The Fly Fishing Bible of Nymphing

[jcwillow777]

I haven't started tying up any nymphs yet, but I got my loop tiers and I just ordered an Orvis fly box. I ordered the fly box from Bass Pro. I get a 5% military discount, which almost takes care of tax, and free shipping to the store which is only 5 minutes from my house. Think I'll rig up some with 3 spiders and some with a couple of nymphs.

I just finished reading the book, now to watch the videos, then re-read.

Can't wait to hit the river.

[ForumGhillie]

Very good! You have to let us know how you like the Orvis fly/tippet box.

Right now I am using a thin hard, card. I made slits in both ends and secure my droppers in both ends. No flies attached to the droppers yet, just the loops at one end.

I made my first ladder leader today and added the figure eight knots. Not hard to do once you get the hang of tying the figure eight knots watching Paul's video.

Right now with our air temps hovering around the 0 mark and lots of snow on the ground it's a great time to make ladder leaders, droppers, read fly fishing books and tie lots of flies.

John

[Roadkill]

Today I finished a box of Midge Magic #18 1xl variations mainly to try on the top of my "ladder" leader...

IMGP1368 by William Lovelace, on Flickr

[jcwillow777]

Very good! You have to let us know how you like the Orvis fly/tippet box.

Right now I am using a thin hard, card. I made slits in both ends and secure my droppers in both ends. No flies attached to the droppers yet, just the loops at one end.

John

I think I'm really gonna like the Orvis box. I think I'm only gonna put 2 tippet rigs on each insert. I have 2 - 2 droppers rigs tied up with flies and attached to the inserts. I tried 3 rigs, but I think that may be an accident waiting to happen on the river. I'd hate to get a rig tangled up before I even attach it to my leader!

So game plan. Think I'll put 4 - 2 dropper rigs already tied up with flies, soft hackles, and 4 - 1 dropper rigs tied up with nymphs onto 4 of the inserts, 2 on each. Then for the 5th insert, I'll just put on at least 2 of each of the rigs without flies, in case I need to tie up something different on the river.

I already have a bunch of rigs looped and tied up and on slotted cardboard for later in the year.

The box isn't waterproof, so hopefully I won't go swimming again this year. That being said, I haven't been on the river for a trial run yet. I plan to open my cabin that last weekend in April, which is Trout opener. I don't like to fight crowds, so I'll probably wait til Monday to hit the river.

[ForumGhillie]

Just an FYI, while up north I tried euro nymphing several days and it is not as easy as it appears in their videos, especially if it is windy. Practice, practice, practice and patients... but when the trout started rising I switched instantly to a dry fly on my euro leader.

I also found for me seeing those dropper rabbit ears attached to my ladder leader is damn tough. I think I need colored mono rabbit ears attached to the dropper loop.

Even with a light weight, 10' 8" 3wt fly rod it doesn't take long for your arm to get tired holding the rod and leader at the "angle of awesome" position.

Lastly, even a 12" trout can give a heck of a fight on a long 3wt euro fly rod.

John

[ronr]

Ghillie,,,, I agree totally. I've been on a mission lately to try and like the long line Euro style nymphing. I've tried several variations of French, Spanish, Czech, and mono rig leaders. I fished them mostly on a 10'6" 3wt and a 10' 4wt rod a little. The 3wt has been the better of the two. I've utilized the Bible's tips and Dom Swentoski's mono-rig systems. I even boiled up a couple leaders tied with Maxima per John Pearson's vinegar and water formula. I was impressed with how the boiling improved the suppleness of the Maxima. Using Swentoski's 10" leader formula has worked best for me, and even with a bit of wind it casts well if the anchor is heavy enough. I told my fishing buddy earlier this week if I weren't catching so many fish with the method, I'd never fish this way. It is extremely tiring and the effort to cast these light rigs hundreds of times a day wears out my surgically repaired shoulders. I try to keep my arm close to my body as much as I can but the extended reach seems necessary a lot on the rivers I fish. It has been a good alternative to swinging in the winter when the fish are in slower and deeper water, but as soon as things warm up a bit more, I'll be back to swinging soft hackles most of the time. I did get lucky last week and put a 16" brown in the net. On a 10" mono rig line, 6x tippet, and the 3wt rod it was a fun battle and I was lucky and excited to land him....