European Nymphing: C to ZA Primer

European Nymphing: C to Z
A Primer
Bill Seitz
Bend, Oregon
COF Nov 2013 Meeting
Euro Nymphing: C to Z
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My Story
Goals & General Tips
Rods
Lines
Leaders
Sighters
Flies
Methods
Good Sources of Information
Questions
Euro Nymphing
Goals
• Goal 1 – Keep a taut connection between the
leader/line so that the leader/line will hesitate the
moment the nymphs stop moving during the drift
• Goal 2 – Obtain a dead drift while eliminating slack in
the system (Hint – Watch the Bubbles!)
• Goal 3 -The angler controls the speed and depth at
which the flies drift
Euro Nymphing System
General Tips
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Buy best equipment you can afford
Focus on how to use your equipment
Experimenting vs. Perfecting
Simplify – keep things that work; eliminate things
that don’t
• Organize your fly boxes
• Minimize gear & know it well
• Focus on technique
Euro Nymphing System
Rods
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General – Your 9’ 5 wt will work!
Use as long as rod as possible
9 1/2’ to 11’ single handed 4 and 5 wt rods are best
Use fast action rods to: allow faster hook set,
maintain tension on line when playing fish, allow 6x
& 7x tippets
• Other – Switch Rods; Tenkara
Euro Nymphing System
Reels
• The right reel is one that counterbalances weight of
long, tip-heavy rods
• Single action reel with good drag is adequate
• 2 rods vs 2 reels vs extra spools
Euro Nymphing System
Lines
• Weight forward or double taper floating lines with
regular taper of at least 40’
(Hint: High dollar lines not necessary)
* 4 wt better than 6 wt: Why?
Euro Nymphing System
Leaders
• Standard tight-line leader for Czech and Polish
methods:
6 – 12’ clear blue Stren (#15)
16” multi-color sighter
4 – 8’ level fluorocarbon tippet w/ dropper(s)
(1x to 4x)
My Leader:
15’ leader (8’ 20# Clear Maxima, 7’ 15# Clear Maxima)
24” bicolor sighter
4 – 8’ level fluorocarbon tippet w/dropper(s)
(6# spinning line)
Euro Nymphing Sytem
Leaders
• Shallow-water leader for French Method:
9’ 0x tapered leader
Curly Q/Curly Wurly sighter
4 – 6’ 4x to 5x fluorocarbon tippet w/ dropper
Euro Nymphing System
Sighters
• Critical to tight-line nymphing
• Provides a visual indication of when to lead your
nymphs or set the hook
• Monofilament is best
• Most anglers prefer multi-color sighters (2 to 3 colors
increase points of contrast)
• DIY vs Commercial
Euro Nymphing Sytems
Sighters
• Basic bicolor sighter:
8” 10# gold Stren
8” 8# hi-vis mono
• Tricolor sighter:
6” 14# blue Stren
6” 10# gold Stren
6” 6# hi-vis mono
• My sighter:
8” 10# Red Amnesia
8” 8# Chartreuse Amnesia
8” 6# Red Amnesia
Euro Nymphing System
Sighters
• Tippet rings are preferred
• Miniature steel rings used to connect the sighter and
the tippet
• Saves time and tippet material
• 2.25mm common
Euro Nymphing System
Sighters
Curly Q/Curly Wurly/Coil
• Used with the French Method
• Construct with large diameter mono (10 -15# gold
Stren or other hi-vis mono)
• Grease with floatant
Euro Nymphing System
How to make a Curly Q
• Obtain 4” ¼” wooden dowel rod
• Cut a 20” piece of 10 – 15# gold Stren or other hi-vis
mono
• Lay 4” of mono on dowel and secure with ¼” piece of
duct tape
• Lay down 8 -12 tight wraps of mono around dowel
and secure with ¼” piece of duct tape
• Place in boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes
• Place in freezer overnight
Euro Nymphing System
Flies
• Flies and tight-line rigs influenced by international fly
fishing competition rules
• Tight-line rigs use 2 to 3 flies
• On a 2-fly rig, “light” fly on dropper, “heavy” fly on
point (reversed in shallow water)
• On a 3-fly rig, “light” fly on top dropper, “heavy” fly
on bottom dropper, “light” fly on point
European Nymphing System
Czech Nymph
Euro Nymphing System
Flies
• Czech style vs standard western nymphs
• Imitative vs suggestive vs wild flies
• Czech style or other heavily-weighted flies are the
key to success in tight-line nymphing
• Key – Angler must get point fly near stream bottom;
anglers change point fly depending on depth and
speed of current
Euro Nymphing Methods
General Strategy
• Fish flies upstream of angler
• “Lob” cast flies upstream at 45 degree angle; no overhead
casting
• Place flies 1 – 3’ upstream of suspected fish holding areas
• Drive flies into water surface; no delicate approach needed
• Hesitate to allow flies to drop to bottom
• Lead flies downstream; keep line at 45 degree angle (watch
leader/sighter/tippet and water surface for speed)
• Feel the fish vs See the tippet/sighter hesitate
• Set hook up and away
• Get fish on the reel
Euro Nymphing Methods
Fishing Approach
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Fish water thoroughly
Fish edge of stream first
Break stream into 12” lanes
8 – 10 casts/lane
Goal – 4 good drifts/lane
Fish a cross section of stream; then move upstream
Read the water; look for feeding fish; look for bug
activity
Euro Nymphing Methods
Czech
• Good for broken water surfaces, no limitations of
water depth (12” to 4’)
• 2- or 3-fly rigs
• Weighted and un-weighted flies
• General rule – flies 20” apart
• Sighter attached to fly line, usually 8 -12”, one color
• Level tippet, 3x to 5x fluorocarbon, no longer than
rod length
• Droppers fixed to tippet
• 45 degree guide
Euro Nymphing Methods
Polish
• Good for broken water surface, no limitations on
water depth (12” to 4’)
• 2- or 3-fly rigs
• Weighted and un-weighted flies
• Leader: 3’ 0x; 12 – 18” bicolor sighter; Tippet – 3x to
5x fluorocarbon, 1.5 to 2x average depth from sighter
to point fly
• Droppers looped to tippet, not fixed
• 45 degree guide
Euro Nymphing Methods
French
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Low, clear water, 8 – 18” depth, used for selective fish
2-fly rig
“lightly” weighted micronymphs
Use coil sighter/indicator
Cast directly upstream or at slight angle; swim flies in
water column, not on bottom; watch coil for movement
• Leader – 7 ½’ 3x tapered leader or longer, coil, tippet –
15” 3x, 28 -35” 5x fluorocarbon, dropper, 25” 5x to point
(total tippet is 2 1/2x depth of water
Euro Nymphing Methods
Spanish
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Long rod is a must
Big water method, no depth limitations
2- or 3-fly rigs
Weighted and un-weighted flies
Leader – 12’ 3x tapered leader; 15” bicolor sighter;
tippet – 12-14” 3x, 28-35” 5x, dropper, 25-28” 5x to
point (tippet length is 2 1/2x water depth
• Fish sighter on water surface, manipulate with rod
tip
My
Tight-Line Nymphing Approach
• Use tight-line fishing tactics discussed today
• Modify Euro leader configurations
• Use fluorocarbon/regular spinning line for tippet
material (big cost savings!)
• Use predominantly unweighted, western style
“suggestive” nymphs
• Modify EN 2- and 3-fly rigs to use split shot
• Add an indicator to the 2- and 3-fly rigs in slow,
deep water conditions
Euro Nymphing Methods
Information
• DVDs
Aaron Jasper - “European Nymphing Techniques and Fly
Tying” and “European Nymphing – A Strategic Approach”,
Steve Parrot “Czech Nymphing 101 and other European
Methods” and “Czech Nymphing Master Class”
• Books
George Daniel “Dynamic Nymphing”
• Internet
European Nymphing: C to Z
QUESTIONS?