CHAPTER ONE
THE PROBLEM WITH NYMPH FISHING
Nymph fishing is a productive four-seasons way to catch fish, although staying warm was one of the problems we faced on the West Fork of the Pigeon River one cold February morning.
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he ability to see what’s happening to nymph that is the fact that n he ability to see what’s happening Added to that is theAdded fact that gives athe dry-fly angler is based onour the assumption th gives the dry-fly angler distinct fishingais distinct based on thefishing assumption that advantage over the nymph angler—he or flies are drifting in a advantage over the nymph angler—he or flies are drifting in a natural way, one that isnatural way, one she sees right where the dry fly lands and to the actually she sees right where the dry fly lands and actually enticing fish. Inenticing reality, to notthe fish. In reali that itcurrent drifts in the current are our we uncertain ensures that it drifts ensures in the right onlyright are we uncertainonly where flies are where our fl thread, a rising most fish that’s of the time, but we also don’t thread, often to a rising fishoften that’stofairly of thefairly time, butmost we also don’t know easily spotted. It’s obvious when drag spoils if they have a natural easily spotted. It’s obvious when drag spoils if they have a natural presentation, one that presentation, o the dead drift and when a mend is needed. effectively mimics the dead drift and when a mend is needed. effectively mimics the natural food itemthe natural food Additionally, the strikes arewe’re unmistakable. we’re trying to imitate. From our p Additionally, the strikes are unmistakable. trying to imitate. From our position thisnymph is harder above for the nymph we can’t usually see w All of this is harderAllforofthe water, we can’tabove usuallywater, see whether angler who seldom sees the flies and usuour underwater angler who seldom sees the flies and usuour underwater flies look good or not.flies look good or n ally doesn’t really know where they are the nymph Additionally, the nymph fish ally doesn’t really know where they are Additionally, fisherman because the fliesalways in waysknowdoesn’t because the current affects thethe fliescurrent in waysaffectsdoesn’t when aalways trout know takes when a trou not visible the surface. hydrody-he is too his fly because he is too often depe not visible from the surface. The from hydrodyhisThe fly because often dependent of moving water often method on anofinefficient method of strike namic properties of namic movingproperties water often on an inefficient strike detecmean that our flies are seldom directly tion. When I was a novice angler, som mean that our flies are seldom directly tion.When I was a novice angler, someone under Our our strike indicator. Ourtold flies once told me I was missing half under our strike indicator. flies may once memay that I was missing halfthat of the be trailing behind riding fish after that took fly. But after many be trailing behind the indicator, ridingthe indicator, fish that took my fly. But manymy hours the vertical column than filming, higher in the verticalhigher water in column than water of underwater filming,ofI underwater now think that’s a I now think we might realize, or they may be drifting conservative estimate. we might realize, or they may be drifting conservative estimate. to one sidething’s or theforother. One forchallenges All make of these challenges make n to one side or the other. One All thing’s of these nymph sure:they’re Much nowhere of the time they’re fishing and a little intimidating and har sure: Much of the time fishing anowhere little intimidating harder to near where we think they are. learn, often discouraging the wo near where we think they are. learn, often discouraging the would-be
Comparing to amatch natural helps you size,the shape, Comparing your fly to a natural insect your helpsflyyou theinsect size, shape, andmatch color. the Having right and fly iscolor. Having the right fly i important, but presenting the fly in a natural way is critical. important, but presenting the fly in a natural way is critical.
The Problem with Nymph Fishing •
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Fishing just seems to come more natural to some fishers. This bear feeds on salmon on Alaska’s Russian River.
nymph angler. When I first began nymph fishing, I found it very frustrating. I listened to excellent nymph fishermen and tried to emulate their techniques. In books and magazine articles, experts described a mystical sixth sense to discern the nuance of a trout take, but I seemed to lack their ESP-like ability. I’d return to the river to spend fishless hours on the water, and then finally while lifting to recast at the end of one of countless drifts, I was occasionally surprised by the momentary tug of a fish. I don’t know which was more frustrating— that I missed the fish or that I didn’t know it was there in the first place. And then I tortured myself wondering how many other fish I might have missed. I grappled with questions that have plagued all anglers at some time or another, especially nymph fishermen: Am I using the wrong fly? Am I doing something wrong? Is my presentation faulty? Am I fishing unproductive water? Should I quit and take up golf?
THE QUEST Many years ago, these nagging questions set me on a quest to analyze the situation, identify problems, and try to find a solution to these nymph-fishing dilemmas. Rather than sixth senses and nuances, I wanted something more concrete and practical—a systematic approach that would allow me to catch more fish. One thing was clear from the onset: To stand the best chance of catching trout feeding near the bottom, my flies also need to be near the bottom. This conclusion then begged the question, were my flies really on the bottom with the conventional nymph-fishing methods I’d been using? At that time, my most commonly employed nymph-fishing method was to attach a floating indicator on my leader a distance above my flies equal to one and a half to two times the estimated depth of the river section I was fishing and then wait for the strike indicator to twitch or my ESP antennae to tingle. On most
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ular nymph-fishing ular nymph-fishing methods—our flies aremethods—our f often not in the strikeoften zone.not in the strike zone. Therecommends second thing Joe recomm The second thing Joe is flexibility: “You’ve is flexibility: “You’ve got to be able to got to be a change with every condition.” From change with every condition.” From leaders and weight to technique and c ers and weight to technique and casting, to adapt to the circums you have to adapt toyou thehave circumstances. Once again, withthe the goal of keepi Once again, with the goal of keeping flies near the bottom.flies near the bottom. This advice, soundedtoo. like good advic This sounded like good When Imy firstmost began to nymph-fish,Inmyfact, mostthis common When I first began to nymph-fish, common thisby sentiment sentimentInisfact, shared many is shared by method wasindicator to attach to method was to attach a flotation-style to a flotation-style other nymph-fishing otherindicator nymph-fishing experts—if what experts—if leader, assuming looked doing good to isn’t working, my leader, assuming that mymyflies looked good tothat my fliesyou’re you’re try doing isn’t working, try som something Blaming a lack of fish on poor selection, trout. Blaming a lack of fishtrout. on poor fly selection, else. Keep yourwhat’s eyes open; observe else.flyKeep your eyes open; observe I’d change fliesthat repeatedly, neverhappening realizing that my I’d change flies repeatedly, never realizing my what’s not. And re and what’shappening not. And and respond presentation was more oftenpresentation at fault. was more often at fault. to it. After all, the to it. After all, the definition of insanity,definition of in according to Albert according to Albert Einstein, is doing the Einstein, is doi of the never drifts, moved, the indicator never moved, thing over difand over expectin of the drifts, the indicator same thing over and same over expecting a trout which made ferent results. either from a trout oreither a snag,from which madeor a snag, ferent results. me wonder, with weighted flies oftenconsistently So, to be consistently effect me wonder, with weighted flies and often So, and to be effective, a split shotshouldn’t for added shouldn’t Isystemnymph-fishing a split shot for added ameasure, I measure, nymph-fishing would have tosystem be would have at least hit bottom once inadaptable a while? to different adaptable to different water cond at least hit bottom once in a while? water conditions thesuccessful first goal of such any assuccessful suchofascurrent, depth and So the first goal ofSoany depth and speed withspeed of current nymph-fishing system is contact with the goal of improving nymph-fishing system is contact with the goal of improving bottom contact— bottom con thethe bottom, at of least the lower layer of strike more time in would the strike zone. This the bottom, or at least lower or layer more time in the zone. This the vertical column wherean natural analytic the vertical water column wherewater natural require analytic require approachan for each approach for invertebrates displaced fromand every stretch of water andtoevery circumsta invertebrates drift when displaceddrift fromwhenstretch of water circumstance the streambed—the of natural inverdeterminemethod the besttonymphing meth the streambed—the type of natural inver-type determine the best nymphing tebrates trout to eat. Itget stands to reason get zone the flies to theand strike zone quick tebrates trout like to eat. It stands to like reason the flies to the strike quicker sincediet the comes bulk of a trout’s diet comes keepGood them idea; therethat longer. Good ide that since the bulk ofthat a trout’s keep them there longer. from streambed, absence of an potential way, the potential for eac from the streambed, in thethe absence of an in the way, the maximal formaximal each drift emergence and dry-fly opportunities, our could be realized. emergence and dry-fly opportunities, our could be realized. be there, This layer of our Merely keeping flies should be there,flies too.should This layer of too. Merely keeping flies in the strikeour flies in the the vertical columnzone is the nymphis not enough, the vertical water column is the water nymphis not enough, zone however; they need however; they to look goodwith while fishing “strike zone.” fishing “strike zone.” to look good while they’re there, thethey’re there, w This is not a revolutionary idea. Joe trout serving as judge This is not a revolutionary idea. Joe trout serving as judge and jury. Fly choice, and jury. Fly c this for takeswhile important, takes a backseat t Humphreys has beenHumphreys advocating has this been for advocating while important, a backseat to preemphasizes things You’ll in his catch sentation. You’llwith catch more trout years, and emphasizesyears, two and things in his two sentation. more trout philosophy, firstwrong being fly lineand athe wrong fly and a good presen nymphing philosophy,nymphing the first being line thethe good presentation control to maximize the amount of time than you will with control to maximize the amount of time than you will with a correctly chosen buta correctly chos ournear nymph flies spend near thepresented bottom, fly. poorly presentedflies fly. Our subsurfac our nymph flies spend the bottom, poorly Our subsurface in productive water. advice, but and the tumble need to the driftdisplaced and tumble like the dis in productive water. Good advice, but the Goodneed to drift like more I investigated, I found this that natural preytospecies more I investigated, the more I found thisthe more natural prey species is trying regainthat is trying to was not the case with many currently popa toehold on the streambed to ret was not the case with many currently popa toehold on the streambed to return to
The Problem with Nymph Fishing •
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Joe Humphreys fishes his home waters in front of his Pennsylvania home. He emphasizes two points for nymph fishermen: bottom contact and flexibility. The cloud of midges over the water makes fly selection easier.
a safe haven in the interstices, cracks, and crevices of the bottom. Previously, I assumed that the nymphs drifting under my strike indicator had a
This nice Wisconsin brown trout took a nymph but dove for cover in streambed vegetation, some of which still clings to its body. It pays to plan the battle before the fight begins; you need to anticipate where the trout will want to go once hooked and try to keep it out of problem areas such as logjams and mats of vegetation.
natural presentation, but this also turned out to be a mistaken assumption.The more I filmed underwater, the more evident it became that my subsurface presentation was not as good as I thought it was. Our flies need a dead drift, at least when they’re imitating a dead-drifting insect; and when not, our flies need to correctly imitate an invertebrate that is swimming or purposely moving.Time spent underwater has convinced me that aquatic insects move around frequently. It’s common for them to change locations as they feed; sometimes they detach and drift short distances using the current to take them to a new area, and sometimes they swim purposefully. So moving our flies can be a good thing, but when movement is appropriate for what we’re imitating, that movement needs to be right. Another goal of our nymph-fishing system is to improve strike detection. I was
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tired of missing fish and tiredwondering of missing how fish and wondering how many more might have many picked moreupmight my fly have picked up my fly without me realizingwithout it. It turns me out realizing that it. It turns out that there’s a reason we’re there’s missinga more reasonstrikes we’re missing more strikes than we detect—we’ve thanlost wea detect—we’ve linear con- lost a linear connection to our submerged nection flies. toThis our submerged probflies. This problem is accentuated lem with isflotation-style accentuated with flotation-style strike detectors, whichstrike create detectors, a delay from which create a delay from the time the trout picks theuptime ourthe fly until trout the picks up our fly until the strike indicator registers strikethe indicator strike. Corregisters the strike. Correcting this allows us recting to remain thisinallows contact us to remain in contact with our flies, improving with strike our flies, detection improving strike detection and hookups. A second and point hookups. of contact, A second point of contact, namely fly contact, emerges namelytoflyaccompany contact, emerges to accompany the first goal of bottom the contact. first goalWe of have bottom contact. We have to achieve two pointstoofachieve contact.two points of contact. George Daniel, a highly George skilled Daniel, compea highly skilled competition nymph fisherman, titionpresented nymph fisherman, many presented many different nymphing different tactics innymphing his book tactics in his book Dynamic Nymphing. There’s Dynamiclots Nymphing. of goodThere’s lots of good stuff there, and some stuff of the there, best and relates some to of the best relates to strike indicators, offering strike alternatives indicators, offering to alternatives to withGeorge George Daniel nymphs the tightline Daniel techniques nymphs with the tightline tech flotation-style indicators. flotation-style George presents indicators. he George presents described in his book Dynamic he described Nymphing. in his book Dynamic Nymphing several new styles andseveral methods newofstyles nymph and methods of nymph My quest some quest of the led best me to some of th fishing that he used fishing successfully that he both used as successfully bothled as me to My nymph anglers world to anglers discuss in the the world to discu a competitor and as aa competitor coach. Thisand book as a coach. This bookin thenymph problems andand challenges problems of nymph and challenges fishof nymph opened the door in my opened mindthe to new door and in my mind to new ing—to compare notes, ing—to so tocompare speak. Our notes, so to speak exciting possibilities. exciting possibilities. practical nymph-fishing practical system nymph-fishing would system w Fortunately, noncompetition Fortunately, anglers noncompetition are anglers are obviously better obviously with the contribube better with the con not subject to international not subject rules.toA international pracrules. A be practionsdoesn’t and ideas tionsdifferent and ideas experts. of many different e tical nymph-fishing tical system nymph-fishing doesn’t have system haveof many Withimposed their advice, nymph-fishing their advice,sysour nymph-fishin be bound by the constraints be boundimposed by the on constraints on ourWith tem would be as good tem as it would could be be. as Each good as it could be competition anglers,competition rules that limit anglers, the rules that limit the the opportunity would have to share the opportunity the to sha use of weight and styles use of weight strike indicaand styles would of strikehave indicaand features secrets that tips haveand placed secrets them thatat have placed th tion. We’re free to borrow tion. We’re the best free features to borrow tips the best thewithout pinnacletheir of the sport. the pinnacle So withofthat theinsport. So with t of competition techniques of competition without their techniques mind, I began this journey. mind, I began this journey. limitations. limitations. As new techniques have As new evolved, techniques many have evolved, many GOALS are now referred toareas now “contact referred tech-to as GOALS “contact techEveryhave newajourney goal, andshould have a go niques” for the emphasis niques” placed for the on conemphasis Every placednew on journey con- should it must be a more specific it must goal be than a more thatspecific of goal than tact. You might also see tact.them You might referred also to see them referred to merely catching fish. Three catching goalsmore for fish. Three go as tightline techniques, as which tightline we’ll techniques, discuss which we’ll discuss moremerely a successful a successful systemnymph-fishing seemed system se in later chapters. But in as later we shall chapters. soon But see, as we shall soonnymph-fishing see, realistic. first goalrealistic. is bottom The contact, first goal is bottom co we can improve contact weeven can improve when fishing contact even whenThe fishing namely keeping the namely flies consistently keeping the in flies consisten flotation-style strike indicators. flotation-style strike indicators.
The Problem with Nymph Fishing •
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My quest led me to the nymphing masters of our sport. On the South Platte River, Ed Engle and I compare opinions of water features and identify prime lies for trout.
the strike zone with a natural presentation. As anglers, we’ll encounter times when we don’t want our flies right on the bottom, such as preceding an insect emergence when our flies need to rise through the water column like an emerging insect, or in slow water where trout often feed on insects at different levels of the vertical water column. Good techniques exist
More well-hooked trout is the ultimate goal of any fishing strategy. Improving strike detection means more hookups.
to imitate this behavior, which we’ll discuss later. But for the most part, for most nymph-fishing methods, bottom contact is our first goal. The second goal is fly contact—improving strike detection by maintaining a more linear relationship and connection to our flies. That way, when a trout takes our fly, we’ll have a more sensitive system of strike detection to discern the take and can react quicker and more effectively to improve our hookups. The last goal is flexibility. A practical system needs to adapt not only to different water conditions, such as depth and current speed, but also the ability to imitate the many prey species trout eat, mimicking natural prey behavior with an effective presentation. A successful nymph-fishing system needs an established set of guidelines that identify the best method to fish for each circumstance we face. To elimi-
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center flow of the rivercenter over the water flowslack of the river over the slack near the bank. near the bank. “That’s where the fish“That’s are,” he’d said.the fish are,” he’d s where I netted a nice fish for him one year. I netted a nice fish for him on Had to be in doubleHad digits, to weight-wise. be in double digits, weigh He pulled it out of the waterit into thethe fast water in Hefast pulled out of slow water near the bank. I scooped it into slow water near the bank. I scooped the net and then tookthe his net picture with took it. his picture w and then I’ve returned many times stand onmany the times to stand I’vetoreturned same shores as we did then. slack water same The shores as we did then. The slack near the bank still separates the anglers near the bank still separates the a Flowing water creates challenges the dry-fly Flowingfor water creates challenges for the from fastdry-fly water in thefrom middle. flow fast Faster water in the middle. Faste fisherman, but even more for the nymph fisherman, butfisherman even more for the fisherman innymph the river’s center and inthe theslower-moving river’s center and the slower-m who must cross layers of fast reachlayers troutof fast water to reach trout whowater musttocross water near the banks water is a common near thefeature banks is a common f feeding along the bottom. feeding along the bottom. of all rivers. Many yearsoflater, from a college all rivers. Many years later, from a c textbook I learned why. textbook I learned why. nate some of the guesswork, we of should be nate some the guesswork, we should be forces govern Two opposing the moveTwo opposing forces govern the able to analyze a stretch of to water and aselect able analyze stretch ofment waterofand select water in rivers andof streams; ment water inthe rivers and stream the best way to catch the fish.best way to catch fish.first is gravity, which causes the water to first is gravity, which causes the wa Underwater filming dispelled my previUnderwater filming dispelled mythe previmove in first place. moveIt’sinthe thedriving first place. It’s the d ously held assumptionsously about nymph fish- about held assumptions fishforce,nymph pushing water downhill. Whenwater waterdownhill.When force, pushing ing: that my flies wereing: in that the strike zone, my flies were inisthe strike zone, higher than sea level, its natural is higher thaninclinasea level, its natural in that they were drifting a natural thatin they were mandrifting intion a natural man-to thetion is to return lowest which is tolevel, return to the lowest level, ner that’s enticing to ner a trout, that my that’sand enticing to a trout, and that my is back to sea level, and it flows downhill is back to sea level, and it flows do method of strike indication efficient. methodwas of strike indication efficient. untilwas it gets there. A until mountain it getsstream there.or A mountain stre These mistaken assumptions are largely These mistaken assumptions are largely lowland rivers like thelowland Mississippi arelike both rivers the Mississippi ar caused by the physical caused properties of moving by the physical properties moving on theofsame journey—back to mother on the same journey—back to m water. Solutions to thewater. problems, foundtointhe problems, Solutions found in marine. At sea level there’s else there’s no plac marine.no Atplace sea level the study of hydrology, incor- need theneed studytoofbehydrology, to unless be incorto go, perhaps to it go, evaporates into a it evaporates unless perhaps porated into a successful nymph-fishing porated into a successfulcloud, nymph-fishing falling on the mountainside as rain cloud, falling on the mountainside method. Perhaps unwittingly, anglers method.most Perhaps unwittingly, mostthe anglers to begin process anew. to begin the process anew. are already familiar with some aspects are already familiarofwith some aspects of all things Gravity affects in the same Gravity affects all things in the hydrology; they recognize the way hydrology; theywater recognizemanner—what the way watergoes up must come down. manner—what goes up must come moves in rivers andmoves streams in and rivershave and streams and have already adapted to it when fishing. alreadydry-fly adapted to it when dry-fly fishing. It takes on a whole new dimension, how-new dimension, howIt takes on a whole ever, when nymph fishing. ever, when nymph fishing.
THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL RIVER THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL RIVER My dad was a fanatical My steelhead dad was afisherfanatical steelhead fisherman who used to fishman the rivers of Michiwho used to fish the rivers of Michigan each fall. I remember standing the gan each fall. Ionremember standing on the banks of the Manisteebanks Riverofwhen I was River when I was the Manistee young, watching himyoung, cast across icy curwatching him cast across icy curThecrystal-crusted steep pitch of the terrain rents, stripping line through crystal-crusted TheMontana’s steep pitchRock of the terrain Montana’s Roc rents, stripping line through fast-flowing stream in it a fast-flowing stre guides. Standing on the shore, he had on to the Creek flows over makes guides. Standing shore,flows he over had makes to it aCreek manyout stretches. heave his weighted egg sacshis outweighted into theegg sacs many stretches. heave into the
The Problem with Nymph Fishing • Throw a ball as high as you can, but when its power is spent, it falls to the earth. Shoot a gun in the air; the bullet rises until the thrust is exhausted, then it falls to the ground. Gravity has the same result on every object, no matter if it’s Newton’s apple, an airplane, or the water in a broad river or a thin mountain stream. It starts the rivers in motion, and the steeper the incline, the faster it goes. The second force that influences water movement is friction. Friction is a powerful force and part of everyday human life; the friction between tire and asphalt keeps your car on the road around turns—just try making the same tight turn on an icy road that you would on dry pavement! It also helps keep your car in place if you park it on a hill. In both cases, friction from the asphalt grabs your tires and keeps them on the road. Friction is the force that resists movement of one thing against another, whether they
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are solids or fluids. Friction helps you grip your fly rod and keeps it from flying out of your hands when you cast. Friction has the same grabbing effect on water, too. Friction is created where water contacts and interacts with the riverbanks or bottom and impedes the downhill flow of that portion of the water closest to the point of contact. Friction grabs hold of the water and keeps it from running downhill. The effect of friction on moving water is so profound that as you stand on the bank of the river, the water at your feet is barely moving or not at all, even though it’s on the same downhill incline as the water speeding along in the center of the river. Friction is created by contact—your tires need contact with the asphalt for friction to give you traction. Otherwise your tires would spin on dry pavement like they do on ice. The same is true of fluids with one notable difference: Because of viscos-
Gravity (white shirt) pushes water forward while friction (purple shirt) holds it back. The interaction of these two forces governs the flow of water in rivers and streams.
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The slip seam is a rapid transition between the slower water near the bank and the faster current unim The slip seam is a rapid transition between the slower water near the bank and the faster current unimpeded by friction. Fish often take position in feeding lies on the soft side of the slip seam, perusing food pass by friction. Fish often take position in feeding lies on the soft side of the slip seam, perusing food passing by in the faster current. The soft water on the inside of the seam is also a good place to re-rig flies bef by in the faster current. The soft water on the inside of the seam is also a good place to re-rig flies before resuming a drift on the Gunnison River. resuming a drift on the Gunnison River.
ity, the effect of friction can be transferred zone of rapid transition between th ity, the effect of friction be transferred zone of rapid transition between the two to can adjacent molecules, also slowing their current threads, sometimes called to adjacent molecules, also slowing their current threads, sometimes called a “slip movement. But the strength of friction seam” or “break seam”—because zo movement. But the diminishes strength ofwith friction “break zones of distanceseam” away or from the seam”—because different velocities slip past each oth diminishes with distance away from the different velocities slip past each other. point of contact, and friction eventually Casting across zones of different point of contact, andloses friction eventually Casting across zones of different speeds the ability to affect water movement creates challenges for the dry-fly a loses the ability to affect water movement creates challenges for the dry-fly angler. where it’s too far away from the banks. For When the line crosses the faster wa where it’s too far awaywater from in therivers banks.and Forstreams, When line crossesthethe fasterofwater in if not correc the the friction’s center the river, water in rivers and streams, the friction’s the center of the river, if not corrected by grip is stronger closer to the point of conmending, it soon assumes the par grip is stronger closertact to the point con-and drops mending, it soon assumes near the of shore off farther curve, the the parabolic shape of which depen tact near the shore and drops off farther curve, the shape of which depends on toward the center. the speed of the current for that s toward the center. the speed of the current for that stretch The result of these two opposing forces of water. If the line crosses extreme The result of theseistwo opposingwe forces of time water.we If the fast curve is shar something see every visitline crosses water, extremely the parabolic is something we see the every time we visit theat parabolic curve is sharper. If that stretch of river—zones of waterwater, moving drathe overall speed for the river—zones of water moving at drathe overall speed for that stretch of water matically different speeds. In the center is slower, the curve is gentler. C matically different speeds. In the center is slower, the curve is gentler. of the river as viewed from above, unimacross slowerCasting water is easier and re of the river as viewedpeded fromby above, unimacross slower water is easier and requires the effect of friction, the current fewer corrections than casting acros peded by the effect ofisfriction, the current fewer corrections castingruns, acrosswhich fast- requires mor the swiftest. Near the shore, held back than moving is the swiftest. Near by the friction, shore, held runs, whichquent requires more mending. frethe back water is moving barely moving. upstream by friction, the water is barely moving. quent upstream mending. In between the fast and slow currents is a In between the fast and slow currents is a
As seen from above, rivers have zones of different current velocities created by the interaction of gravity and friction. The result is a zone of faster water in the middle of the river and zones of slower-moving water near the banks. In fast water, the difference between the speeds of the faster central flow and the slow flow along the banks is great, making it hard to cast across without drag.
In slower water, the difference in flow speed from the edges to the center is more gradual and the slip seams less distinct. Crossing zones of different current speeds is easier when the overall current speed is less, requiring fewer and less frequent corrections for drag.
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My son-in-law Clay Minoff, fishing the Gros Ventre River in Wyoming. Where the flow is slower, the slip seam near the shores are indistinct, but as the water accelerates in the riffle section behind where he’s standing, a well-defined slip seam separates the faster flow in the center from slower flow near the stream edges. PHOTO BY JASON RANDALL
Drag When we cast dry flies across the river and our line crosses zones of different current speeds, we encounter drag, the archenemy of dry-fly fishermen everywhere. Usually, we want our fly to stay in the slower water but must cross faster current to get there. Our fly must move at the speed of the slower water, but as soon as the current removes the slack in our line and leader, drag whips it out of the slow water and accelerates it to the fastest speed. Drag also occurs in the opposite scenario; sometimes we want our flies in the faster water, but our line passes through slower water to get there. In this case, drag has the opposite
effect, that of slowing our flies and pulling them back into the slower water. By way of definition, drag is the loss of natural unrestricted movement of our flies, which is a characteristic of the free-floating insect or food species we’re trying to imitate. Imagine a beetle dropping onto the water’s surface or a mayfly drying its wings as the current carries it downstream. They’re subject to every whim and fancy of the current; carried passively along, they’re at its mercy. When we’re imitating that beetle or mayfly, our fly must be just as free and unrestricted. Drag is caused by the unnatural influence of our line or leader on the fly. If you inadvertently drop a dry fly from your box into the current, it drifts naturally and unencumbered, right down the river. It looks good, other than the fact that you just lost your fly. But as soon as you attach it to your leader, the game changes. Drag has three disastrous consequences: First, it repositions the fly. Trout favor the inside, soft-water edges of current seams as feeding lies, where food collects and they don’t have to spend a lot of energy to get it. Drag pulls our fly out of the slow water, where it needs to stay if it’s going to tempt the trout, into the faster water where they’re less likely to follow. Second, drag accelerates the fly equal to the speed of the fastest current that the line or leader crosses. The fly is no longer drifting at the naturally slow speed of the water in the inside edge of the seam; it travels at a speed equal to the fastest current. The third effect of drag is to spoil the presentation. Drag can be subtle, such as a slight restriction of movement as the fly navigates small-scale irregularities in the current, or it can be profound, such as when our fly wakes across the water’s surface like a miniature jet-skier. To be most effective, our flies must have the abil-
The Problem with Nymph The Problem Fishing with 13 Fishing • • Nymph
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g dry flies across threads Castingofdry current flies across with different threadsspeeds of current produces with different drag when speeds the fast-flowing produces drag water when the fast-flowing water ates the slack in oureliminates line and leader. the slack Terry in Pirro our line casts andacross leader.the Terry Gallatin Pirro River’s casts across fast current. the Gallatin fast current. PHOTO BY PHOTO River’s BY
ANDALL
JASON RANDALL
a hint of drag has Even disastrous a hint of consedrag has disastrous consereact to every feature ity to react of the to current, every feature ofEven the current, quences on a fly that quences imitates on a freely a fly floatthat imitates a freely floatding the subtleincluding nuances the of current subtle nuances of current ingand insect. At the very ingleast, insect. drag Atputs the very fish least, drag puts fish as small whirls,such eddies, as small and vortices, whirls, eddies, vortices, off; at worst, it sends them off; at fleeing worst, it for sends cover. them fleeing for cover. out any influencewithout of the line any or influence leader. of the line or leader. trout areoftempted Fewbytrout a dragging are tempted dry by a dragging dry fly should moveOur onlyfly byshould the whim move ofonly Few by the whim the drag is afly, desired unlesseffect the drag suchis asa desired effect such as urrent, and it should the current, be unimpeded and it shouldfly, beunless unimpeded a caddisfly skating the water’s a caddisfly surface. across the water’s surface. doing so.Trout notice from doing even the so.Trout slight-noticeskating even the slight- across is a familiar foe—a Drag isproblem a familiar we foe—a problem we hibition or restriction est inhibition of movement. or restriction ofDrag movement. encounter every time encounter we fish. every Entire time we fish. Entire books have been written books about have been it. Even written about it. Even anglers new to the sport anglerssoon newrecognize to the sport soon recognize its consequences anditslearn consequences mechanisms and tolearn mechanisms to defeat it. As my frienddefeat Ed Jaworowski it. As my friend likes Ed Jaworowski likes to say, you can compensate to say, you for drag can compensate before, for drag before, during, or after the cast. during, or after the cast. Adjusting to drag before Adjusting the cast to means drag before the cast means moving to a position moving that allows to a position you to that allows you to reach the target while reach crossing the target the fewest while crossing the fewest sections of competing sections current. of competing Casting current. Casting directly across several directly competing acrosscurrent several competing current zones is a surefire way zones to get is a drag, surefire while way to get drag, while
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• NYMPH MASTERS
WHEN DRAG IS GOOD Drag isn’t always bad; while disastrous for dead drifts, sometimes drag actually helps presentation, especially when the natural prey species is moving rather than drifting. Some of the living organisms our flies imitate are pretty effective swimmers. In situations when the prey is moving, a little drag can be used to our advantage. Some species of insects emerge in the water, but quickly move to shore to crawl onto riparian vegetation to fly away. Skating a caddis dry fly across the water’s surface imitates a newly emerged caddis streaking for the shore. At the end of dead-drifting an Elk Hair Caddis, let it drag even to the point of creating a thin wake. Skating it toward shore effectively mimics natural insect behavior. Drag can also add lifelike animation to imitate an egg-laying caddis female. Lift your rod to keep line and leader from the water’s surface, and let an elk or deer hair dry caddis fly trail downstream. Let it bounce and land upon the water, skipping from one ripple crest to another. Let it rest on the water and drift for a few feet, and then pop it up into the air,
cutting across currents at a 45-degree angle or less to the target reduces or delays drag. Reach casts and in-air mends allow the angler to correct for drag during the cast before the line hits the water. The goal is to have the line land upstream of the fly with enough slack to delay the onset of drag. This initiates a period of drag-free drift, but once the faster water removes the
bouncing again on the ridges of the ripples. This mimics the dabbing of a female caddis touching her abdomen to the surface repeatedly to dislodge her eggs into the water. Drag can add a lifelike element to hopper flies, too. From midsummer to mid-autumn, grasshoppers are actively feeding on riparian vegetation. When they accidentally land in the water, they’re desperate to return to shore and flail with their powerful back legs. Not effective swimmers, their progress is slow. To imitate this movement, twitch and pull your hopper toward shore using a drag/ drift combination. Raise your rod, utilizing drag to pull the fly toward shore, then lower it or even feed out some slack to let it drift a bit before repeating the process. Mousing on early summer evenings, I often let the flies swing toward shore at the end of a dead drift, using drag from the current to make them “swim.” Adding a twitching or quivering movement to the rod tip adds a touch of realism. This mimics the mouse or vole’s strong desire to get back to shore and out of harm’s way.
slack, the line develops the large downstream belly that drags our fly. After the cast, mending repositions the line upstream of the fly, which thwarts the effect of drag and initiates another period of drag-free drift until the current removes the slack again. Mending is always more effective if it can be done before drag sets in. To mend, lift the line from the water
a bit of movement Adding often seals a bitthe of movement deal with wary oftentrout. sealsThis the large deal with rainbow warycouldn’t trout. This resist large therainbow shake couldn’t resist the shake tch of this mouse pattern. and twitch of this mouse pattern.
g places the belly of Mending the lineplaces upstream the belly of theofflythe and lineinitiates upstream another of theperiod fly and of initiates drag-freeanother drift before period of drag-free drift before ent removes the slack the current from theremoves line andthe leader. slackSometimes from the line several and leader. mendsSometimes are neededseveral during mends each are needed during each keep the fly driftingdrift naturally. to keep the fly drifting naturally.
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• NYMPH MASTERS
The fastest water in rivers and streams is just below the water’s surface. Closer to the bottom, the water moves progressively slower: The bottom layer of water is barely moving. This creates challenges for nymph fishing when our leader passes through faster water but we want our flies to stay in the slower water near the bottom.
and flip it upstream of the fly with enough force to mend the line and part of the leader, but hopefully not so much power to yank the fly from the current thread you want to stay in. The importance of correct rod position during the drift is often overlooked. When needed, holding your rod in a high position reduces the amount of line on the water and minimizes the number of competing currents that affect your line. It stands to reason that if you can keep your line out of the fast water, you can better keep your flies in the slower water. THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL RIVER Why all the attention on dry-fly fishing in a book about nymph fishing, you might
ask? Because we encounter the very same problems when we nymph-fish! As our leader passes from the surface to the bottom, layers with different current speeds in the vertical water column produce the same problems we encountered casting across the water’s surface—drag! Just as in dry-fly fishing, drag is the archenemy of nymph fishermen, at least when the goal is a drag-free drift. And it produces the same dire consequences to our presentation and overall fishing success. Additionally, the solutions we need to incorporate into our nymph-fishing system to improve presentation look a lot like the corrections we use in dry-fly fishing, namely angler position, casting adjustments, mending, and rod position.
The Problem with Nymph Fishing •
Surface tension is disrupted in this section of whitewater by the broken, choppy surface. Friction at the surface of fast, rough water is nonexistent, and the layer of water at the surface is moving at the same speed as the water just below the surface.
And just as in dry-fly fishing, drag is caused by the interaction of the same two opposing forces that govern water movement in rivers: gravity and friction. Nymph fishing adds a third dimension beyond that in dry-fly fishing—that of depth. In order to reach the trout in the strike zone along the streambed, our leader must penetrate the water’s surface and pass through all layers of water in between. As it does, it’s influenced by the speed of each layer. Looking at the stream from top to bottom, a small amount of friction at the air-water interface at the surface slows a thin layer of water, especially in sections of the river where the water’s surface is even and unbroken. This is the case in slowermoving sections of the river such as flats, slicks, and pools. The water’s surface is broken or choppy in faster riffles and runs, disrupting the surface tension and negating the effect of friction at the surface. In faster-flowing water, the speed at the surface is virtually the same as that just below the surface. Immediately below the surface is the fastest-moving water, which unimpeded by friction, moves at the fastest speed relative
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to that section of the river. This holds true in every section of water from fast-water sections of the river such as runs and riffles to slower sections of water such as flats and pools. Progressively closer to the bottom, friction from the interaction of the water with the streambed substrate dramatically reduces the speed of the water. Just like the zone of water along the riverbank barely moves compared to the flow in the river’s center, the effect of friction is so profound that the water layer near the bottom is also barely moving. That’s how nearly weightless invertebrates such as nymphs and small crustaceans can remain attached to the streambed.They’d never be able to withstand the full strength of the current; they’d be blown about like bits of litter in the wind. Although trout don’t know much about physics, gravity, or friction, they know the water is slowest near the bottom. When trout move from spot to spot within the river, they hug the bottom, literally taking the path of least resistance. Snaking along the bottom, trout can move directly upstream even in fast-moving runs while the swift current rushes over their heads. The drop in current velocity is also why trout can hold in feeding lies in really fast water—they’re not fighting the full strength of the current. That’s why the bottom layer is the nymph angler’s strike zone—the food is there and so are the trout. Fishing fast-water runs is a great way to catch fish. As we’ll see in later chapters, fish are attracted to feeding lies in this type of water. But it’s often the hardest type of water to effectively nymph-fish because of the fast current our leader must pass through to reach the fish in the softer water near the bottom. In fast-flowing water, for our flies to remain in the strike zone and move at the slow speed relative to that layer, they must pierce the strong
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• NYMPH MASTERS
Keeping your flies in the strike zone in the high and heavy water of early spring presents challenges for the nymph fisherman, but the payoff is worth it as this Norfork River rainbow shows.
currents overhead. A graph of the vertical water column shows the dramatic effect of friction on the water near the bottom.The bottom 6 inches of a 4-foot-deep section of the river is only moving at 25 percent of the speed of the fastest layer closer to the surface. That’s a huge difference!
The river depth is shown on the left side of our graph, with the surface of the stream at the top and the riverbed at the bottom. The velocity is shown along the lower axis of the graph, with the speed indicated as a percentage of the fastestmoving water for that stretch of the river. The velocity is the swiftest just below the surface but reduces dramatically close to the riverbed. In fast water shown with a red line, the curve is sharper. The change is more gradual in slower-moving water because the current differential is less, shown by the blue line.
In fast water, the difference in speed between the mid-depth current and the layer near the bottom is dramatic. For slow-moving water in flats, glides, and pools, the change in speeds is less dramatic. The current differential, which is the difference between the fastest speed
The Problem with Nymph The Problem Fishing with Nymph Fishing • • 19
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wer water along theThe farslower bank results water along from the the friction far bankcreated resultswhere from the the friction water meets created thewhere shore.the In water the meets the shore. In the enter, you’ll find the river’s fastest center, flow.you’ll find the fastest flow.
he slowest speed andour theleader slowest crosses, speed our leader For fast-water crosses, runs, the For highly fast-water defined runs, the highly defined e same impact has in nymph the same fishing impact as in nymph slip seams fishing create as a barrier slip seams for create our flies a barrier for our flies while dry-fly it fishing. did while Current dry-fly dif- fishing. that’s Current difficult difto penetrate. that’s difficult To effectively to penetrate. To effectively ial is important ferential in nymph is important fishing; in nymph-fish nymph fishing; in fast current, nymph-fish our flies in fast must current, our flies must ey determinantit’s in aselecting key determinant the best in selecting penetratethe thebest slip seam penetrate to reachthethesliptrout seam to reach the trout h-fishing method. nymph-fishing Current differenmethod. Current in the strike differenzone. Ininslower-moving the strike zone. secIn slower-moving secalso important tial for istrout; also that’s important how for trout; tions of that’s the river how suchtions as pools of the andriver flats,such the as pools and flats, the ate feeding lies and theyhomesites, rate feeding which lies and homesites, slip seamswhich are inconsequential. slip seams are For inconsequential. trout, For trout, e more thoroughly will discussed be more thoroughly later. discussed the three-dimensional later. the river three-dimensional creates feeding river creates feeding p seams also occur Slipinseams the vertical also occur lanes in the andvertical feeding lieslanes and affects and feeding food dislies and affects food discolumn; they water separate column; the fastest they separate tribution the in fastest the river.tribution For the nymph in the river. fish- For the nymph fishnt layers above current from thelayers slower above lay- fromerman, the slower the three-dimensional layerman, theriver three-dimensional affects river affects ow. Slip seams are ers more below.pronounced Slip seams are more presentation, pronounced drift, andpresentation, strike detection. drift, and strike detection. the current differential when theiscurrent large—in differential is large—in words, when the other difference words,between when the difference Verticalbetween Drag Vertical Drag eeds of the water the speeds they separate of the water is Jo they and separate I traveled is toJothe and South I traveled Holston to the South Holston This is the same great. situation This isasthe when same situation River one as when March weekend River one many March yearsweekend many years ewed the riverwefrom viewed a horizontal the river from agoa tohorizontal photograph and ago film to photograph the effect ofand film the effect of ective when theperspective slip seam when separates the slipsubsurface seam separates drag in nymph subsurface fishing. dragI must in nymph fishing. I must st water in the the center fastfrom waterthe in slow the center have from failed the slow geography have in school, failed geography because in school, because along the riverbanks. water along the riverbanks.I thought Tennessee Iwas thought a southern Tennessee state was a southern state
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• NYMPH MASTERS
To document the effect of vertical drag, small tufts of yellow yarn every 6 inches marked the leader used for the underwater photos. We filmed under different conditions such as depth and current speed.
and would be warm in March. I brought a light summer diving skin instead of a thicker wetsuit. We set up just below the dam, Jo with rod and reel in hand and me in diving gear with an underwater camera. A small crowd of anglers gathered to watch the crazy Yankee stumble toward the river like a lame duck in long flippers. The first rush of cold water took my breath away. Later that night, while I took a shower, Jo downloaded the photos and video. “We got some great stuff,” Jo said, sitting in front of the computer. “But some of the video is a little shaky. Maybe the mounting screws were loose.” I bent over to see, and one glance was enough. “That’s me freezing to death!” My shivering was apparent in the video clips. I still laugh every time I show the clip during presentations. The photos show the effect of drag in nymph fishing. Vertical drag has the same three disastrous consequences on our flies as the drag we face when fishing dry flies: It repositions our subsurface flies, accelerates them, and spoils our presentation. And it’s caused in the same way—by the unnatural influence of our leader or line. The first consequence of vertical drag is that it repositions our flies by pulling them up from the strike zone into the faster layers of water in the middle of the vertical water column. Just like any
other weighted object, our weighted flies would sink to the bottom and stay there if it weren’t for their attachment to the leader. Weighted flies sink, but when we attach them to the leader, as soon as the current removes any slack, drag lifts them from the bottom. Additionally, in a river section with a well-defined slip seam, our flies tend to ride above the slip seam rather than below it. Just as it is in dry-fly fishing, drag is more dramatic in faster current. It occurs sooner in the drift and requires more correction than in slow-moving water. Steelhead fishermen who like to bounce flies along the bottom know they need more weight to keep their flies on the bottom in fast water than in slower current. The faster the water, the more our flies tend to trail behind our strike indicator; they’re often in the middle of the water column well above the streambed. The second consequence of vertical drag is acceleration—our subsurface flies accelerate unnaturally once drag eliminates the slack in our leader. Think of it this way: If our strike indicator at the surface is moving at the fastest speed of the current, there’s no way our flies can be freely tumbling along in the slow water at the bottom like a displaced insect. Once slack is removed and vertical drag sets in, our flies travel at the same speed as the strike indicator on the surface—the fastest speed. They look like miniature torpedoes zipping downstream. The third consequence of vertical drag is that it ruins our presentation by making it look unnatural to trout. It’s more natural for a trout to see food drift slowly near the bottom than to see it whizzing over their heads. Trout won’t usually chase a fly streaking in fast current because it’s not cost-effective to face the full strength of the current to chase a rapidly fleeing food item.
Filmed in medium-speed current, note the underside of the strike indicator floating in a thin layer of slightly slower-moving water. Just below the surface is the strongest current. Closer to the bottom, the speed is progressively slower, creating the belly in our leader we recognize as drag from dry-fly fishing. If you look closely, you can see two #4 split shot below the lowest yarn tuft. In slower-moving water, the flies tend to trail downstream of the indicator, although not as badly as in the fast water. PHOTOS BY JASON RANDALL
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22 • NYMPH MASTERS • NYMPH MASTERS
Vertical drag lifts our flies from Vertical thedrag bottom liftsand our accelerates flies from thethem. bottom Theand effect accelerates is more profound them. Thein effect fast water. is more profound in fast w The lift and acceleration spoils The lift ourand effective acceleration presentation. spoils our effective presentation.
it senses its vulnerability it senses and its desperately vulnerability and despe The effect of verticalThe drageffect on our of vertical flies drag on our flies tries toabove, get back triesbottom to get where back toit’sthe bottom wh can be large-scale as can described be large-scale above, but as described but to the safeas from predators. safe from predators. the effect can also be thejust effect as subtle can also as itbe just subtle as it When invertebrates are When displaced invertebrates from are displaced is for dry-fly fishing.isKnowing for dry-fly what fishing. we Knowing what we bottom theinbottom the water, and most drifting in the water know about the adverse knoweffect aboutdrag the has adverse the effect dragand hasdrifting and wriggle swim, as writhe, they drift and wriggle in as they d on dry flies, it standsontodry reason flies,that it stands any to swim, reasonwrithe, that any current. the current. are poor Some swimspecies are poor drag on our nymph flies dragison noticed our nymph by theflies isthe noticed by Some the species and drift along mers until and theydrift bump along the until they bum trout and has an equally trout adverse and has effect. an equallymers adverse effect. can try where to reattach. they can try to re Any influence of drag Any is going influence to appear of drag is bottom, going to where appear they bottom, usually stay in the They lower usually water stay layers in the lower water artificial and warn trout artificial of ourand subterfuge, warn trout ofThey our subterfuge, until the theynatural, reattach. Some untilare they better reattach. swimSome are better even if it only slightlyeven inhibits if it only the natural, slightly inhibits thanIt’s others eventhan purposely othersdart and even purposel unrestricted movement unrestricted of our flies. movement It’s the ofmers our flies. the andmers from place along from place the bottom to placein along the bott same as a flashing neon same signasthat a flashing says to neon the sign thatplace says totothe course of their foraging. the course of their foraging. trout, “Warning! Don’t trout, eat “Warning! this!” Don’t eatthe this!” immature insects, Many immature especially insects, espe Imagine a mayfly nymph Imagine foraging a mayfly in nymphMany foraging in drift withcaddisflies, “head-down” drift oriwith “head-down the nooks and crannies the of nooks the streambed. and crannies ofcaddisflies, the streambed. entation This may in the reflect water. This may It makes a wrong turnIt and makes ends a wrong up on the turn andentation ends up in on the water. desire to get back theirtodesire the streambed to get back to the strea side of a rock whereside it’s exposed of a rocktowhere cur- it’s their exposed to curor may be a the result oforweight may be distribution a result of weight distrib rent. In an instant, it’s rent. swept In an up instant, into theit’s swept up into or hydrodynamic or hydrodynamic of their characteristics of current and whiskedcurrent away. Instinctively, and whisked away. Instinctively, characteristics
The Problem with Nymph Fishing • body shape. Gary LaFontaine’s name will be forever linked to caddisflies because of his extensive study of their behavior and life history, including how they look in the water. He designed flies not only to imitate their shape, color, and size, but also to mimic their drift characteristics, with the fly’s head tilted downward as if longingly looking at the bottom. By contrast, other invertebrate species, including some of the mayflies, drift with a more horizontal attitude, which is effectively imitated by the weight incorporated into the Czech-style nymph hooks that build up weight along the hook shank. A hint of vertical drag will change the attitude of the fly as it drifts in the water, lifting the nose of the fly instead of letting it drift with the head tilted slightly downward in a natural manner. This makes our fly stand out as different from the rest of the food that is drifting by a trout’s nose. It doesn’t take much drag to tip off wary trout. It’s often the little things that separate the angler catching a few fish from another nearby who is catching a lot of fish. Dead drifting is just as important to nymph fishing as it is to fishing dry flies on the surface. Usually a dead drift, free from vertical drag, is the most natural presentation. But sometimes drag is desired, just as it occasionally is in dry-fly fishing. Not everything drifts in a drag-free manner; lots of the invertebrates trout eat are actually pretty good swimmers. Since many immature mayflies, scuds, crayfish, and other species swim through the current, moving your flies or adding animation such as letting them swing at the end of the drift or allowing them to rise to the surface mimics natural prey behavior and can be a deadly tactic. Does all this sound familiar? It should— vertical drag is a familiar foe in a new form, but the good news is that now that we’re
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Subsurface rocks and other obstructions often produce boils or hydraulic features on the surface, giving the angler clues as to their presence.
aware of its impact on nymphing, we can correct for it. We can catch more fish. Just as we have devised methods to defeat drag to get a natural drift with our dry flies, we can also integrate techniques to offset drag into our nymph-fishing system. In faster water, vertical drag also has more drastic consequences; both the strength of vertical drag and its rate of onset are affected by the speed of the current. The faster the current, the faster vertical drag develops because the swift current quickly eliminates slack in our leader. When we nymph-fish in slower-moving water, drag is slower to develop and requires fewer and less extensive corrections. Vertical drag has an additional negative effect on nymph fishing that we’re not used to when we fish dry flies: It often prevents our flies from effectively target-
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• NYMPH MASTERS
ing the best feeding lies. When we really need our flies to drop out of the current and into the strike zone, the lifting effect of drag is often most profound. For example, a midstream obstruction such as a submerged boulder is a trout magnet, providing feeding lies both in front of and behind the obstruction because food collects there. The obstruction creates not only a pocket in the lee of the boulder but also a cushion or pocket in front it, created by the rebound of water bouncing back from the face of the obstruction. The cushion or pocket in front of the boulder deflects the current upwards over the face of the boulder, adding to and accelerating the compressed flow of water already flowing over the top. A floating strike indicator on the surface moves faster as the presentation approaches and passes the boulder, likewise accelerating our flies
and lifting them higher in the water column. The accentuated drag prohibits them from dropping out of the fast current into the recirculating eddy in the pockets as would a natural food item. After our presentation passes the boulder, the acceleration of water jettisons our flies over the feeding lies in the pocket behind the obstruction. Rather than dropping into the pocketwater where the trout are feeding, our flies shoot well over their heads. Downstream of the obstruction, the flow returns back to normal for that section of the river, vertical drag lessens, and our flies slow and drop lower in the water column. Likewise, vertical drag also prevents effective presentation of our flies to trout holding behind drop-offs. Just as with the feeding lies in pocketwater, trout often find relief from the current along the back edge
Water accelerates as it passes over a submerged obstruction such as a boulder, accentuating the lift of vertical drag, which prevents our flies from effectively targeting the fish in the feeding lies in front of or behind the boulder. The velocity of the water (V1) increases as the water approaches the boulder to a maximum at V2 directly over the obstruction. The velocity gradually declines as the water passes the boulder and the pocket behind it (V3) until the velocity falls to approximately the same speed it was prior to the obstruction. The faster water over the boulder increases vertical drag, which creates more lift and acceleration of our flies, sweeping them over the best feeding lies.
The Problem with Nymph Fishing •
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The velocity of the current is greatest as the water passes over the obstruction, but continues well downstream until the speed eventually returns to normal. The fast water slingshots our flies over the best feeding lies behind the boulder. PHOTO BY JASON RANDALL
of a drop-off, from where they peruse the food items passing overhead. Natural food items fall out of the current to trout feeding below the faster water. A drop-off is usually found at the head of a pool when it follows fast-water runs or riffles. Food is excavated from the bottom by the fast water in the riffles or runs and settles out of the current into the pools. But a tongue of fast water blasts our flies forward well above the trout holding in the feeding lies behind the drop-off. The trout behind the drop-off are little tempted by the flies whisking over their heads. Long drifts are more vulnerable to vertical drag than short drifts. At the beginning of a drift, our flies drop to the bottom because the slack in the leader allows them the liberty to sink. Our presentation looks
good at this point, but as soon as the current eliminates slack, drag sets in and spoils our dead drift.The longer it goes, the worse it looks, until our flies are dragged like a reluctant puppy learning to walk on a leash. Shorter drifts are less affected by vertical drag because they’re nearly complete before drag sets in. This partially explains why some of the newer, short-line nymphing methods like Czech and Polish nymphing are effective; short upstream casts are a common denominator. The shorter drifts are less susceptible to the negative effects of vertical drag. This also makes sense of another observation I made early on: Many of my nymph-fishing strikes came at the very onset of my drifts, in the moments just after the flies landed. I now know that this
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• NYMPH MASTERS
Vertical drag prevents flies from effectively presenting to trout holding behind drop-offs. A tongue of faster water carries our flies over the heads of trout lying in wait for an easy meal.
is one of the few times in many of my longer drifts when my flies actually looked good to the trout—the slack allowed for an initial period of drag-free presentation. After that initial period, drag spoiled the remaining presentation.
When I first began fly fishing, I used to strive for long drifts, especially when fishing from a drift boat. I would cast to either side of the boat with a flotation-style strike indicator, keeping it slightly downstream of the boat. I thought that as long as no
Previously, my drifts below a strike indicator were long from a drift boat. I worked hard to avoid any drag I could see, mending between me and the indicator, but subsurface drag between the indicator and the flies spoiled my presentation. PHOTO BY JASON RANDALL
oto sequence is from Thisdifferent photo sequence points in is thefrom same different drift. Atpoints the onset in theofsame the drift, drift.the At flies the onset drop of the drift, the flies drop the boulder and drift behind naturally, the boulder but once anddrag driftsets naturally, in, it lifts butand once accelerates drag sets in, theitflies lifts and and spoils accelerates the the flies and spoils the ation. Note the short presentation. distance along Notethe thebottom short distance where the along driftthe wasbottom free from where drag—it’s the drift probably was free less from drag—it’s probably less feet. The longer thethan drift6continues, feet. The longer the higher the drift the flies continues, are pulled the higher into thethe water fliescolumn are pulled andinto thethe faster water column and the faster avel. PHOTOS BY JASON they RANDALL travel. PHOTOS BY JASON RANDALL
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drag affected my strike indicator on the surface, my flies looked perfect on the bottom. But I now know that no matter what I see from the surface, once the current eliminates slack in my leader below the indicator, vertical drag lifts my flies out of the strike zone, accelerates them, and ruins my presentation. My long drifts were ineffective because of drag. THE PROBLEM WITH NYMPH FISHING One of the things I like best about our sport is the mental aspect—the many intellectual challenges it offers. Every time we visit the river, we face a new set of problems to solve. Where are the fish? What are they eating? What’s the best way to catch them? This leads to one of the most gratifying aspects of our sport: Fly fishing usually rewards the angler who solves the most problems—there’s a payoff. The biggest problem we face when nymph fishing is also the hardest to appreciate from the surface, since its effect often goes unnoticed. But it’s the same old problem we’ve always faced when we fish in moving water—drag! Now that we know what we’re up against, we need to devise strategies to overcome it. How are we going to correct for drag? The same way we did for dry flies on the surface: before, during, and after the cast. “Before the cast” means an ideal angler position, “during the cast” by casting corrections (the tuck cast is the equivalent to a slack-line cast for dries), and “after the
You’re going to need your best presentation to fool the biggest trout. Any hint of drag on subsurface presentation is immediately obvious to trout.
cast” with mending. And rod position and slack control are also just as important to the nymph angler. Drag is the antithesis of presentation— it exposes our fakery. Presentation is like salesmanship. As any salesman will tell you, the sale depends not only on your product, but also how well you sell it. Having the right product helps, which for the angler is the right fly. But your pitch to the audience is just as important. It takes both to make a sale. Maybe we should say that fly fishing rewards the best salesman. Trout are often hard to catch. When they repeatedly snub our offerings, we tend to overestimate their intelligence or ascribe superhuman powers to them when the answer for their refusal is often simple enough—they just didn’t like what we were selling or the manner in which we were selling it. If we become better salesmen, we’ll catch more fish.