| A friend of mine was asking some fly fishing | | | | Don't give up!! It takes awhile to learn how to |
| question about how to fish with small nymph, | | | | work a nymph. Also, as a general searching |
| here is what he ask, What is the proper way to | | | | pattern a dark (black, brown) nymph will put the |
| fish a very small nymph? Today I went fishing in | | | | odds in your favor. Nymphing may be the most |
| the Fallbrook, and had zero luck. I'm in the | | | | difficult fly fishing technique out there. the first fly |
| beginning stages of fly fishing so I'm not exactly | | | | I'd try is a woolly bugger. You can fish it all sorts |
| sure I was doing it right. My rod is a 9 foot 5 | | | | of ways and catch fish since it mimics so many |
| weight with wf floating line. I was using a very | | | | things. You could also try fish with streamers and |
| small nymph, so I put a light splitshot about a foot | | | | save the nymphs for when you have a bit more |
| above the fly and had a strike indicator about 2 | | | | experience. Either of these types of flies is much |
| feet above that. I'm not sure if any of it was a | | | | easier to fish. If you want to stick with nymphing, |
| good set up, but casting seemed way harder. | | | | here are a couple of tips. First of all, fishing a rig |
| Almost every cast the tippet would fall right on | | | | with a split shot plus an indicator is a recipe for |
| itself. Well here is some advice that could be a big | | | | tangles and tough casting unless you have a good |
| help, so you can caught fish on a fly rod. So how | | | | amount of casting experience. Get some bead |
| do we fish with a nymph, Well, it all depends. | | | | head or weighted nymphs. Second, as a general |
| What kind of water we're you fishing on | | | | rule, you should have twice the water depth |
| flatbrook, pools, runs or riffles? What is the depth | | | | between your fly and the indicator. In slower |
| of this stream? Were there any rising fish in your | | | | water, you can shorten this, but never to less |
| travels? If I go to a new stream I will hit the riffle | | | | than ~1.5 times the water depth. In faster water, |
| sections first and fish a short line and fish across | | | | you may have to go up to 3 times the water |
| current and cover all the likely holding areas. I'll use | | | | depth (or more). Nymphs are fished most |
| split shot only if the water is really up. You're | | | | effectively when they're bouncing along the rocks |
| right, casting that rig can be difficult. Personally, I | | | | at the bottom. You should expect them to hang |
| never use indicators but that's always a personal | | | | up from time to time or else they're not getting |
| choice. I don't know what you consider a "small | | | | down deep enough. In that case, you need to |
| nymph" but anything in the 14-18 range | | | | either use heavier flies or lengthen the distance |
| represents many subaquatic insects and if the | | | | between your fly and the indicator. |
| presentation is good you should have some hits. | | | | |