nymph rigs - double or single

[JamesJet]

Just a overall question - what does everyone use. I have been trying very hard to learn the art of nymphing after a lesson 2 years ago from Pat Torrey. I only used singles for a while now have been trying double rigs. I do find it a pain to tie the second on as well as it only adds to my tangles. Does it really make a difference?

[The Patriot]

Learning to cast a multiple fly rig can be painful. But if you're nymphing, you really shouldn't be doing much "casting" in the first place. Just pick it up, and put it down. Lots of water hauls, roll casts, no false casting. That's why they call it chuck and duck.

When I nymph, and I am admittedly NOT a proficient nymph fisherman, I always use at least 2, usually 3 nymphs. Unlike dry fly fishing, where you usually have a fairly decent idea what the fish are eating, when you are nymphing you are for the most part fishing blind.

I like to show the fish different flies. Something dark, something light. Something big, something small. Something mayfly, something caddis. I often include a big stonefly nymph, a large prince nymph or pheasant tail, and a small caddis larva. Or a stone, a prince (especially during Isonychias), and a small 18 pheasant tail.

Last season I was nymphing in late June and used a size 16 pheasant tail, followed by a size 12 red quill soft hackle, followed by a size 18 copper john. I got about 15 fish in 90 minutes, most on the soft hackle, but some on both the other flies, and the best, a 17 to 18 inch rainbow, on the copper john.

When nymphing with a guide on the W. Branch of the Delaware last year, he suggested I use "something olive, and something sulphur" for a dry fly rig. Also, since there were March Browns hatching, I used a size 12 GRHE nymph, and a size 16 Pheasant tail, which can imitate either olives or sulphurs.

It is a very effective way to search for fish, and increases your odds of hooking up, because it gives the fish a choice, and allows you to imitate more than one insect at a time.

As frustrating as it can be dealing with the tangles, if you slow down, minimize your false casts, better still eliminate them altogether, and fish a shorter line, the tangles will go away.

I would never fish a single nymph. I often use a dropper when I'm dry fly fishing too, using a nymph, wet, soft hackle, or tiny dry as the dropper fly. You'd be surprised how many extra fish you catch by having more than one fly in the water.

Tight lines (with no tangles...),

Jim

[Ray]

I never fish with one nymph, I allways use 2.

[JamesJet]

I agree with the short no false cast method, it certainly is the way to go. 3 seems like a lot but many of the classic methods use 3 wets at a time. Do you connect off the bend or dropper style?

I had a good amount of success on the Farmington this winter with copper johns, when my usual go to is a 18 Flashback PT. I definately have always gone small rather than larger but have always though it would be a good contrast to double rig with one of each.

[Troutfitter]

I use doubles much of the time to improve my odds. Once you have mastered letting the weights load the rod behind you before making the forward cast your tangles will be greatly reduced.

[The Patriot]

I tie my droppers off the bend of the hook and place any split shots "in line" as opposed to tags or droppers. I used to use tag ends of knots for split shot, but found they caused alot of my tangles. Pinching split shot in line seems to have all but eliminated my tangles.

My next test is..... To indicator, or not to indicator... THAT is the question.

I seem to hang up alot more with indicators than without. Yet everything I read and everyone I talk to promotes indicators, and they certainly reveal strikes you may otherwise miss, if used correctly.

TL,

Jim

[Todd K]

Here is a video from a friends site. It is a nymphing rig that works on any river. I've used it in many different ways. Single fly no indicator, or double.

http://www.fliesandfinswest.com/article603.html

[The Patriot]

My stupid machine is too slow to download the video. :oops: :evil:

I HATE computers!

I have three concerns from what I read.

1. What the heck is a balloon indicator? I thought you said no indicator?

2. Looking at the diagram, what makes one think the flies will drift upsteam of the main line and weight? I would think the current would push the flies around behind the line, not drift ahead of it? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it works, just not the way the diagram shows. If you put any fishing line, mono, braid, f.c., whatever, it's going to drift WITH the current, not AGAINST it.

3. Whenever I have used tags, wether for split shot or nymphs, I get tangled constantly.

Don't mean to knock it, but I am skeptical.

No offense.

Jim

[sbalsen]

I've found double rigs to be very, very effective, but gave up on them because of problems in the net. One of the other flies invariably got stuck somewhere on the side of the trout, or the tippet got tangled with the fish making the release take longer. I'm a catch and release fanatic and want to give the fish a fair chance of getting away alive. My philosophy has has never been to catch the fish under any circumstances, which is why I also err on the side of the largest size tippet I can get away with, not the smallest. But that's another controversy!

Some good advice on this post so far. Keep the cast short, minimize the amount of fly line on the water, keep the drift drag free and you'll catch fish.

Sy

[sbalsen]

Here is a video from a friends site. It is a nymphing rig that works on any river. I've used it in many different ways. Single fly no indicator, or double.

http://www.fliesandfinswest.com/article603.html

Terrific little video. Worth watching.
For a totally different take on nymphing, this guys uses 6 pound Gold Stren monofilament instead of fly line (on a fly rod and reel, of course). Makes it very easy to keep a natural drift and detect a bite without a strike indicator: http://www.activeangler.com/products/db/index_DF_nymphing.asp

I've tried it and it works quite well.

[The Fisherman]

Gee, I feel like a nymphing god now (for the record, I am so NOT). I use a double rig every time I nymph, and use the Hopper-Copper-Dropper a lot in the summer. Sure, I get tangled every so often (a couple times per outing?) but not nearly enough to make me go to a single fly.

I use a puffball (tie my own — I make them generally smaller than the monster ones I see other guys using) and weight in higher/colder water.

I find that 90% of the fish hit the bottom fly, regardless of the pattern. Has this been everyon else's experience?

[Todd K]

The diagram is correct. The weights should be slowing the flies down. The current on top is faster.

[Kierran]

That was a pretty cool video. I am trying new nymphing techniques and will have to add that to my list.

[The Patriot]

You're right, my bad. I guess I looked at the current direction the wrong way. It seemed like the tags were drifing against the current, but now that I look at it, they are clearly drifting with it.

But I still don't know what a balloon indicator is, and still don't like tags, as I always tangle them.

Is a balloon indicator legal in CT?

What about weights beneath the flies?

Why can't the fish just cooperate and rise all the time? :wink: :lol:

My buddy Rich says "the fish have got to meet me half way." :D

[The Fisherman]

I guess I'd have to see it in action. I can't imagine it not getting frequently tangled. But, apparently it works.

[Richard W. Fleet]

I've never really gotten the hang of nymphing. My only success has been dropping off the back of a dry. Not only have I learned something about this method of fishing from this thread but equally important it's good to learn others have some of the same problems. Thanks to all for the info!!!

[The Patriot]

I like to fish nymphs on droppers off of dries too.

But I'm trying to nymph the bottom. Operative word "trying". :roll:

You're definitely not alone. :wink: :D

[caddisfly]

You mentioned a lesson or 2 with Pat Torrey. If it was just a lesson and not a guided trip, I highly suggest going out with Pat for a full day. I in no way work with or for Pat. I hired him just for that reason, to teach me the art of nymphing. I learned in a single day what it would have taken me years on my own reading and trial and error to learn on my own. He will teach you the tuck cast, mends, presentation, leader building, indicators or not, double rigs, weight and I can go on and on. And also, you will be entertained.

[Farmy Joe]

...what caddisfly said! Pat's the man when it comes to teaching nymphing techiques. He'll also tell you what to do with those dam dirty strike indicators! :wink: