"Wayne Harrison" wrote in message
...

ya know, i just can't resist the opportunity to soapbox on some of this
"nymphing technique" as it relates to fishing with a fly rod.

at some point (and for me, it's after one lead ball), this leaves the
world of "fysshing with a flye", or whatever, and enters the world of
"catch the *******s anyway you can".

if one wants, or needs, to start adding chunks of lead to a line, very
early on a lightweight spinning rod becomes, quite obviously, a much more
efficient tool; and more stylish, to boot.

yfitons
wayno


Well, mfitons, perhaps that's true if one was to go about adding "chunks of
lead". Which is precisely why , when confronted with a need to get a nymph
down, further and faster, I recommend the addition of salmon eggs and/or
garden hackles (aka #10 Pinkies) rather than lead weights. The upside of the
aforementioned lead substitutes is that they can be added in infinitely
variable quantities, they are bio-degradable, and oddly enough, they seem to
actually *attract* fish.

Danl

"Danl" wrote in message
...

"Wayne Harrison" wrote in message
...

ya know, i just can't resist the opportunity to soapbox on some of
this "nymphing technique" as it relates to fishing with a fly rod.

at some point (and for me, it's after one lead ball), this leaves the
world of "fysshing with a flye", or whatever, and enters the world of
"catch the *******s anyway you can".

if one wants, or needs, to start adding chunks of lead to a line, very
early on a lightweight spinning rod becomes, quite obviously, a much more
efficient tool; and more stylish, to boot.

yfitons
wayno


Well, mfitons, perhaps that's true if one was to go about adding "chunks
of lead". Which is precisely why , when confronted with a need to get a
nymph down, further and faster, I recommend the addition of salmon eggs
and/or garden hackles (aka #10 Pinkies) rather than lead weights. The
upside of the aforementioned lead substitutes is that they can be added in
infinitely variable quantities, they are bio-degradable, and oddly enough,
they seem to actually *attract* fish.

Danl

All well and good, but how the hell do you tie them in? 3/0 thread just
cuts them all to ****! :(

Wolfgang
who, were he less of a gentleman, would consider bait fishing as a
reasonable alternative.

On 2 Jun 2005 09:46:58 -0700, wrote:

There are an amazing variety of techniques around and I know that yours
works for you so I'm not knocking it. I just can't resist being a
smart ass. ; -)


You could never be a smartass, at least not after you gave me that fly
box with those wonderful itty-bitty ties. Since you gave them to me,
I have taken more fish on your patterns than any other pattern. They
worked at Penns, Bighorn, the Rapid in Maine, and I will use them in
Kamchatka in August. Great flies, Bruce. They've inspired me to
think small with whatever nymph I tie - GRW, PT, GRHE, et al.

And, yes, I fish downstream with a nymph and I use the Leisenring Lift
at the end of the drift. Besides, you practically have to let the rig
go downstream so that the line straightens out for the cast upstream.
No false casting. I designed a caddis nymph a few years ago with a
"bubble" attached to it. I used a clear glass bead to represent the
bubble of air caddis have when they rise to the surface. I've taken
many fish with the pattern using the Lift at the end of the drift. But
try not to let it get out that I fish a nymph downstream. d;o)

Dave

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


All well and good, but how the hell do you tie them in? 3/0 thread just
cuts them all to ****! :(


I prefer using #10 - #18 LWSHs (Lead Weight Substitute Holders) sold at most
fly shops, but sometimes by other names. Most come with a convenient built
in barb-like doohickey that assist in holding the LWS onto the
hoo....err...LWSH.

Wolfgang
who, were he less of a gentleman, would consider bait fishing as a
reasonable alternative.


Bait Fishing!!!??? Don't be a cad!

Danl

...and remember, Western Clave Attendees, lead weights are strictly verboten
in der Yallerstone Natl Park!

On 1 Jun 2005 21:51:55 -0700, wrote:

Actually, Dave (or anyone), I do have a couple more question:

Do you worry that too much weight can somehow mess with the drift of
your nymph?

OK, obviously there's some amount of weight that is too much. But I'm
just wondering if I should always try to err on the side of extra
weight. As it is, I can't think of a time that I"ve ever put on more
than two 4's, or maybe one BB - and perhaps that's my problem. And
yes, I'm sure in general I don't do enough to tick bottom. But does
the upside of being down deep always trump the downside of possibly
having too much weight? (Sorry - that sentence came out as is, and
it's just too bad to change it.)

If it makes a difference - most of the situations when I'm
under-confident in my nymphing occur when I'm casting a ways, say about
20'. If I'm high-sticking, then I'm generally pretty confident. (And
part of what started all of this is that I noticed that I have a
markedly better success rate nymphing when I'm close enough and the
water is clear enough that I can actually see the take subsurface - a
much much higher success ratio - made me think I was doing something
wrong in other situations, just looking at my indicator.)

Tim, there are many ways to nymph. I favor the upstream method using
split shot to get the lure down to the bottom. If I don't get a snag
once in awhile I'm not deep enough. After awhile you'll have a
formula for how much weight in streams that you fish alot. You have
to "tune" your rig in a few ways - kind of nymph, distance to the
split shot (if you are using any), amount of split shot, and the
setting for your strike indicator (if you are using one). Nymphing is
more difficult than a dry fly or a streamer because you are working
with an extra dimension, depth. (FYFIA d;o) ) Believe me, you will
know when you have too much weight. I always seem to err on the
other side, not enough weight.

There is a spot on my favorite river where the current washes over an
old logging dam into a very deep pool. It is a wonderful spot to use
a dry or a streamer, but you have to adjust your way of thinking about
nymphing. To use a nymph, I simply cast about 10 - 20 feet with a
weight nymph, watch it while it sinks, and then use a L. Lift on it.
If I find the right pattern I can count on some very big brookies or
landlocked salmon.

Another method I've used with mixed results is the across and down and
raising the fly by raising the tip of your rod and moving the fly to
different parts of a riffle/run. I've caught fish like this, but
don't care for the method. High sticking without an indicator and
upstream without an indicator are my favorite/preferred methods. I too
love to see the "wink" when the fish turns a little sideways to take
the nymph. That's one of the bennies of fishing close to where you
are standing.

Like I've said, Tim, there are many ways to nymph. To learn more, I
recommend a book by Charles Brooks with illustrations by Dave Whitlock
called Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout. Also, read anything you can
get from Gary Borger on the subject. Peter Charles and I attended a
seminar given by him at a fly show in Toronto a few years ago. Very
impressive and helpful.

Dave

On Thu, 2 Jun 2005 16:05:04 -0700, "Danl" wrote:

..and remember, Western Clave Attendees, lead weights are strictly verboten
in der Yallerstone Natl Park!

I got myself a better flyvest camera now, so I'll be ready for all those cutts
you catch this year. g
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...

"...who nymphs downstream. Certainly not me."

"Like I said, I don't nymph down stream. Some do. More power to them,
but I don't."

...yes, I fish downstream with a nymph...

Hm.......

and I use the Leisenring Lift
at the end of the drift.

Leisenring.....Leisenring.....um......dead guy?......used to fly
fish?.....downstream, with a nymph?.....that Leisenring?

Never heard of him.

Wolfgang

On Thu, 2 Jun 2005, Wayne Harrison wrote:

if one wants, or needs, to start adding chunks of lead to a line, very
early on a lightweight spinning rod becomes, quite obviously, a much more
efficient tool; and more stylish, to boot.

yfitons
wayno

I admit it. I am a barbarian. My wife tells me so all the time. But
basically, my approach to fly fishing is maximize versatility with a
minimal amount of tools. I still have a long way to go, but I'm rather
happy in my journey towards the general direction of enlightenment even if
I might never get there.

Soaking my lead balls and lengthening my tippet is another thing entirely
....

Mu

"Mu Young Lee" wrote



I admit it. I am a barbarian. My wife tells me so all the time. But
basically, my approach to fly fishing is maximize versatility with a
minimal amount of tools. I still have a long way to go, but I'm rather
happy in my journey towards the general direction of enlightenment even if
I might never get there.

Soaking my lead balls and lengthening my tippet is another thing entirely


i can't believe that the same guy who tied those amazing, tiny flies
that you sent to me can withstand the grotesque feeling of launching an
ounce or so of lead with a fly at the end of the chain...

yfitons
wayno

"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
Dave LaCourse wrote in
:

Remember, if your indicator (line/leader connection) is going faster
or the same speed as the top current (watch to bubbles),...

I don't get this. I know you're up there with the best nymph fishermen I
know, but I don't see how a nymph without a motor on it can go faster than
the current...

He didn't mean that. He meant the indicator should be going a little slower
than the surface current. It won't ever be going faster unless there's some
strange drag from a fast side current or something. Anyway, this is why
Borger calls it a drift indicator instead of a strike indicator.