Nymphing Away The Day
by Jeremy Trainor
March 2004

"Nymphing in its simplest form is fly fishing using sub-aquatic forms of aquatic insects". Unknown author

What the term first meant to me back 10 years ago on Grand Lake Stream, was a heavy weight guy with a bright colored orange floating line, casting about three feet in front of him with a bobber looking thing attached to his line and staring into the water like a my dad does with the news every night. He would hold this stare and pause, until WHAM, landlock after landlock salmon leaped from the water. My buddy and I watched in awe as we were fishing streamers and hadn't gotten a hook-up.

Since that fishless day in Downeast Maine, I have thrived on any info or teachings regarding this topic. You and I have heard it over and over that fish feed 80% or 85%, or is it 90% below the surface. Whatever the percentage of whatever studies you are mulling over, understand this, trout and salmon eat off the bottom a lot!! It didn't take just the fat man at Grand Lake Stream to make me understand that on the bottom is where I wanted to be. Now how do I do it?

I did lots of bank sitting with my rod all strung up with all kinds of new gear on my line and in my vest. I watched good nymphers, but mostly novice ones, but still watched. I read books, spoke with guides, read articles, and watched videos. I did everything except have someone show me how to do it, which would have been easier, quicker, and in the long run would have been cheaper. I spent lots of time on the water day and night to get this right. I struggled with my ego and style, battled off purists, hooked my skin, but damn it I was starting to catch fish, and big ones at that. It wasn't pretty, but they were coming into my net.

It's been about ten years since that day at GLS, I've put on some weight and now I am casting in the shadow of the big man. I would like to share my findings that helped me raise my skill and enjoyment level. This is not gospel by any means, just one person's findings on this incredible technique. In no time you will have your own to share with others.

First off, most equipment will do, so don't think you need to go out and re-arm yourself with new rods and lines, but if you need help convincing your spouse, this could help. I'm a master at it now, just don't tell my soon to be wife that my old rods worked just fine.

I use a 9 ft rod in a 5 weight for most places I fish in Maine. I spool my reel with a Double Taper line. I like longer rods for better line control and mending. Both of these in turn will help with drag free drifts. As for the action of the rod, I like a fast action, tip flex. It's good for a quick hook set with minimal wrist action. Roll casting or chucking your rig is easier with a quick rod, so I go with one.

I only use a floating line in a DT. It's easier to mend, roll cast, and I can cast a dry fly or emerger without having to re-spool. I can add weight to my line and get it as deep if not deeper than a sinking line, so I don't use a sink line. With all that line under the water on a sinking line, it's a lot harder to mend, so I stay away from anything that would affect my drift. At the end of my line I have a 9ft 4x leader attached. You can use a nail knot, loop to loop connectors, superglue, or bubble gum. The fish don't notice, so don't get hung up on it. Attach it so it holds and let's go fishing. So far you are strung up like you are going dry fly fishing.

I use a strike indicator for a few reasons. No not a bobber. I use an indicator for exactly that. To indicate where my leader is heading and to indicate a strike. Yes it bobs, but let's get away from that terminology. What kind you say? There are all kinds from your grandma's yarn balls, to multicolored cones, stick on pastes, a cork from 1994 Pinot Grigio. I use the simple round or barrel shaped ones that you feed the line through and hold in place with a toothpick. Not too small. The bigger the better. You want to be able to suspend a weighted stone fly if needed. Where do I put it? I usually place mine about 2 times the depth of the water I am fishing, 4 feet of water=8 feet up from my fly. This of course is depending also on the speed of the water. Longer in real fast water, shorter in slower. Trick is to get your fly to move with the water, but also ticking the bottom. They say if you are not catching bottom you are not catching fish. This is true and also translates into loosing flies. Either start tying them, or call your buddy that does.

When you call him tell him you need some stone flies, pheasant tails, brassies, hare's ears, and flashy nymphs. I'm actually a firm believer that most of the time when you find fish and have the drift and the depth, the fly is not all that important. Match the hatch, blah, blah. I only say that because I catch about 80% of my fish on something that resembles a chili pepper shrunk in a microwave. Don't get me wrong, if there are stoneflies crawling on my waders I will fish them, but basically I use lots of bead heads and flashback in the fast water and more natural PT's and hare's ears in the slower water.

Tie your nymph to your leader with your favorite knot with about 18 inches on tippet. Preferably fluorocarbon if your wallet and wife says ok. If you want to get daring, add a dropper behind this with another 18 inches of tippet. Two flies are better than one, right? You bet, except when you have to net fish or get it untangled from your rod tip and line, which happens in the beginning. Take it slow.

Weight. Not the big guy, no, but your leader will need some. I use split shot or sink putty. I always place it right above the knot from the top fly where you added tippet. This way it is placed a nice distance above your fly and with the knot it won't slide down. Great spot. For the amount, it's hard saying not knowing. After a while you will be able to look at a run in the river and just know. For now just try to get your fly on the bottom. Add and subtract weight, find what works. That's the fun part. You know it's working when your rod is bent over.

So it's all new to you, don't sit on a bank and wait for people to clear the pools so you don't get embarrassed with this. Get in some water that is moving and flip your rig out there with a little side arm action or roll cast, but only a few feet in front of you. This isn't a set up, you will false cast, and it won't be pretty, but just get it out there. I won't go into instructing you on how to read water and how to find lies, so just go to a fishy looking spot, an eddy, or a funnel in the rocks, and try it.

I remember back to the fat man that never had more than 4 feet of line out off his rod. You would be surprised how many fish will come right from your feet. Cast upstream so your drift will be come down in front of you 2 feet away. The next cast 3 feet away, etc. Work all the water in front of you. If you catch a fish close, you might not disturb the ones 10 feet away and catch them on the next cast. Watch your indicator as it drifts by and jerk a hook set at any sign of the indicator not flowing freely. If it's the bottom you are doing well, if it's because your flies are now way downstream from the indicator, cast an upstream mend and start over.

The key is detecting strikes. It's not going to be like fishing for perch with a worm and bottom. A trout might hit that fly 10 times in 2 feet and do it so lightly you might mistake it as the current twisting your indicator. It takes time to sense the strike and recognize it, but with time you'll get it. At the end of your drift slowly lift the rod tip, making it like your fly is emerging to the surface. You wouldn't believe how many fish come at this point. When you are done the drift, use the friction of the water as resistance and in one motion, chuck it upstream. It's definitely an art of itself to detect the strike and to determine where your flies are in relation to your indicator. I found that I tended to throw a lot of upstream mends in the beginning, sometimes I had a fish on, but at least I could start my drift over and begin with a drag free drift.

I can't instruct you to become a great nympher on paper, just give you some of my advice on equipment and attitude. The fish will eventually come to your net. Watch others on the water, and spend as much time as you can on any water. It's damn hard to catch trout on the couch, though over a campfire and bourbon your buddy might try to tell you he did it once. Have fun with it.

About the Author

Jeremy Trainor is an avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman who was born and raised in Wales, Maine. He enjoys fly tying and canoeing with his soon to be wife Shannan and lab Marlin. He spends his free time working for Orvis consulting clients on equipment, teaching classes, and providing fly fishing seminars.