other times I don’t use this tactic is I feel that "I’m on" that day. Nymphing requires a complete degree of concentration to be successful. Of course all our definitions of success are different.
 
scotto wrote:
Matt,
No 1 technique is right for every situation. The most effective weapon in the arsenal is the ability to adapt, try new things and avoid preconceived ideas.
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Exactly!
 
thedude1534 wrote:
when you use this sixth sense, are you setting the hook in an area that you "feel" would have trout. For example, if you are fishing a riffle-pool area, do you set the hook right where the riffle meets the pool (thats where I get a lot of takes) even if there is no indication of a strike. I find myself doing that even with an indicator.
Click to expand...

I use more of a lift than a set like you think of tv bass guys. I have lifted, felt nothing and let it drop back and got a hit immediately because that lift may have triggered a strike. If you "set" the hook, you may break some off or miss chances by pulling it clear out of the water. Sometimes you just lift for no reason and that fish is there. That's when you get to make jokes about a sixth sense.
 
A while back someone posted video clips of some guy who took underwater video while others were fly fishing. The one showed that trout often take and spit out nymphs without it being detected at all. This may be one reason that setting the hook periodically will catch some fish without any sign that they took the fly. It can be just a matter of odds. Not to downplay the skills of you guys, who are much more skilled nymphers than I am. There's certainly a lot of experience, knowledge, feel, etc. that goes into it too. Just bringing this up as another piece of the puzzle that might help.
 
Wulff Man, As with any thing luck is as much a part of it than anything else. 🙂
 
Based purely on age and experience, I know I'm not more skilled than most here. I do understand that my brain can process much more information than I ever consciously realize it does. Just allow it to be reactionary. You just feel like you should set. It's a good point that a good chunk of it involves setting blindly in good looking water, but there are other, seemingly indetectible things going on too. Perhaps the line slows for a split second, or you catch a flash out of the corner of your eye. Just allow yourself to react. It's very primal and also very relaxing.

I'd be lying if I told you I knew exactly what I was looking for, honestly. It's not magic... just too complex for me to categorize.

Perhaps the fact that I bait fished since I could walk helps (I almost always fished weightless natural drifts). Once I started fly fishing a few years ago, nymphing felt very natural.
 
Well, all this talk about nymphing got me all ancy, so I ducked out of work for a couple hours this afternoon and got on the Brandywine. Fished it from 2:30 to 4, nymphing without an indicator. I took my leader down to 7 ft and used the fly line as an indicator.

I managed to get 3 browns and a few chubs in that timeframe. It actually seemed to be easier than using a yarn indicator. On several of those strikes, I was setting the hook by the intuitive "feel" or sixth sense thing. Also, when I say set the hook, I mean a quick, short raise of the rod tip, not the BOOYAH! type meat-head jerk that pro bass anglers do.

I'm back at work now, my boss asked where I went and I said I had to run an errand I forgot about........definition of flyfishing addiction....
 
Good Job Dude! Im glad some of that worked for you. Now leave us alone and find your own 6th sense! ha ha
 
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