Casting nymphs

[ScottyP]

The first couple of years that I nymph fished, I would let the current load my rod at the end of the drift, and then do a simple lob cast back up stream. I could then throw out a roll cast to get the flies where I wanted them, or just start mending the lob cast for a better drift. Lately, I find myself doing more traditional casts with nymph/weight/indicator setups. This seems to work better for me as long as I keep the loop opened up on the false casts and use small indicators. I keep the false casts to a minimum (just 1 or 2 to aim the presentation cast).

Anyone else have any thoughts on nymph casting? I don't fish with other people alot, so I'm just wondering if this was a natural progression type thing, or just personal prefference.
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[riverdog]

I probably shouldn't be the first person to reply to this but since no one else is responding I will. While a friend taught me to fly fish 5 years ago, he only taught me with dry flies. The couple other people I routinely fish with are also dry fly purist. So I just experimented with different techniques with nymphs and found what works best for me. I will cover miles of river in a couple hours if it's accessible. I never use a strike indicator. I only use beadhead nymphs. If a need a little more weight a use tungstead beadheads. If I consistently need more weight I use a sinking line or sinking leader. I will rarely use weighted putty but not shot. I always wade and fish directly upstream if possible. I don't tend to make any false cast with nymphs. I keep the line tight except if I'm letting the current pull the nymph much deeper in some pools.You won't find me at a side of a pool fishing nymphs unless that is the only possible to get the fly in there. I think a lot of what I do fishing nymphs has to do with the water I'm fishing is constantly changing. This allows me to keep the fly in the water as much as possibly. This works very well for me with my style of fishing. I caught 40 trout last week fishing nymphs for a total of 5 hours over 2 days. I think with watching others a few times plus a lot of experimenting is the best way to see what works for you.
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[campfire]

Dennis Breer ( I don't think I spelled his name right but I don't have the book with me at work to look at and I appologize to him) in his book on flyfishing the green makes a great suggestion for casting nymphs. He points out that a lot of false casting with a typical nymphing rig encourages tangling. He suggests several role casts downstream to get the line out then make what he calls a water haul from the surface of the water upstream then strip line as the fly, weight and indicator drift. If you fish to the side you can continue the drift downstream by "stacking"small casts of slack line untill the line is out again. You then have to pull the weight and fly back to the surfave before making another water haul. This is very similar to what ScottyP discribed. I have found that if you fish directly upstream like riverdog described and like I do frequently as well, you can make false casts/water haul casts back upstream to get your line back out. I just cast to the side of where I want to fish until I get the line back out allowing the line to settle on the water until I get the line out then place the last cast where I think the fish are. I have found that if you are nymphing near the bottom the very small splashes the line, fly, weight and indicator make on the surface do not spook the fish especially if you land them in the main current the surface of which is usually broken anyway until you make your cast to the seam. When I do make false casts in the air like has been mentioned I make wide loops. This minimizes tangling. Good luck.
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[flygoddess]

I picked up a DVD titled "The Naked Truth About Nymphs" put out by the Trout Guys and Mike Pawlawski. I tell you it has sure changed the way I nymph.
It sounds like you high stick it most of the time and they talk about that.
I also use tungsten bead flies or sink tip lines, but on the occassion that I do use split shot and indicator, I roll cast. There is a proper way to roll cast also. Differs between dry's and nymphs as you mentioned. You have to be a little quicker with the nymph to get it to the surface before you roll cast. Lift your rod straight up and let the line hang straight down even with or slightly behind your body then whip it forward with the tip pointing to the spot you want. You probably already know this, but I thought I was doing it right till two years ago when Eddie Robinson showed me how to do it with accuracy every time. This is also on that DVD.
There is always that factor of chuck & duck
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[ScottyP]

Thanks for all your responses. Just wanted to get a feel as to how the rest of yall were doing it. Flygoddess, I might have to get that video you mentioned. Were did you pick it up? I really believe a well presented video can improve ones fishing quite a bit. I bought Swishers "Advanced Casting Techniques" by 3M videos awile back, and it reinforced everything I had naturally picked up on over the years and taught me how to make several specialty casts more effectively. I would recommend that video to anyone who knows how to cast already but feels like they could really improve their presentation casts. Thanks again.
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[flygoddess]

I think that you could probably get it on line. The had a program on OLN it's called Mike Pawlaski and Familiar Waters TROUT GUYS and it is called Naked Truth About Nymphs. I don't recall it costing too much, But I bought it while working at Orvis and now they are gone. I sure miss my store, got great deals even a GPS, and digital water proof camera. Oh well. If I can guide at Falcon's ledge I will get my discount again.
If you can't find the DVD and you really want it PM me.
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[katghoti]

I too usually flip the line back up. Once I have the amount of line I want out to run through a hole it is easier to let the current take out my slack line and load my rod and flip it back up. I also do a lot of roll casting. I rarely use weight and the only strike indicator I use is a small pinch on or small foam indicator. I don't like to use the antron strike indicators (it's like throwing a chicken on the line and tends to close the loops) or the large indicators I have seen. One trick I learned letting the line out and lifting the nymphs at the end of the run is sometimes I get violent hits while the nymph is rising. I can't tell you the number of times I have caught my largest fish of the day letting the line rise at the end of the float. I also agree with the others in not using so much weight. Use weighted flies or tungsten bead heads but try to avoid split shot. I fished with a guy that had four split shots on his line for the South Fork of the Ogden. Most of the day he spent snagged and hitting himself with the weight.

katghoti
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[ScottyP]

I use the small pinch on foam indicators also. I'll use beadheads, but I dont like weighted nymphs much for a couple of reasons. Main reason is that I can fish the same nymphs weighted, or un-weighted to get them where the fish are feeding. Sometimes they are taking the nymphs right off the bottom, and sometimes they'll be feeding a little higher in the water column on emergent insects. I use tiny shot and place it between the two flies a few inches below the top fly. I don't snag anymore than I think I should, but I can make quick adjustments. With the tiny shot and the small pinch on, I am able to false cast without tangling my setup. I came across an article (I think in Fly Fishermen) about long line nymphing. This article describes the most common way I nymph. I was out fishing the other day and was comparing the lob cast and roll casting with false casting. What I came up with is when I throw in a false cast or two, I am able to reach cast the flies more accuratly where I want them and I don't have to mend nearly as much. I guess it's all part of the arsenal. Thanks again for all your input.
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[flygoddess]

I read an article called the Provo river rig. They put the split shot on the end of the line then put one or two droppers up 12"-18" from the split shot on a tippet tag. Works great on the rocks cause your hooks won't get snagged.
I seldom weight my flies and let the line do it for me, but, when I use a tungsten bead, I put my indicator a little higher at times to get the fly off the bottom and suspend it.
Oh, who am I kidding, I will try anything and if it works I keep doing it[laugh]
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[UtahDave]

As flygoddes can attest, I love to cast. That being said the more I fish nymphs the more I find that most of my fish are caught with a very short line. I guess what I am saying is keep your casts short so there is as little flyline as possible between you and the water.
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[flygoddess]

Dave your cast are like a hot knife in butter. SMMMOOOOTTTH!
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[ScottyP]

The article I refered to was in Fly Fishing and Tying Journal dec. 05. Article was called long line nymphing, I re-read it the other day. I agree with you Dave, the short line has caught me the most fish also, but it's nice to be able to cover more water without wading around alot.
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[maddawg]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I’m going to have to chime in on this one. I might be repeating but I’ve seen a lot of the same thing about how you should roll cast and, and side step it up stream and… So this might be textbox and what the experts say to do but I’ve had tons of success fishing nymphs more like dries and casting up stream 20-30 feet. I rather high stick it but if that’s not working for me I’ll start distance casting with the nymphs, and fish the still ponds in the rivers with a slightly different approach then normal nymphing. It hasn’t failed yet[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Trent[/size][/font]
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[flygoddess]

Good answer Trent. I like the riffs and as you say cast up and drift. I have a hard time sometimes getting the fish in the ponds to get up and move, but in the riffs they are already active. I am not saying I don't fish the pools - I ain't completely nuts----yet.
I do work close to shore and move out as I go, so I don't scare any fish.
I will start out maybe 3' from shore then 5', then so on. Sometimes the fish are right in front of you. Have you ever stepped into the river and fish scatter all around your foot. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout[cool]
Around my parts of the water, a good roll cast is still a must. Specially if I am using my boo, which doesn't work real well with faults casting a nymph. Roll cast is the only way with this rod to get the nymph back out. Dry fly is a whole different ballgame.
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