Fly Fishing Reporter

European Nymphing Techniques – Back to the Basics

Ken Sperry — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:32:08 +0000

So you want to learn about european nymphing techniques (euro nymphing), like the highly effective Czech nymphing or french nymphing methods, right? I've written a number of articles on european nymphing methods that you can review here, but if you want to learn the basics here is what you need:

1) A light spinning rod with 4 lb test line

2) A hook

3) Some worms

Huh?

Learn European Nymphing By Fishing Bait

Yep, that's the secret to becoming proficient in european nymphing techniques or any nymphing techniques for that matter. Learn how to fish bait.

Let me explain.

This occurred to me the other day when I was out running along the Little Lehigh, a nearby creek in eastern Pennsylvania that I have a love-hate relationship with (more on that later.)

After my run I stopped along the river to stretch as I usually do. I also take this opportunity to study the river a bit to see if any hatches are coming off and just observe (something I should do more often when I have a rod in-hand). Today though there happened to be a guy spin fishing nearby that was doing pretty well. So I watched.

Fishing with a single worm on a small spinning rod rigged with light line, he would toss the worm upstream 10 feet or so, allow the worm to sink, bouncing along the bottom and drift back toward him while maintaining a tightline by taking up the slack as worm drifted back down stream.

He would run his worm rig through ever little seam and likely trout lie within reach, being careful to not cross-currents and maintain a drag-free dift, then take a step or two upstream and repeat. And he was catching fish, one after another.

Sound familar? It should, as that is the essence of most of the european nymphing or tight-line nymphing techniques. That is, getting your fly down to the fish quickly, staying in direct contact with your fly (aka tight-line nymphing, i.e., no slack in your line) and a drag-free drift.

You do those three things and you will be successful.

Keep it Simple, Stupid (KISS)

The KISS engineering design principle is equally effective when applied to fly fishing and in particular european nymphing. Too often we make things way more complicated than need be.

"Out of Clutter Find Simplicity" Albert Einstein

"Simplify, Simplify" Henry David Thoreau

Einstein and Thoreau were smart dudes and would have been good nymph fisherman. You can be too.

The key is not getting hung up about having the latest and greatest fly rod specifically designed for european nymphing techniques (although a decent 10-foot rod does help) or using a highly complex and advanced french nymphing leader that will take you an hour to construct and a year to learn how to cast.

Forget all that for a moment. Dig out the ol' spinning rod and spend some time fishing bait. This simplifies the learning process by removing a lot of variables.

First, the fly. Trout love worms, we all know that. So instead of worrying about if you are using "the right fly", use a worm. Having confidence in what you are fishing matters. Somehow the fish know. Case in point, how many flies do you have in your fly box that you don't fish? Why don't you fish these patterns? Because you don't think they will catch fish and you don't fish them the same way you fish your ol' standby patterns.

Second, the cast. Long monofiliment leaders (12 to 20 feet) are used in both short- and long-line european nymphing techniques, both of which typically include at least 5 feet of 5x or smaller diameter tippet on the end of the leader. The later is done to minimize line resistance in the water and allow the fly to sink quickly. No matter how you slice it, these leaders are a pain in the arse to cast! A spinning rod rigged with 4 lb test monofilament line (the equivalent diameter to 4x tippet material) is a lot easier to cast and has the same benefit of getting your bait or fly down to the fish quickly.

Third, tight-line strike detection. One of the main advantages of european nymphing techniques is enhanced strike detection achieved by maintaining direct contact with your flies and using sighters for strike detection. This is easier said than done especially when fishing long mono leaders and multiple flies as is often done when european nymphing. When fishing a worm on a spinning rod it is pretty easy to maintain a tight-line and it is easier to feel the take when the fish grabs your worm - no sighter required.

Fourth, a single fly (ok worm). Czech nymphing, french nymphing, and spanish nymphing rigs all use multiple flies to cover more of the water column and increase the probability of a hook up. This has many advantages, but when first starting out this often makes things way too complicated. Where to put the flies, how to rig them, which flies to use, not to mention the god awful tangles that will ensue when trying to cast (or lob) a multi-fly rig on a 15-foot leader. Good Lord, it's enough to drive you insane. Where as a single worm, perhaps with a single split-shot in heavier current, on a spinning is a simple flick of the wrist. No mess, no tangle, no stress.

All of the above allow you to focus on what's important, getting your fly down to the fish, maintaining a tight line and a drag free drift.

From Spin Fishing to European Nymphing

Ok, so you have now mastered fishing with a worm on a spinning rod and are confident you can catch fish by working small sections of a stream methodically fishing upstream, allowing your worm to bounce along the bottom while maintaining a tight-line. Now what?

Break out the fly rod. Any fly rod will do, but preferably one 9 or 10-foot long. If you have a Tenkara fly rod (you know the ones without a fly reel that are all the rage today) even better, it's one less thing to worry about.

Put on a 9-foot tapered 4x leader, any kind will do, a hook and bust out those worms. Now go back to the stream and do as you did with the spinning rod working the water and your worm rig in the same upstream way.

What? How do I cast a worm on a fly rod? Well, you don't really, nor will you cast a multi-fly czech nymphing rig either. You basically have to lob it. Let a little line out and let your worm hang in the current below you. Then start your forward upstream cast by first loading the rod by letting the current pull on line on the water and your worm. Once the rod is loaded (bent a little) give it a little flick upstream.

Once the worm hits the water, keep the fly line and leader off the water and allow the worm to sink. Then lead the worm with the fly rod through the riffle you are targeting maintaining a tight line and as little drag as possible allowing the worm to bounce along the bottom. Do this until you can catch fish consistently and confidently.

Once you become a fish catching machine with your worm and fly rod rig, switch the worm for a weighted Czech nymph. It doesn't matter what kind really. If there are some caddis flies in the river you are fishing then just about any Czech nymph will do.

Now pick a small run and pretend you are fishing that worm, lob cast and all. Guess what, you are now european nymphing! Note: This technique is also a great way to introduce kids to nymph fishing in general and they won't even know it!

Once you become proficient in czech nymphing with a single nymph you can move on to fishing multi-fly rigs and eventually start to experiment with long-line french nymphing techniques but for now let's keep it simple, it's a lot less stressful!

Now go dig some worms and get back to the basics!

For more on european nymphing techniques, visit our European Nymphing Resources page.

photo by:

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[Video] How to Tie a Crane Fly Larva

Ken Sperry — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:16:25 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie his version of a Crane Fly Larva in this Tightline Productions fly tying video tutorial.

Crane Fly Larva Mash-Up

As Tim points out in the video his Crane Fly Larva imitation is a mash-up of Frank Sawyer's Killer Bug, the Utah Killer Bug from Tenkara Guides, the Jason Klass version of the Utah Killer bug, and Walt's Worm by Walt Young. Wow! For a simple pattern that's a lot of mashing!

Why Tim's Crane Fly Larva Pattern Works

The secret ingredient in Tim's Crane Fly pattern is the wool yarn he uses, Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift Yarn. Jamieson's is a pure Shetland wool and the Oyster (SP-290) color has a translucent quality when wet that allows the pinkish hue of the yarn to show through just as the Chadwick's 477 wool yarn used in original Killer bug. This is the property that Frank Sawyer surmised made the original Sawyer Killer Bug so effective. Chadwick's 477 has not been manufactured in over 40 years and is very difficult and expensive to come by hence the substitution (in case you were wondering.)

Crane Fly Larva Material List

Hook: Dai-Riki 285 (3X-long nymph hook), size 12
Weight: Lead-free wire, 0.020 (8 or 9 wraps)
Thread: UTC 140 denier, Fluorescent Pink
Adhesive: Zap-A-Gap
Body: Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift Yarn, Oyster (SP-290)

Enjoy!

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[Video] How to Tie Catskill Flies

Ken Sperry — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:55:24 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Seeing this video of author and blogger Matt Grobert tying a Catskill-style dry fly, here a Hendrickson, brought back fond memories. Trips to the Beaverkill River in the Catskills region of New York State with my Dad and brother some 25 years ago where a highly anticipated event.

Up before dawn for the 2-hour ride to Roscoe, New York, a town dubbed "Trout Town USA", seemed to take forever but were always worth it. Our first stop in town was usually at the Little Store, a general store of sorts, to stock up on flies and see what was hatching.

Back then the only flies I fished were dry flies and on the Beaverkill they were always Catskill-style dry flies. On occasion we would go directly to Dette's Trout Flies to get our flies directly from master tyers, Walt, Winnie and daughter Mary Dette, who popularized the Catskill-style dry fly.

To this day, when I think of a dry fly I always think of a Catskill-style dry fly, although admittedly I don't fish them very often anymore. In fact I don't fish many dry flies at all anymore. Maybe it's time to dig out some of the old fly boxes and given them another go.

Catskill-Style Hendrickson Dry Fly

Hook: Standard dry-fly hook (here, a TMC 100), sizes 12-14
Thread: Olive, 6/0
Wing: Wood duck flank feather
Tail: Dark dun hackle fibers
Abdomen: Hendrickson Australian possum dubbing
Hackle: Dark dun
Head: Tying thread

Enjoy!

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Fly Tying Material of the Week: Beaver Dubbing

Ken Sperry — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:12:52 +0000

Beaver dubbing has long been recoginzied as one of the finest furs for fly tying and in particular for tying small dry flies. It makes sense if you consider that the beaver spends most of their life in water, and so has developed really fine, soft and water resistant underfur to keep warm. Beaver fur is tight yet supple making it is easier to taper dry fly bodies. Beaver dubbing is tough, holds it's shape far better under rough wear and successive wettings than many other types of hair and does not absorb water. These properties make Beaver fur dubbing an excellent choice for tying those 22 and 24 dry flies, tight bodied flies like Comparduns and Catskill style dries.

Beaver dubbing blends are available in a variety of colors to match just about any hatch.

BEAVER DUBBING FLY TYING color RED
$1.89

BEAVER DUBBING FLY TYING color PINK FOX
$1.89

BEAVER DUBBING FLY TYING color SULPHUR YELLOW
$1.89

BEAVER DUBBING FLY TYING color PURPLE
$1.89

BEAVER DUBBING FLY TYING color TAN
$1.89

BEAVER DUBBING FLY TYING color PALE EVENING DUN
$1.89

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[Video] Lance Egan’s Rainbow Warrior Fly

Ken Sperry — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:43:23 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Hans Stephenson of Dakota Angler & Outfitter demonstrates how to tie Lance Egan's Rainbow Warrior in this fly tying video tutorial.

Rainbow Warrior - What's The Fuss?

While the Rainbow Warrior is a pretty simple and rather unimpressive looking fly don't be fooled, it's quite deadly. Listed in George Daniel's Dynamic Nymphing: Tactics, Techniques, and Flies from Around the World as one pattern he would not leave home without, the Rainbow Warrior is a tried and true pattern that's proven itself on the international competitive fly fishing circuit.

Developed by Lance Egan, a long-time member of the US fly fishing team, the Rainbow Warrior tied with a tungsten bead makes for a great anchor fly in a tight-line nymphing rig. Substituting a glass bead for the tungsten bead will lighten-up this nymph pattern for use in shallower runs or when fishing higher up in the water column.

I'm not sure what exactly makes this pattern so effective, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the spectrum of colors in the pattern. When wet, the red thread bleeds through the Mylar tinsel and the fly takes on the characteristic red color of many chironomids. Other times, the Mylar tinsel gives off a blueish-green flash that I think catches a fish's eye. These effects are complimented by the sparkle of the Rainbow dubbing used in making the thorax and the red-thread collar that acts as a hot-spot.

Lastly, the slim profile and lack of appendages really helps this fly sink quickly through the water column which is key when tight-line nymphing.

Rainbow Warrior Material List

Hook: Tiemco 2457, #12-22
Bead: Tungsten, Silver
Thread: UTC 70, Red
Tail: Ring-necked Pheasant Center Tail Fibers
Body/Wing Case: UTC Pearl Tinsel, Large
Thorax: Rainbow dubbing

Enjoy!

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[Video] Chimarra Caddis Larva

Ken Sperry — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:15:55 +0000

Click here to watch video.

In this fly tying video from Tightline Productions, Matt Grobert ties his version of the Chimarra Caddis Larva, a super simple fly pattern (just the way I like them). Grobert, an author and blogger, demonstrates how even such a simple pattern can make for a very attractive and imitative pattern that trout will find hard to resist.

Chimarra Caddisfly

The Chimarra caddisfly, also known as the little black sedge, is common to the eastern and Midwestern United States. In it's larval stage, the Chimarra caddis is bright orange to yellow and darkens to black during emergence in the Spring (weird I know). Fishing this bright Chimarra caddis larva pattern in late February and March, the months leading up to the hatch, is often very effective. This pattern works great as a dropper off a heavier nymph.

Chimarra Caddis Larva Material List

Hook: Dai-Riki #125 (2X-short emerger hook), sizes 16-20
Thread & Underbody: Danville 6/0 thread, Orange
Body: Uni-Flexx, Yellow
Head: Danville 6/0 thread, Brown

Enjoy!

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[Video] BWO Soft Hackle by Johhny Utah

Ken Sperry — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:07:13 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Johnny Utah of Utah's Fly Corner demonstrates how to tie a beautifully simple blue-winged olive (BWO) soft hackle that is deadly on the eastern PA limestone streams he fishes.

BWO Soft Hackle Materials

Hook: Daiichi 1550, Size 14-18
Thread: Uni 8/0, light olive
Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
Thorax: Tying thread
Rib: X-small copper wire
Thorax: Pheasant tail fibers
Hackle: Grey partridge

Enjoy!

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[Video] Rosenbauer’s Lucky Rabbit Foot Emerger

Ken Sperry — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:49:05 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions demonstrates how to tie Tom Rosenbauer's Lucky Rabbit's Foot Emerger in this fly tying video.

What Makes it Lucky?

Well it is made from a rabbit's foot, right? Kidding aside,Tom Rosenbauer, noted author and host of the Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast, developed this pattern some 20 years ago while a guide in Yellowstone National Park and to this day it's still his go to emerger pattern.

In fact, in a recent podcast where Tom named his top 12 dry flies that will catch fish "anywhere in the world", there was only one emerger on the list; Tom's snowshoe-rabbit foot emerger. I'd say that qualifies this emerger pattern as lucky.

What Makes it Work?

Undoubtedly, the snowshoe-rabbit foot fur has a lot to do with the success of this pattern. Snowshoe rabbit is just one of those fly tying materials that has near magical properties. It's tough, floats like a cork and is just buggy in the water. I don't know how else to describe it.

Next is the non-specific nature of this pattern. Many describe it as a mayfly emerger pattern, but in discussing this pattern on his podcast, Tom theorizes that it works equally well to imitate an emerging caddis or even a small adult stonefly.

Mayfly, Caddis or Stonefly?

Tom's theory is that if you observe an emerging mayfly or caddis up close when they are trying to escape from the surface of the water they actually look pretty similar and share 3 characteristics: an emerging wing, a trailing shuck and legs.

Tom's emerger pattern imitates all 3 of these characteristics with the Snowshoe rabbit (wing), Antron (shuck) and CDC (legs). All you need to do is vary the size of pattern and maybe the colors a bit and you can cover a wide range of emerging mayflies and caddisflies with this one pattern.

Tom's rabbit-foot emerger may also respresent a small adult stonefly since the pattern rides very low in the water with just the Snowshoe rabbit wing riding on the waters surface, as illustrated by Tim Flagler in the video.

I suppose nobody really knows what a trout thinks, but one thing I know for sure is that this pattern flat out works.

Rosenbauer's Rabbit Foot Emerger Material List

Hook: Dai-Riki 125 (or favorite curved emerger hook), size 14-20
Thread: UTC 70, Brown Olive
Shuck: Antron Dubbing, Chocolate Brown
Abdomen: Rabbit-Fur Dubbing, Olive
Hackle: CDC, Dun
Wing: Snowshoe-Rabbit's Foot Hair
Head: Rabbit Fur, Dark Olive

Enjoy!

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[Video] Davy Wotton Cinnamon & Brown Emerger Caddis (Variant)

Ken Sperry — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:30:15 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Master fly tyer Davie McPhail demonstrates how to tie a Cinnamon/Brown Emerger Caddis, a variant of a Davy Wotton' emerger caddis pattern.

Cinnamon & Brown Emerger Caddis Material List

Hook: Fulling Mill Super Grub size 12
Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0, Orange
Rib: Clear Nymph Wrap or Tinsel
Body: SLF Dubbing, Cinnamon
Thorax Cover: Cock Pheasant Tail Fiber or Antron Floss
Wing: Deer Body Hair, Dark Brown
Legs: Summer Duck (Wood Duck) Fibers
Thorax: Dark Brown SLF Dubbing and Bug-Bond
Horns: Cock Pheasant Tail Fibers

Enjoy!

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[Video] Tying a Green Royal Coachman by Davie McPhail

Ken Sperry — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:19:24 +0000

Click here to watch video.

Davie McPhail demonstrates how to tie a Green Royal Coachman dry fly is this fly tying video tutorial. Why green? Why not. It looks great and it's a little different from all those red ones. I'm game.

Green Royal Coachman Material List

Hook: Kamasan B170, Size 10
Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0, Olive
Wing: Calf Body Hair, White
Tail: Moose Body Hair
Body: Peacock Herl (dyed Yellow) and Hot Green Uni-Floss
Hackle: Cock Saddle, dyed Dark Olive

Enjoy!

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