An Overview of Nymph Fly Fishing Technique
What is Nymph Fly Fishing
Nymph fly fishing is a more difficult fly fishing technique than dry fly fishing, as the nymph is under the water’s surface, and cannot be seen by the angler. Novice fly fishermen learn dry fly fishing first, because the fly is easy to see, and then progress to nymph fly fishing at a later date. Nymph fly fishing can prove to be more successful when fishing in deeper water though, especially if there is no insect surface activity or hatch.
A nymph is defined as an aquatic-based insect that has not reach the adult stage, and is still in the underwater stage of development. Insects you see on the top of the water’s surface are all adults, and have all grown out of the underwater stage. When nymph fishing, the flies that are used imitate insects in the adolescence (or underwater) stage of that insect development.
The Challenge of Nymph Fly Fishing?
With dry fly fishing, the angler can see the fish strike the fly. With nymph fly fishing it’s a lot more tricky, as the nymph is underwater, and you cannot see the fish strike. Because it’s more difficult to detect a strike, the novice angler may not know when to set the hook. Also, the beginner fly fisherman may get confused when the underwater nymph bumps into underwater rocks or logs, and may confuse this with a fish striking the nymph. The nymph itself may also end up hooked to an underwater log or rock, and its always frustrating to get the nymph unstuck.
Dry fly fishing is two dimensional. As nymph fly fishing is three dimensional, the fisherman must work out the depth of the nymph for the best chance of catching fish, and modify his line set up accordingly. Also fish don’t tend to strike a nymphs as hard as they do dry flies on the water’s surface, so it’s more difficult to know the exact time to set the hook.
Equipment Required for Nymph Fishing
For successful nymph fishing, you will need a strike indicator. A strike indicator is a brightly coloured object that floats on top of the water, and when this indicator bobs in an unnatural manner that means you have a strike. The norm is to tie the strike indicator to the leader a reasonable distance from the nymph, or to tie the strike indicator to the fly line.
Next, you will need some small weights to put on your floating fly line or leader to get your nymph to the correct depth. Alternatively, you can use a sink-tip fly line instead of a floating line with weights. Another useful item for nymph fly fishing is a good pair of polarized sunglasses which will reduce the glare reflected from the water and enable you to see the strike indicator clearly. The type of fly fishing rod you use will depend on the size of the river or stream being fished – generally, the smaller the river or stream, the shorter the rod required.
Dead Drift Fishing Technique
The most common nymph fly fishing technique that even a beginner can master is the “dead drift” fishing technique. This involves casting directly across the river, and letting the fly line drift downriver whilst keeping any slack out of the line. Depending on whether the nymph is drifting too quickly or too slowly, you may have to perform an upstream or downstream mend. In the event of a strike, the angler just points the rod at the fly, and lifts the rod to set the hook. This method of fly fishing requires that the angler head downstream.
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