Techniques and tactics for nymphingWritten by Brett Fogle
Just like dry fly fishing, there are many, many ways to fish a nymph. Which one you should use really boils down to how skilled you are in nymph fly fishing and what you are attempting to catch and where you are doing it. Make sense? Probably not, but let’s move forward to give you some idea on different nymphing techniques available when fly fishing.This e-book goes over easiest method for beginners to use. The more effective Dead Drift Method is covered in a bit. Nymph Fly Fishing Technique : Beginner Method This method of fishing nymphs is probably easiest for any beginner to use, and is certainly a good way to get introduced to nymphing in general. This nymph fly fishing technique, which involves casting nymph directly across river and then letting is float all way down to a point on river directly below angler, removes many of problems of nymph fly fishing for new anglers. The beginner method of fly fishing with nymphs is quite simple. First, just cast your nymph directly across stream from where you stand. Then, let fly float down river, keeping line tight as it floats away as well as following fly with your fly rod. Eventually, nymph will be at a point directly downstream from you. This is point you want. Due to current, here nymph will begin to “rise” out of depths due to current of river. The current will also wiggle little nymph all around. Thus, when nymph is directly downstream from you, hold nymph there for a couple of seconds, and then gradually raise tip of your fly rod, which will bring nymph a bit further up from depths of river. This is most likely point of a strike using this method. This is a nice method for beginners, as it is all done by feel, not by sight. You do not need to use a strike indicator for this nymph fly fishing method. Instead, since fly line will be tense at all times, you will feel a trout strike immediately. Moreover, setting hook is a snap too, since trout will hook itself when it takes your fly - due to tight tension in fly line.
| | Dead Drift Method : For Boat AnglersWritten by Brett Fogle
If you have a fishing boat, dead drift method allows you to cover a huge patch of water in a hurry – and very effectively also. The nice thing about a boat, of course, is that you are floating in water – generally at same speed of current provided wind isn’t blowing you around too much.For this reason, it is possible for anglers to use a dead drift method to cover huge segments of water with just one cast. To do this, you have several options, depending on types of water you are fishing. One way is to cast your nymph directly DOWNSTREAM of your fishing boat, paying attention to current seams (you want your nymph to land in same current seam that you’re boat is in, so that drift speed of nymph will more or less match your boats drift speed). As nymph speed and float speed of your boat should fairly closely match, little line mending or retrieval will be needed. Instead, just let nymph helplessly float down river, paying close attention to strike indicator. This method also works just as well by casting your fly downstream and a BIT across from where your boat is. You don’t want to cast TOO far across river, as your fly may end up in a different current than what your boat is in (leading to frequent drag by nymph). However, if current speed is same, you can let nymph helplessly float along various current seams in river for great distances (current seams are excellent habitat for large, finicky trout).
|