Articles in the Category The Mono Rig

Learning To Lead Nymphs On A Tight Line System

Our skill for leading the nymphs through a good drift and aiming for perfection is what puts trout in the net more predictably than any other approach.

Fish and Film — Crossover Shifts (VIDEO)

Fishing is a story . . . On one of the last mornings of summer, I found good action with a Crossover technique, combing the advantages of both streamers and nymphs on a tight line, Mono Rig system. This style was a perfect match for trout that were eager enough, but not in all water types. I covered many different sections and enjoyed fishing some of my favorite wild trout water — big woods and a big river.

Fish and Film — Tight Line Nymphing and Tight Line to the Indicator (VIDEO)

This third installment of the Fish and Film series highlights the technical aspects of good, adaptive nymphing. It’s a look at a full morning of fishing riffles, runs and flats, while making the necessary and natural changes to find fish.

There are many adjustments along the way. And I comfortably switch between pure tight line tactics and tight line to the indicator style, along with weight adjustments, using both beadhead flies and additional split shot . . .

Troutbitten Shop Summer Sale ’24 — All Leaders, Hats, Stickers and Two New Leader Designs

The Troutbitten Shop Summer Sale ’24 is here, with all leaders, hats and stickers back in stock, along with two new leader designs.

Mono Rigs and Euro Leaders — Micro Thin or Standard? (with VIDEO)

Mar 15, 2023 | Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig, Videos

This is an absolute keystone to understanding all the information out there about long leader systems. I hope you enjoy it.

Just like the fly lines that these long leaders substitute for, the range and variety of leader formulas leads to a lot of confusion.

Mono Rigs, euro rigs, tight line or contact rigs: Yes, there’s a difference in those terms. But everything we’ll consider here applies to them all. Basically, if what is outside of your rod guides is the leader only (or even just a thin euro fly line), then it helps to understand how the leader build affects our possibilities for how we might fish . . .

The TB Yarn Indy Hack

Mar 12, 2023 | Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig

What we at Troutbitten have affectionately called the Dorsey has undergone a few changes over the years. I use less yarn, two colors for better visibility and smaller bands. I pre-bunch the yarn at my tying desk with minimal wraps of 8/0 Uni-Thread, and sometimes . . . just once in a while . . . I add a small piece of split shot to the line above the indy.

Leaders and Hats are Back in the Troutbitten Shop

Feb 10, 2023 | Announcements, Nymphing, Streamers, Tactics, The Mono Rig

Troutbitten leaders are back in the Shop. There are some unique features to Troutbitten leaders that make a big difference. These are hand tied leaders in four varieties: Harvey Dry Leader, Standard Mono Rig, Thin Mono Rig, and Micro-Thin Mono Rig. Standard Sighters are also available, and they include a Backing Barrel. The Full Mono Rig Kit contains each of the three Mono Rig leaders, three foam spools and a twenty-inch Rio Bi-Color extension.

All Troutbitten leaders come on a three-inch spool, making long leader changes a breeze . . .

Mysteries, Mistakes and Misunderstandings | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig — Pt.6

Jan 25, 2023 | Drop Shot Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig

Too heavy, clumsy casting and tangles. None of this is true. Drop shot on a tight line is a finesse approach when set up right and fished well.

This article covers strike detection, feel, frequency of bottom contact, weight mistakes, lazy fishing, casting errors and more.

Five Keys to Reading the Sighter (with VIDEO)

Jan 11, 2023 | Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig, Videos

Control. Options. Precision. These are the most attractive aspects of fishing a tight line system, and the sighter is the key to it all.

A sighter is more than a strike indicator. It also shows depth, angle, speed and contact. It points to our flies and takes away the guesswork. For an angler who learns to read all of this on the sighter, that colored line above the water provides a most significant advantage to the underwater game . . .

(VIDEO) Fly Fishing the Mono Rig — You Need a Line Hand

Jul 27, 2022 | Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig, Videos | 11 Comments

Fishing a full Mono Rig system allows for abundant versatility — but not without the line hand. You have two hands, so use them both. Get that second hand off your hip, and use it for slack recovery, opening up a range of options, adjustments and efficiencies.

Don’t Hate Split Shot — Have a System (with VIDEO)

Jul 13, 2022 | Fly Casting, Tactics, The Mono Rig, Videos | 15 Comments

You need the right tools, the right shot and the right methods for using all of it. None of this is complicated, but simplicity in fishing is often elusive, until time on the water eventually reveals what is best. Honestly, I believe there’s no better way to carry and use split shot than what is shown here . . .

(VIDEO) Fly Fishing the Mono Rig — Casting vs Lobbing

Jun 29, 2022 | Fly Casting, Tactics, The Mono Rig, Videos | 26 Comments

Turnover is the fundamental difference between spin casting and fly casting. And all good fly casts, with fly line or otherwise, allow the line/leader to turnover in the air and then hit the water. That’s the difference between casting and lobbing. Without good turnover, we are simply lobbing the line.

Remember this: lobbing is limiting. And a good casting approach, with great turnover, introduces a wide range of options . . .

Casting and Drifting | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig — Pt.5

Jun 22, 2022 | Drop Shot Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 7 Comments

Gaining the bottom, feeling that contact with the riverbed and then gliding over it, tap, ta-tap, tap-a-tap, maybe five to ten times throughout the drift is success. But I’ve noticed that anglers tend to get complacent. Tickling the bottom is only half of the job. And that’s not good enough. We still need to find the right speed for a drift and keep everything in one seam.

Drop shotting puts the angler in ultimate control. Be aware of every element of the drift, and make good choices, because all of them are yours. Control is the advantage of a drop shot rig. Remember this always — your rod tip controls everything . . .

The Rigging | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig — Pt.4

May 25, 2022 | Drop Shot Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 26 Comments

There are plenty of ways to build a drop shot rig. This one is built for finesse. Rarely is much weight required, because the rest of the leader is literally designed for getting the flies down — to allow light weights to fall quickly . . .

The Weights | Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig — Pt.3

May 11, 2022 | Drop Shot Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 32 Comments

The weight is at the heart of drop shot nymphing. Putting that weight at the end of the line is what makes it unique. And using the right kind of weight makes it pretty special.

You want streamlined? You want dense, concentrated weight in a package with no material resistance? You want pure efficiency in a weight form? Drop shot is your answer . . .