Nymphing success and questions

[sjpresley]

This year marks my return to fly fishing after many years living in purgatory (Texas). At first I had thought to get back into things using streamers and dry flies as nymphing had always seemed so hit and miss.

Yesterday, I went on a quick "2-hour lunch" trip to the Fenton with a guy from work that gave me a couple of nymphing tips. I headed off to a pool and landed 3 fish in the little over an hour I had on the water. Needless to say, this made my day. The Fenton is on my way home, so I stopped and fished for an hour after work and landed 2 more (all browns by the way).

So now (in my neverending quest to improve), I have some questions for the experiences anglers out there.
When are the best times to nymph?

Is most of the day possible if there isn't a hatch on?

I was using pretty big hare's ear (10 and 12) and a smaller (16) prince nymph...caught fish on all...how do you decide which sizes of nymph to fish? or does this matter less than when fishing dry flies?

Thanks.

[The Patriot]

"When are the best times to nymph?"

I like to nymph in the morning and in the hour or two immediately preceding an expected hatch, or as it begins. At dusk can also be good, as the naturals tend to rearrange themselves and move around at periods of low light.

But I have read some things and seen some anglers who can nymph at any time of day, all day, and take fish, all day.


"Is most of the day possible if there isn't a hatch on?"

Yes. I've caught fish during the summer on a warm sunny day in shallow water on nymphs. Riffles are highly oxygenated and hold alot of insects as well as fish.



"how do you decide which sizes of nymph to fish? or does this matter less than when fishing dry flies?"

I often try to match my nymphs to the prevalent hatch at the time. For example, during the recent Hendrickson hatch, I've been fishing alot of #12 and 14 GRHE and Pheasant tails. If BWO are around, I'll fish a #16 or 18 PT. If caddis are around, I'll fish an appropriate caddis pupa or larva.

OTOH, you can also use large attractor nymphs. Large prince nymphs, or large stonefly nymphs have been good for me, especially in the later spring. And there are certain insects that are always present, like green or other colored caddis larva, stonefly nymphs, small #16 to 18, or even 20, pheasant tails, which can imitate BWO and Sulphur nymphs, or immature nymphs of other larger species, and midge larva and midge pupa. Isonychia nymphs are also abundant in some streams, and more active than most mayfly species. A #10 or 12 PT or Prince can do a good job imitating an Isonychia. A good strategy can be to use a large attractor, like a stonefly or a large PT or Prince, and something that's currently hatching. Or something that's always around, like green caddis larva or small PT.

IMHO, fly selection is less critical in nymphing than in dry fly fishing, but it can make a difference, and it helps to have some idea of what is present, and what is active.


Nymph fishing is my weak game, but I understand the theory and entomology involved. The person you want to talk to is Housy Dave. In all earnest, he is probably the best nymph fisherman I have ever seen.... he makes me sick :? :roll: .... he's not human! :twisted:

:P :wink: :D

Good luck, hope this helps....

[sjpresley]

Thanks 3W, all insights are appreciated, even from those that don't successfully apply the theory :wink:

For some reason I am biased against, beadheads. I have some, but haven't wet one. They just don't "look right", I guess. [which is funny because I have no problem throwing a 1/32 oz. panther martin with an ultra-light] Is their sole function to get the fly deeper in the water column? Otherwise do they fish the same?

[Z Fisher]

I think beadheads do two things: 1) Primarily to weight the nymph to get it into the feeding zone but also 2) add some flash. But I'm not a trout so I'm not sure 2 matters.

[The Fisherman]

I catch fish fish on nymphs all day, although if you catch a hatch right before it's coming off you can do very well. It's really a matter of water and conditions; if you're in a slow pool and there's massive surface activity, I wouldn't see the point in nymphing. If I'm wading through riffles and pocket water, nymphing makes a lot more sense.

Also remember you can have the best of both worlds with a dry/dropper. I fish most of the summer in daytime with a hopper/copper/dropper and do very well.

This time of year you can get away with bigger nymphs, sz 12-16. summer and fall I go almost exclusively to 18-20.

Bead heads provide some weight, but if I need to get flies down I'll use shot or a Copper John. I think most of all the bead provides flash. I've had great success with bead heads. Every fish I've landed on the Farmington this spring has been on a beadhead.

I'd also like to remind 3weight that the one time we fished this year, which was painfully slow, someone caught three times as many fish (on nymphs) as anyone else he saw, and this same person also pointed out a spot where he would likely catch a trout (which he did) on a nymph. So I need at least an honorable mention in the nymphing hall of fame. :wink:

[sjpresley]

So I did some quick research on dropper rigging, any opinions on the merits/utility of:

1) dropper loops

2) blood knot droppers

3) tying the dropper to the bend of the hook of the first fly


This last one seems like it would help avoid tangles.

Thanks again.

[Z Fisher]

I've only used the bend of the hook method, but it seems to work fine with few tangles.

Also, don't false cast. Lob cast. Let the whole rig swing below you in the current then with a swift forward cast, cast it back upstream. The current will load the rod. You also catch a fair amount of fish while the rig is hanging in the current.

[The Fisherman]

I'm a tie to the bend of the hook guy. Make sure you still clip the barb of both flies.

I've learned to false cast with weights and a nymph rig, but for the beginner lobbing is excellent advice, and that's mostly what I do.

Z Fisher also makes mention of a great fish-producing tactic: the end of the drift. By all means go for a drag free drift with the current, but at drift's end I always let my flies swing cross current (the "wet fly swing"). Lift your rod up to prepare to lob cast upstream, but get ready for strikes as the trout will see the nymph as an emerger as it rises through the water column!

I'm also a big believer in keeping my nymphs in the water at all times. I can't tell you how many fish I've caught trailing my rig behind be as I've carelessly waded through riffles to get to a new spot. :D

[The Patriot]

I second (or third, as may be applicable :wink: ) the advice offered by The Fisherman and Z.

And my apologies to The Fisherman for neglecting to mention his skills. ;) He is also a very knowlegable and accomplished nympher and an excellant resource! :D

(My bad....) :wink: :lol:

[The Fisherman]

Dude, I was just teasing. :wink: I was thrilled when you landed that football at the head of that pool. That was a great fish and I'm sure a confidence booster for you.

You're much better than you think you are. It was just a very slow day is all.

[sjpresley]

Thanks for the advice, I seem to have picked up a few good habits. I too always leave my line in the water, mostly because it is the easiest way to keep it tangle free while moving up/down stream, but also with the idea that if it isn't in the water, you can't catch a fish.

I also use the lob-cast while letting the current load the rod method, maybe I read about it years ago in my first fly fishing life...I just started doing it naturally any time I let flies (wet or dry) drift past me.


I can do a bit of false casting with a strike indicator about 6 ft above my nymph, but it's pretty ugly.

If you could say I have a style it would be "whatever works". I'm not very stilted in my approach. I did stream research during my graduate work, so I have a pretty good idea of insect larva behavior (as far as what they do and where), just not really when they do what they do. So I tend to "throw in" all variations of drifts/retrieves/presentations that might elicit a strike. Yesterday I caught 2 "on the swing", 2 on the drift, and 1 on a slow retrieve. So I was getting reinforcement in all phases of the game.

Thanks again guys, appreciate your expertise.

[The Fisherman]

Well, sounds like you have a very good handle on what you're doing without all our advice. Your line in the water theory dovetails mine, and it's also proof that there are such thing as stupid trout...I mean, how dumb does a fish have to be to strike at a fly being dragged 15' behind you in shallow riffles? :wink:

Nymphing is definitely an area of fly fishing where you can sometimes get away with poor presentation.

[sjpresley]

Well, you know how it can be when you don't know what you are doing. You might be doing things right, but then again, you might not....it always helps to get a little validation that you are on the right track to give you some confidence.

Plus, there are always little bits of information that can be helpful (e.g., sizes during different seasons, add on a dropper, etc).

I appreciate you guys takin' the time out to help.