I love to see new places and learn to fish in different areas. It’s really important to me that I can use as much time as possible for fly fishing. I want to learn by doing myself, not just reading and watching from the internet. I usually have at least three rods with me on a fly fishing trip. Something for a dry fly action if we get lucky, nymph equipment for the daytime and streamers for the moonlight. I want to have the knowledge about different kind of fly fishing styles because that’s how I can apply and develop my own skills for different conditions. The importance of multi- skills got more notice this year when I spent a lot of time on the rivers in my homeland. The weather was cool and the water level was high on the rivers. Thanks to the conditions even the biggest fish stayed in the river areas over the summer.
Most of fly fishermen agree that fishing with the dry fly is the best way to fly fish and so do I. But nowadays generalized nymph fishing divides people’s opinions often radically in half instead. I have faced some negative and dismissive points about it but also seen how some fly fisherman get inspired on it after many years of fishing experience. I think it’s really great to see when anglers want to learn something totally new and step away from their comfort zone sometimes. When they are ready to be amateurs on something again after many years as professionals on another. So I don’t see any point for negative words about any style. I think we should be happy because we have different ways to fly fish and we can always learn something new. It provides us variety and new perspective on things.
I have given a lot of time and thought for French style nymphing during the last couple of the years. Today, I have much more information about the spots where the fish are, their food habits and the way of their behavior. Furthermore, my river reading skill has grown a lot because of last season.
At its best, French style nymphing is fascinating journey of learning, which provides lots of information about the things under the surface. Because this style of fishing usually happens near of you, it requires a lot of wading. The more you wading the more skilled you became at it and often nymphing challenges you to move quiet and carefully in the difficult areas like on the rapids with strong current or dense with rocks. At the same time you’ll learn much about the river and its flow.
When you are nymphing you should turn your focus to the flies and how they are swimming in the depths. The take of the fish largely depends on the successful swim of the fly. Be sure that you keep in contact to your nymphs all the time so you don't miss the bite or lose your flies to the bottom. Most important thing is that the line is always tight and you follow your nymphs. Not far behind or pulling the front. Let your nymphs swim free with the flow. All the other tricks you will learn with time and experience.
With nymphing you can find a fish from really challenging and cramped places for example in front, behind or surroundings of stones and their gobs and pockets. People who don’t know much about the style, might think that it’s not possible to nymph on the deep water or from the long distance. But that’s not truth at all. Even if you don’t really cast with your nymph rod you can throw the line pretty far with the small movement by your wrist. Make sure that your nymphs are heavy enough for going through the stronger flow of the surface. Cast them upstream and let them dive to the lover current on the depths where the biggest fish usually are. Hold your rod up and remember to keep in touch with the flies.
Working with a fish with this kind of really light and high module rod with thin lines is a challenge of its own. It is an outdated thought that you can’t handle a big fish with #2 or #3 rods. But we shouldn’t forget that equipment and products are developing all the time and nowadays there already are many new options on the market. Catching a big fish by nymphing with light gear is not impossible or not even the miracle anymore. You just need to give enough pressure in the right way for the fish and you will notice that it’s surprisingly easy to control it and finally get it in your net. Stay calm, focus and don’t rush. Light rod gives a lot of flexibility to the fish and the impacts on it are soft. That’s the one reason why fish usually stay on the hook pretty well.
Nymph fishing is effective style and often even the smallest fish can be caught. I still think that it is usually very fish friendly style when you are doing it right. Today, almost all the nymph hooks are made barbless. You use mostly really small and thin hooks which don’t leave large holes on the catch. I tie almost all my nymphs and larvaes in jig hooks with tungsten head. Jig hooks hooked fish very well and they are usually clinging in a hard and gristly upper jaw. You can easily take them off and you or your fly won’t make any damage to the soft and easily torn lower jaw. Sometimes your line might be broken but don’t worry, there is proof that this kind of hooks will usually come away from fish quite soon. Sometimes you can actually find them from the river a little bit later! ;D
Some points at the end: The secret of becoming a good nymph fisher is to meet the right people and fish a lot in different areas. Books and network can help you but they can never teach you everything. Every cast, every wading, every river and every fish will teach you something new again. Searching for catch of all the sizes and learn to work with them responsibly. Fish the different seasons in both high- and low water level. Invest in the equipment and ask for advice. I’m grateful myself for all those fishermen who have taught me and given me advice about this really complicated style of fly fishing. This is the first time when I feel that I can help someone else to get it started. If there’s any questions about equipment, techniques, areas or anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. It’s my pleasure to help.
