Nymphing Hints From the Master

Our resident trout bum Landon Williams put together this helpful primer on different nymph fishing techniques that will work very well here in north Georgia.  Give them a try!

Short Line vs. Long Line Nymphing

The Proof's In The Pudding

Fly fishing with nymphs is, by and large, the most consistent way for fly fisherman to catch trout.  The majority of a trout’s feeding occurs along the bottom of a creek or river. However, nymphing methods vary far and wide across the globe.  Here in the United States, it's popular for many folks to want to nymph fish with an indicator rig using split shot, which if done correctly creates a “hinge” effect, similar to how a door operates, that gives a visual indication of when you should set the hook.   However, this system can create some problems and there is sometimes a “time lag” in how long it takes for your strike indicator to register a strike depending on factors such as how much weight you have on the line and how long your leader is.  Many times while using a strike indicator, there will be no visual that a strike has occurred, even if a fish grabs your fly.  Fishing with a strike indicator is a very practical way of fishing but you may want to consider learning new techniques that can possibly improve your catch rates and productivity out on the water.

Short-lining on the Chattahoochee

One such method goes by the technical name of “short-line” nymphing by many folks overseas or “high-sticking” here in the United States.   When fishing this method you are taking the traditional strike indicator out of equation entirely.  Instead, you are keeping in contact with your flies the entire time that you are fishing through a drift and leaving little to no slack in your fly line or leader down to your flies.  While using this setup, it is best to keep a fairly short tippet from the end of your leader. Shorter leaders 7-10 foot in length terminating in a 4x-5x tippet are great for this setup.  By now you may be wondering how you are going to get your flies down to the bottom.  The easiest way to jump right into this setup is to keep using just enough split shot to be periodically ticking the bottom.  You just keep a tight line down to your split shot and feel for larger than normal ticks or see and feel pauses in the drift, which are the usual indications that you should set the hook.  However, fishing a tight line system with split shot still can create a problem through the hinge effect that introduces slack into the line.  To counter this use flies with weight built into them in the form of weighted tungsten beads or lead wire under the dressed fly.  Weighted flies are not the end all of slack in the system, but definitely can help you take some out of it out if you fish them correctly.  Ultimately short line methods can be used with any fly rod/reel combination and are especially effective on our tighter and faster streams here in the mountains where you can usually fish very close to your quarry. 

Dukes Creek with a 30' Leader

Using a Bright Red "Sighter"

For most situations and places here in the southeast, short line techniques are perfectly adequate. However there is one other technique which, if done well, can give you more types of water to effectively fish and can ultimately improve your success.  The types of water that I’m talking about are those that most would consider least productive, slow glassy pools and long sections of shallow water where fish are often very skittish.  In my and many others opinions, long line nymphing may be the most productive way to fish. When fishing on a long line, you may have little if any fly line out, which will require you to fish a very long leader of gradually tapered monofilament.  I find it easiest to have a 20 foot section of 15-20 lb. test monofilament and taper the leader down in increments of one foot at a time with lighter test monofilament.  Mess around with varying lengths of monofilament to figure out what works best with your rod setup and where you fish. Eventually, you must taper the leader down to your tippet, which may frequently be 6X or even 7X depending upon how spooky fish may be. A natural drag free drift is essential; however you want to keep just the slightest bit of slack in the line to help you detect strikes by watching and feeling for pauses, jumps, or other abnormal behavior in your leader. A brighter section of colored monofilament, or “sighter,” built into your leader definitely helps you in your strike detection and attention to the drift. Generally, you want the flies you fish to be size 14 or smaller, slender in profile, and just heavy enough to slowly sink to the bottom. Many who fish this way prefer flexible 10-11 ft., 2-4 weight rods like Grey’s Streamflex or Sage’s ESN.  

No matter which way you fish, being more well-rounded definitely improves your chances of success on the water. Relying on one style of fishing consistently will eventually lead you to a day where it just isn’t happening and your productivity will show for it. Try these two techniques. Once mastered, they will really up your catch rate!

See you on the creek!

Landon

Dredging Tips From Jeremy Hunt

Dredging with Jeremy Hunt

Guide Tips for March
Making Sense of Split Shots and Droppers

A common mistake that many fly fishermen make is that they do not use enough weight to get their fly near the bottom. Heavy flows on the White River, Norfork Tailwater and Lake Taneycomo are deceivingly slow, and often it will appear that a big split shot or heavy "point" fly (the fly above a dropper) is not necessary. Anglers who are learning how to fish a new piece of water should err on the side of using too much weight when starting out. If they are hitting bottom on every drift, it is time to go shallower with the indicator or lighter with respect to weight.

I have always found it helpful to really simplify my approach when it comes to determining how much weight I will use. Over the years, I have developed a system that helps keep me sane. Keep in mind that the only objective of nymph fishing is to dead-drift a fly near the bottom, and adjustments are almost always necessary in order to stay on the fish all day long. The strategies I utilize work for me, but I encourage others to get creative and try new things.

Heavy water on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo

One of the most challenging fly fishing situations on the White River Basin is when flows are heavy. During periods when lake levels are above normal levels, the dams will usually release copious amounts of water. At these times, it is not only important to use enough weight to keep a fly down; anglers must also find shallow and slow areas where the fish are accessible.

When flows exceed the two unit level on Taneycomo, I will almost always use a 3/0 split-shot. A big indicator is needed to hold up the weight of this size shot. On the White, I will use a 3/0 shot once there are three or more units in operation. I can find places on Norfork to use this size of split-shot on levels that exceed a half a generator of water. As the water gets increasingly higher, the fish will tend to gravitate towards banks, structure and submerged gravel bars. A boat is necessary to fish these rivers when the water is rolling.

Moderate water on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo
Drifting in a boat during moderate flows can be a blast. During these conditions, the trout on our rivers are free to move around in order to find food, and the fish are often aggressive. By moderate flows, I am referring to times when there is only one or two generators running on the White and Taneycomo. On the Norfork, moderate flows are anything less than a half a unit.

Even though the water may appear slow and shallow during moderate water releases, it is still critical to use an appropriate amount of weight. In general, I will use either a #4 shot in really shallow water, and I will use a BB or AB in deep or fast zones. Before I switch to a different size shot, I will first adjust my indicator to see if that makes a difference. The trick to catching a lot of trout on moderate flows is to find the deeper slots where the fish are concentrated.

Low water on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo

I primarily use weighted flies when the water is shut down, but there are still situations where I like to fish with a non-weighted pattern below a dropper or an indicator. Non-weighted micro San Juan Worms, midge pupas and tiny emergers will produce nice fish when dead drifted through riffles and runs during low water. If I decide to use a split-shot, I will go with a #6 normally, but I've even gone as small as a #8 in the skinny water of the catch and release areas on the upper White and Norfork.

Thoughts on droppers

Now that multi-fly rigs are allowed in the catch and release areas, there are many opportunities to use droppers and point flies to fool the "refined" fish that reside in our trophy zones. If you are just learning the sport, or if you have trouble with casting at all, it is recommended that only one fly be used at a time. A single fly works very well on the White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo. Dropper setups are prone to time-sucking tangles, but they do have a place. Two-fly rigs are perfect for really heavy water when an attractor fly above the dropper will help garner more attention, and they are also helpful in really clear water where the trout are wary of split-shots. Seldom will two-fly rigs catch significantly more fish than one-fly rigs, but it does happen, so it is important to be prepared.

Tackle and tips

There are scores of split-shot brands on the market, and almost all of them are different from each other in one way or another. I prefer the fly fishing shots that are green or black, as these colors seem to be ignored by spooky fish. It is critical to only use round split-shots - the reusable ones with 'ears' will hang up in spots where a perfectly round shot will simply roll along. Round split-shots are the only way to go, no matter where you fish.

Round split-shots are sold by Wal-Mart and other retailers - I did use the big-name brands they sell for many years. There are several issues with these products, but these problems are easy to solve. First off, many split shots are way too silver and bright. If I'm in a hurry, I will simply soak shiny shots in vinegar, which will dull their appearance significantly. I've also been known to paint split shots orange, peach or yellow. This can work really well during high water, and the messes associated with a point fly/dropper are never an issue with a painted split shot.

Another frustrating aspect of fishing with a split shot is how they like to slide around. I solve this dilemma by simply tying my lower tippet into two pieces, and I then place the split shot above the knot. This will eliminate the shot sliding down to the fly, but it is still important to make sure that any type of split-shot is firmly attached to the line so that it will not move around.

Using split-shots and droppers is just part of being a complete fly angler, even though such attachments to a leader make tangles more likely. The White, Norfork and Lake Taneycomo can be fly fished quite effectively using weighted flies during low water periods, but when the water gets high, added weight is absolutely necessary. Those who consistently get their fly down near the bottom are going to experience the most success.