Rivers – short line nymphing

{{+1}}Rivers – short line nymphing{{-1}}

Including Polish nymphing, Spanish nymphing, and of course Czech nymphing.

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article:

Fly fishing tips

My preferred set up - Two rod set ups for rivers

One rod set ups for rivers

Whilst in the broad terms these techniques are really quite similar to each other there are subtle points of difference that distinguish each of these forms of river fly fishing techniques. The points of difference are mainly in the leader set up and focus on leader lengths and the use of different flies and materials incorporated into the leader as indicators. I think of all these techniques all as "short line nymphing techniques" and adjust my leader set up, fly selection, drift and the direction I am moving in as I encounter different types of water.

Because this system is based on fishing with the minimum of fly line outside the tip of the rod and leaders that are just long enough to get the fly or team of flies into the zone and requires leading the drift under the tip of the rod this system is best suited to water where the fish won't see or feel the angler. It is thus ideal for deeper, less than clear water that has a reasonable current.

You can of course quite successfully use the same rod and lines as you would use for "fishing up" or fishing "across and down" and this makes these deeper water fishing techniques a good tool to keep in mind as you work a river swapping between "fishing up" or fishing "across and down" particularly as you encounter deeper glides and runs.

Having said that the downside of your tradition fly rod is that because you are fishing so close break off's or pulled hooks can be a problem. This problem can be mitigated if you use a softer tipped rod with more tip action and the ability to lead the team of flies can be enhanced if the rod is a little longer. I have two specialised river rods that I choose from depending on the overall nature of the river being fished. Both are 4 weight one being just 8 feet six inches long and the other being a full 10 feet long. The choice of rod generally relates to the nature of the river. Whilst I may be forced to select the short rod for tight overgrown streams my preference is to use a longer rod wherever space permits. Both rods have sensitive tips. The longer rod in particular also has a powerful butt section which allows me to put pressure particularly on bigger fish and because of that and the fact that the longer rod allows for much better line control it is my preferred rod in all but those rivers where you can only effectively manoeuvre a short rod. In any case both rods are light enough for me to be able to fish with an extended arm for a full three hour session.

Regardless of the rod use as short as leader as it is possible to get away with. Use of light leaders and heavier flies generally allows you to get away with leaders that are only just a little longer than the depth of the water. Most people set the leader up so that it is around 1.5 to two times the depth of the water down to their anchor fly and have just enough fly line outside the tip of the rod to have a straight line to the start of the throughout the drift. Fish can be detected by watching where the fly line and leader connect or a strike indicator. For an indicator you can include some coloured monofilament into your leader set up or use coloured braided loops on your fly line or use a line manufactured with a coloured sections incorporated in the tip of the fly line. Strip strike at the smallest hint of a deviation in the passage of the fly or flies. The main thing is to set your leader and fly selection up in a way that allows you to fish where the fish are, with the minimum of drag without spooking the fish, with individual or teams of flies designed to get right down in deeper water to where the fish are.

A typical set up involves the use of a dry fly line.

For more discoloured water try an olive fly line with a coloured tip built into the fly line at the time of manufacturer. I like a leader that starts with one foot of thicker tippet material and then goes to a straight length of the finest tippet that will handle the target fish and allow the anchor fly/s to sink and bounce along the bottom. This thicker butt section will giver a better join to the fly line, will assist with the turn over. For clearer water I think a fly line that is clear, olive or grey all the way to where it joins onto the leader is better. I connect a 1 meter length of .030 diameter (generally 10 lb Maxima) then 1 meter of coloured monofilament indicator and finally 2 meters of leader incorporating my two flies. I generally prefer to attach my heavier fly to the dropper and my bait fly to the point. The distance between the point fly and dropper varies but 0.6 of a meter gap when the flies are hanging is a good compromise. Adjust the length of the leader between the coloured indicator and the top fly up or down, and the weight of your anchor fly, depending on the depth of water and current so that the leader is pretty straight and the top fly is in the strike zone. If you are not hitting the bottom occasionally with your anchor fly then your probably not fishing deep enough or your anchor fly is not heavy enough. Typically this rig is fished with the minimum of fly line outside the tip of the rod and casts are more like water loaded casts than conventional fly casting or roll casting. Deep water nymphing involves using the water to load the rod and then lift casting the fly or team of flies back up stream and then following the drift of the flies with the leader or line, which may need additional mini mends, as the drifts progresses down the current. At the end of the drift the flies can be allowed to lift them selves or can be swung across and lifted. Whilst hits can be at any time throughout the drift its often at that point that the fly or flies are lifted or swung that the best hits occur.

Because you are generally working quite close to your target fish you have to be particularly careful with your wading techniques, use of camouflage and stealth and cunning in order to avoid spooking fish. This system is generally used when wading up stream but in a pinch depending on cover can be used when moving down stream.

Other river fly techniques: