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Trouble Nymphing

N

NJfisher

New member
Hey Guys,

I just started fly fishing a few months ago and have yet to catch a trout on a nymph. It's really frustrating, especially since "stockies" are usually so easy to catch.

I feel like I'm doing the right thing. I toss my line a little up stream, wip my line up so that its above my thingamabobber, follow with the tip of my poll and curse at the fish for not hitting.

What am I doing wrong? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
How deep are you fishing?
If you're not getting hung up on the bottom occasionally, you may not be deep enough.
 
Some might disagree with me, but I dont think stockies are always easy to catch. Like most animals, they act on instict. If your presentation doesn't look natural, 9 times out of 10 the fish wont bite (however, like humans, some fish are just special ed and will take anything). If you feel your presentation is good and there are fish holding in the area, maybe youre missing some strikes and theyre spitting the hook. Id suggest to any beginner to nymph with an indicator, at least until you know what to look and feel for during the process. Depending on water depth, set the indicator above the fly with enough room for a little slack line and so the nymph can still bounce along the river bottom. After a while, nymphing and setting hooks on a strike become more of a feeling and not so much a visual. I try to jerk my rod up a couple times on a drift to see if theres tension. Hope this helps a little. Hang in there and keep precticing.
 
I actually do use an indicators and the last couple of times I've went out fishing I could see the fish flashing in the water. Which pisses me off even more since that tends to mean that they are feeding on nymphs lol.

The pool I was fishing in yesterday was about 3 feet deep and moderatly fast running water. I used an 18 Hairsear hackle with a 20 copper john beaded under. I also had a small split shot too. Still nothin...
 
If you can see them, they can prob see you if you're not careful. If they see your presentaion once or twice and dont like it, you can toss it at them all day and they will ignore it. Better off heading up or downstream at that point. You'll get em soon. The water I've been fishing has been clear and low, calling for 6x or 7x tippet. Not sure how much all this rains been affecting the rivers now, but Im guessing some are still low. Perhaps with an indicator, soft hackle, nymph, and split shot, your set-up is a little too busy for them.. just a thought. Good luck.
 
Confidence is 99.9% of the game.

If I have confidence in a feminine blood sponge and tie it on my hook, I WILL CATCH FISH.

Fly selection matters MUCh less than confidence and proper presentation.

However,

THe special ed fish are easier to catch...I prefer the stocked blondes...
imagesCATIKCHM.jpg
 
NJfisher said:
The pool I was fishing in yesterday was about 3 feet deep and moderatly fast running water. I used an 18 Hairsear hackle with a 20 copper john beaded under. I also had a small split shot too. Still nothin...
Click to expand...

Your flies are likely not deep enough depending on the size of your split shot. Try this: use a 14 or 16 beadhead flashback PT nymph with an unweighted trailer fly of your choice tied off the hook bend. Forget the split shot. You should get takes on both flies. If caddis are around, figure out their color and use something like a LaFontaine sparkle pupa and let the two fly rig swing up at the end of the drift. Make sure you closely watch your indicator. Is it moving at the same speed and same direction as the white foam around it (or a stick, leaf, etc. that you can use as a landmark during your drift). If your answer to either is "no", then you need to work on your line control. Make sure your strike indicator is on a drag-free drift and mend to make that happen during each drift. Mend up or downstream and as frequently as required by the surrounding currents. Also work at keeping your rod tip both high and pointed at the flies as they drift. That will help by keeping your slack line off the water where it can drag your flies unnaturally and allows easier mends and quick hook sets.


(But, as everyone here knows, I'm a dry fly snob and I don't ever nymph so don't listen to me)
 
One thing no one has mentioned is that the current at the surface is much faster than the current at the bottom...so you also must mend your indicator to keep the indicator from dragging the fly across the bottom...make sure the fly always land downstream of the indicator, or at least mend right after the cast. In very slow water this is not as important. Good luck...IMO catching trout on a nymph is much more difficult than on a dry fly...:)
 
Welcome to the board and sport! It will be frustrating at times, but when you "get it", the satisfaction is great!

I think the advice given about fly selection, mending and depth is good. It sounds like you are fishing slow water because you occasionally see the fish. For me, it's easier to fish nymphs in faster moving pocket water. The fish have less time to make a decision, and you are less likely to spook the fish as you learn what you are doing. You might want to try developing your nymphing skills initially in the faster runs at a place like the KLG

NJfisher said:
I actually do use an indicators and the last couple of times I've went out fishing I could see the fish flashing in the water. Which pisses me off even more since that tends to mean that they are feeding on nymphs lol.

The pool I was fishing in yesterday was about 3 feet deep and moderatly fast running water. I used an 18 Hairsear hackle with a 20 copper john beaded under. I also had a small split shot too. Still nothin...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the help everyone!

The water where I was fishing was pretty fast. I was fishing the park section of pequannock river. I couldn't actually see the fish as they swam around, but I did see their sides shine every once in a while.

Looks like i'm just going to have to keep trying.

btw KLG was where I caught my first trout back in March. A guy next to me kept catching while I wasn't even getting any hits and when he found out that I just started fly fishing he made it a point to help me catch a fish. He gave me one of his hairs ear, which the fish were biting on at the time, and that did the trick.
 
Only cast as far as you can manage the line and be able to detect a strike. I was horrible with nymphs until i fished very small water where i couldn't take long casts and realized i had been casting further than my ability was to detect a strike. Try a #12 BH flashback hares ear, just have confidence with it.
 
when that happened to me i started bowfishing..i put my nymph on the end of the arrow and WHAM! fish on..no catch and release though
 
nymping is tough, a lot of people condemn it, but in my opinion its a hell of a lot harder to catch a fish when your not sure there is one there. Most dry fly snobs are that way because they tried nymphing and struggled, and then decided it was easier to say nymphing is a lower type of fishing rather than actually improve at it. Reading water and putting yourself where the fish are is the first thing you want to focus on. I agree with whoever said fishing fast water is easier with nymphs, and on top of that finding a riffle with one flow speed(not too many breaks in the current) is easier to get a good drift in as a beginner. When nymphing, I usually always look for a faster section that has a calm seam on the edge of it, usually there will be fish right on the edge of the fast and slow water, especially if that water has a few feet of depth to it.
Another technique I use sometimes is I fish a small streamer and cover water to move a few fish and see where they are holding. Once I get a feel for what kind of water the fish are in, I slow down and begin fishing those sections with nymphs. As you begin taking fish out of various types of water, you'll start to understand the different lies fish hold in and your decision making will improve as to where you spend your time nymphing. It'll get easier stick with it
 
ZOMBIE APACOLYPSE IS IMMINENT. TT just posted a SERIOUS blurb. I can't believe my eyes.
 
Get rid of the boober and fish the nymphs without it so you can get the feel of the water flow and depth and how that relates to what the fly is doing. Vary the amount of shot you have on the leader (weight) and get it so you are just bumping the bottom and getting hung up once in a while. Then put the boober back on at 1 1/2 the depth of the water up from your split shot and try to get the same feel....or leave the thing off altogether.

Or you can just go with a bead and be like SIMMS. :)

Mel
 
I'm starting to think stealth is the most important factor catching fish for me. I notice a big difference when I approach a likely holding spot patiently and without causing any commotion. Basically sneak up on the fish. Those first couple casts are important. Sometimes I'll just sit and watch the stream and slow down for a moment. Details that you would normally not pick up on become more visible i.e. fish, emerging insects.
 
Get the Joe humphries book trout tactics & keep reading it over and over again. Tuck cast- most important cast you can make while nymphing, requires little weight when executed properly. Use long leaders so you have little or no line on the water. Adjust indicator so it is 3-5' longer than the depth of the water. If you see a fish flash anywhere near where you think the fly is strike immediately. Go to the gorge and dont fish anywhere else until you get the hang of it. Hold your rod high and lower it as the line passes. Mend as needed. Hide behind rocks or bend down when 1st approaching ect to keep a low profile. No fish in 10-20 casts move to the next rock. Work your way up stream. Keep your line/leader as short and as tight as possible with drag free float. Keep trying, once you get you wont be able to keep the fish off your line.
 
Nymphing can be tough as FlyI4 stated and his post was right on the money. It took me many years to get an understanding how to consistently produce fish. Being able to read the water is a fundamental skill that needs to be mastered. Another thing you need to master is a perceptive on where the fish are feeding in the water column. I have found just adding or removing split shot and or changing the distance between the shot and the nymph can be the difference between catching 3 fish and 10 fish. Being able to master or at least try to master Nymphing will make you a more complete Fly fishermen.
 
I have been nymphing for quite a few years (decades) and never caught a fish on a strike indicator until last week with a guide. The one other time I tried it I did not realize how bad my technique (that I got from reading) was. Do yourself a favor and depending upon the techniques you are interested in, go fishing with someone (I am sure you would get volunteers from your local TU Chapter) who has mastered the technique.
 
TT has been acting funny latley..im starting to get worried about him..i think he needs a big striper soon..or we might lose him

---------- Post added at 07:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 PM ----------

dude get rid of the shot and fish weighted flies..start euro nymphing..lots of dvds and books out now..its really quite easy..especially for fresh stocked trout..without watching you it would be hard for anyone to really help you..they can only make suggestions..simple to build a leader with a sighter and in no time you will start hooking up..the strike detection of that method of nymph fishing is just ridiculous..as long as your not blind
 
May I suggest losing the indicator and "HIGH STICK" Nymph fish until you gdt the feel and more or less Sense (for lack of a better word) about what the feel is when a fish does sip your nymph.

Someone mentioned "WEIGHTED NYMPHS" I prefer not to do that -- I can adjust weight with shot -- If the Nymph is weighted how do you adjust to different currents and speed -- Sure you can add weight -- But u cant take it away on a Weighted Nymph. Alos IMOVHO the weight added to the nymps takes away some action. (may or may not be true) Just my opinoon.

When "HIGH STICK" Nymphing -- You dont use a lot of line Just enough to keep the line just under the rod tip in the water -- U can actually see when the fly "STOPS" and then lift the rod -- Get used to that feel -- then gradually start letting more and more line out -- You really dont want to cast half a fly line when nymphing U will miss 99 out of 100 fish - Burt 10 -15 ft is good ONCE you get the feel of and after you "MASTER THE HIGH STICK METHOD

I reall hope this helps you out -- If you have any need for me to carify or explain what i mean feel free to ask

Peace
Dan
 
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