Thoughts About European Nymphing Techniques.

[Rich Strolis]

I just wanted to see what people had to say about this question I will pose here, mostly from those of you whom are well versed in the techniques.  My main question is this;  what is the most common error that beginners make/overlook while employing the short line Polish/czech styles of nymphing, and maybe, what would be the most likely remedy for said problem.    I will start this off from my experiences like this, I found that I for one found that my hooked fish ratio went through the roof when I started holding the line between my fingers on my drift, something I neglected to do from the get go as I was self taught the technique.  When I started doing so, my "fish sense" went through the roof. 

[Mark Hanes]

I know for myself when i first starting using polish nymphing I was not leading the flies properly.  I was too used to the dead drift idea.  Once I realized what i was not doing and started to do it my catch rate went up in no time.  I was missing a lot of strikes.

[Dejon Hamann]

Rich, I think staying in touch with your line is crucial for just about every technique and delviery.  Even stripping streamers... everytime you move your hand to gab another section of line you lose contact... that's why a lot of guys sit around watching TV learning how to "hand twist" like a rocket.

In addition to Mark's point I'd say Rod and Arm Angle are 2 very important factors that many beginners miss.  To remedy, just take a bit of time to notice how your holding your rig and experiment thorugh different water types. 

[Chris Smith]

Marc and Dejon are spot on in their recommendations.

The only thing I'd add is to use all of your senses, including common sense.

I can't tell you how many times something in my mind simply said "Set the hook ...there should be a fish there".  Guess what...there was.

Along those same lines, Paul Bourcq and I have fished together on a few occassions (including a long 3 hours on the lake in the SE qualifier).  During that time we talked alot, and he made a good point that I'll throw in.  

Sometimes you set when you don't feel your flies tick the bottom, as that lack of a "tick" may be the result of your fly being in the mouth of a drifting fish!  

[Todd Oishi]

Along with all of the other pieces of advice; I would also add that many newbies fail to strike when the line pauses or flicks during the presentation - perhaps assuming that the fish will set the hook by itself, which rarely (if ever) happens. I always recommend: if in doubt... STRIKE!!!

Another tip; at the end of each and every drift; perform a quick snap of the wrist (even though there is no detectable take), as it helps to keep your reaction-time and reflexes very sharp...

Even stripping streamers... everytime you move your hand to gab another section of line you lose contact...

That is where the "strip & thrust" technique shines, as it keep the fly in constant motion with zero "dead time" during the retrieve...

[Chris Michels]

I think a problem with a lot of anglers new to the euro techniques is the use of anchor flies that are way too heavy.  I barely want my flies ticking the bottom when I'm czech or polish nymphing.  With a properly lead drift, you won't miss a strike, whether you feel it or see it, you should be able to detect it.   If you are relying on feel when you are czech nymphing, you are probably using flies that are too heavy.  You want your flies barely "ticking" the bottom, not dredging the floor of the river.   When I'm long line nymphing (french or spanish) I'm using flies down to size 16 as my anchor.   They are heavy enough to get down in the water column to feeding fish, but will rarely snag bottom.  Sight is then your number one source of strike detection.   Of course, water current and depth will dictate the size of fly you use.

In short, if you are snagging bottom a lot, you probably have too much weight on.


Edit*  Right on, Alain. 

[Chris Smorul]

Rich,
We talked about this before.  I think most beginners go too heavy with their anchors and too short with their tippet below the sighter.
Alain

I found that I was guilty of this Alain, both with the weight of my anchor and the length of the tippet I was using.  I've since dialed in on how heavy and how long and have seen better results.  I've found that even though my anchors are light, the longer tippet allows them to still get deep.

[Rich Strolis]

Great tips, thanks for the insight and sound advice.  Alain, thanks for the plug, as the rest of you on here, just another passionate fisherman who likes to stay ahead of the learning curve. 

I will have to agree with everyone's input, if you get out of the dead drift mentality which is a pretty tough habit to crack things roll from there.  Great point.   My only problem now is I have about 1/8 the time to fish as I used to be on the water almost daily.  Wife kids and a house will do that to you, don't read into it though, I'm not complaining.....

[Chris Smorul]

Welcome Rich.  I am lucky, my kids are grown and my wife is more than happy to get me out of the house 

[Todd Oishi]

Great article Alain! Very well written and illustrated.

Thanks for sharing it with us!

Cheers,
Todd

[Chris Smith]

Agreed.  Well done!

[Rich Strolis]

Alain,
good article.  Very clear and concise....You might be missing your calling. 

[Jason Baker]

Great article! You a teacher by chance? lol

[Dylan Jones]

Alain, this article is great.  I am a high school teacher and I appreciate your ability to describe these techniques with ease and detail.  Lyons Press is right near you, get on that book.

[Torrey Collins]

I've got a little less than 2 years into the Euro style nymphing, and in the beginning I made most of the classic mistakes mentioned in this thread- too heavy flies, fished 3 at a time, dragging them along the bottom, detecting hits almost solely by feel, and getting snagged up a lot & losing flies like crazy.  But I caught fish.  As time went on, I found myself going lighter on the flies, I lightened up my tippet from 4x to 5x (to better sink the lighter patterns), little by little lengthened out the leader, and went to (mostly) two flies.  The results?  A lot more fish, and a lot less snags & lost flies.  I now more often than not detect hits by sight.  I learned that you don't have to be down on the bottom, but rather down near it & drifting at the correct speed and in contact with your flies.  And unless I'm trying to clear a potential snag, I don't usually pull my flies anymore, but rather lead them gently most of the time, just fast enough to keep the slack out in stay in touch with the drift.   

[Chris Smorul]

Nympho,
As a relative newbie I found myself making those mistakes as well.  Just recently I starting drifting as you say, just fast enough to to keep the slack off and I am detecting many more strikes that I used to.  It really helped when I caught a big goldfish.  I was able to see exactly how far this fish woulld move for a drifting fly.  When it went by too fast, he would just let it go.  When I brought it by him slower he glommed it up.  I ran this experiment a few weeks later on the same fish with the same results.

[Torrey Collins]

You can really learn a lot fast when you can actually see the fish.  I used to fish in an overstocked tiny catch & release area that was stuffed full of the fake Golden Trout (they call them Palamino's in PA).  Even though a totally artificial fishery, I cannot tell you how much this accelerated my learning curve.  I learned trout can eject a nymph so fast that it can be impossible to set the hook, even when you are watching everything & anticipating the hit  I learned that trout commonly take & eject your fly without it ever registering on your strike indicator.  I learned that 5x gets you way more hits than 4x in clear water, but that usually, if they refused my fly on 5x, that going to 6x or 7x made no difference with my nymphs.  I learned that sometimes 1-2" away from the trout's mouth is too far.  And many other lessons too.

Back to using lighter flies, I quickly learned that using lighter flies also gives you better strike detection, especially on those really subtle takes.   

[Nick Naclerio]

Nympho and Chris both made very good points. When I first started I did the lead the flies a little faster thing as well (it has its moments where it works very well) but now escpecially with the low water temps we have I lead them just enough to keep a bow out of my line. In some situations I've found this is actually a good bit slower than the surface water, makes sense when you think about it also we all now the water speed in slower on the bottom. So like Nympho said slow it down and you will be surprised how many more fish you get.

[Nick Naclerio]

I quickly learned that using lighter flies also gives you better strike detection, especially on those really subtle takes.

I love knowing any twitch in the sighter is a fish.

[Torrey Collins]

That's the great part about your flies not being on the bottom- if you sighter slows, twitches, stops or even just moves differently, it's usually a fish.  Gotta love that, less "false takes".  Sorta like when you are Indy nymphing and your rig is set so your flies & weight are off bottom, and you know any twitch is a trout. 

[Dejon Hamann]

Great conversation guys. I really like Nymphos "aquarium" observations too. I've learned many such lessons standing on our local spring creek in the same spot all day fishing over the same 20 fish.

Also, I know it doesn't suit everyone's tastes, but utilizing the curly whirly sighter has driven my strike detection through the roof. It's just so subtle - if utilized correctly I think you can register even the softest take.  I do believe that the "slack" feel it creates in the leader gives you a few more milliseconds before the fish "registers" you are on the other end too! 

[Frank Muscente]

Guys,

I'm new to the Euro nymphing technique ( Less than a year) I started using the in line backing type indicator and found it to be tight with the flies giving me a good sense of feel for the strike. Then I switched over to the curley type indicator and it makes me feel like there is too much play in the coil. I have a hard time feeling when I'm on the bottom or a strike.  It seems like tis coil just bounces around.

What tips or suggestions can you give me to help me get a better idea of the proper feel I'm supposed to have using this indicator?

Thanks in advance!

[Nick Naclerio]

The coiled mono is all about sight. Your watching the coils to jump or straighten out. If you are short line Euro nymphing (czech/polish) you actually don't even need a sighter (althought it can help with very light takes) since you will be feeling every take. If you are long line Euro Nymphing (French/Spanish) you have to use sight to know when you have a take since you will have way to much leader out of the rod tip to be able to feel the take.

Really the only tip you need is keep practincing with the long leader (there is a section on here that has the formulas) and watch that coiled sighter like a hawk.

[Dejon Hamann]

What tips or suggestions can you give me to help me get a better idea of the proper feel I'm supposed to have using this indicator?

I would agree that utilizing the coiled sighter is much less about "feel" than classic Czech Nymphing with a backing type sighter, but not entirely.  There's still a lot of vibration that can be transferred through an appropriately balanced rod using this technique.  I think it's more a combination of all the senses that equates in increased strike detection.  I can't even describe what's happening with my sighter most times or whether or not I felt something: I'm simply leading my flies and then there's a fish on!  I also think that your coiled sighter acts as a serious training wheel to keep your rig "lined up" and you in touch with your flies.  When it's flopping around at all different angles you are not in contact.  If it's continually stretching when hitting bottom your utilizing flies that might be too heavy for that particular run.  If it's slightly stretched out and linear with the leader material before and after it you are most likely in the ball park. 

I would experiment with the following leader setup:

50ft 25lb Mono (your fly line won't see the light of day)
4ft 20lb mono (just to help with turnover a bit)
15lb Sighter (or whatever you have)
6ft 5x (don't skimp)
3ft 5x for dropper/point fly (flies end up approx 50+cm apart hanging)

With this setup you will not be "casting" flies - you'll be "slingshotting" them.  You will slightly lead your coiled sighter depending on water speed and it will always be at some height above the water surface depending on the depth of the run you are fishing.

You'll need about 3 differently weighted Anchors. I like the following: Vladi Worm Size 1 Streamer Hook wrapped with .35 Lead, Rubber leg Stone 2 Sizes: 6Streamer w/ 3.8Tung Bead wrapped with .30 lead, 8Streamer w/ 3.2Tung Bead wrapeed with .25 lead.   The dropper fly is your choice. 

Try to get a good feel for this technique... then work up to a "long" leader system with lighter flies.

Some tips:
Deep Winter Fishing requires almost no lead and sometimes 8ft of 5x instead of 6ft.
Keep your rod and arm high.
Use your non rod hand to "hand twist" line in as your rig approaches you from upstream, but
Start at close ranges and then work out.
Ideally you want your Anchor fly ticking bottom only once or twice through the drift.
Set at random and odd moves of your sighter until you figure it out. 

[Jason Baker]

Dejon:

I love your comment about not knowing why you picked up a strike. I got a good chuckle out of that statement. I am with you.....

It is totally a combination of visual feedback and feel. Like you, I am often at a loss to figure out which (or both) induces the reflex to set.