Articles With the Tag . . . indicator nymphing

Land With Contact or Without, When Using a Tuck Cast — Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

The tuck cast presents a fly-first entry, from very steep and vertical with extra slack, to almost flat, with immediate contact. That’s how flexible the tuck cast is. It’s useful. In fact, it’s critical to how I present nymphs and streamers.

Your Indicator Is Too Big

Choosing the right indicator is the first step to setting up and effective system. Balance between indy and weight is the key.

The Hop Mend (with VIDEO)

We mend to prevent tension on the dry fly or the indicator. All flies could drift drag free in the current if not for tension from the attached leader. So it’s our job to eliminate or at least limit that tension on the tippet and to the fly.

This Hop Mend is an arch. It’s a steep and quick half-oval. It’s a fast motion up, over and down with the fly rod. It’s powerful and swift, but not overdone . . .

Podcast Ep 12: Nymphing Tight Line to the Indicator Style — Contact Nymphing Principles with an Indy

When it’s the best tool for the job, then putting an indy on a tight line rig is a deadly variation to a contact nymphing system. I build my leader to be ready for it. The rod I carry is designed for it. Because tight line to the indicator is a problem solving approach that gets the job done when pure tight lining simply cannot . . .

Nymphing: A two diameter solution to a one diameter problem

Nov 13, 2019 | Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig

Good nymphing requires a few adjustments to the leader. And failing to make these adjustments results in mediocre fishing, at best. The basics of leader design change when delivering flies underneath, especially if the goal is a natural dead drift. So what else...

Three Styles of Dry Dropper: #3 — Tight Line Dry Dropper

Sep 10, 2019 | Dry Fly Fishing, Nymphing

** NOTE ** This is part of a Troutbitten series on three styles of dry dropper. Here are links to all articles in the series: Three Styles of Dry Dropper (Overview) #1 Bobber Dry Dropper #2 Light Dry Dropper #3 Tight Line Dry Dropper -- -- -- Matt was full of...

Fly Fishing in the Winter — The Secondary Nymphing Rig

Feb 18, 2019 | Nymphing, Tactics, Winter Fly Fishing

** NOTE: This is Part Six of a Troutbitten series on fly fishing for trout through the winter months. This will all read a little better if you back up and find Parts One, Two, Three, Four and Five. ** Every winter our rivers go through changes, and the trout follow...

Fly Fishing in the Winter — The Go-To Nymphing Rig

Dec 30, 2018 | Nymphing, Tactics, Winter Fly Fishing

** NOTE: This is Part Four of a Troutbitten series on fly fishing for trout through the winter months. This will all read a little better if you back up and find Parts One, Two and Three. I walked to the familiar counter and laid a bag of orange material...

Your Indicator Might Be Too Big

Dec 5, 2017 | Tactics | 2 Comments

Anyone who thinks indicators are just for indicating is missing the point. And yes, it's a bobber. Hatch Magazine published my article, "Your Indicator is too big." It's about the importance of balancing the size of the suspender with the weight underneath. -- -- --...

The Dorsey Yarn Indicator — Everything you need to know and a little more

Mar 30, 2017 | Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig, Videos | 79 Comments

The dark truth is that upgrading your fly fishing gear rarely catches you more fish. Rods, reels, fly lines, expensive tippet and overpriced hooks hardly improve your catch rate. And the marginal improvement you might see is probably a result of confidence and concentration rather than the performance of new gear.

The Dorsey yarn indy will catch you more fish.

Here are the details . . .

Tight Line Nymphing with an Indicator — A Mono Rig Variant

Feb 14, 2017 | Fly Casting, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 73 Comments

I dislike arbitrary limits. Placing restrictions on tackle and techniques, when they inhibit my ability to adapt to the fishing conditions, makes no sense to me. I’m bound by no set of rules other than my own. And my philosophy is — Do what works.

I guess that’s why I’ve grown into this fishing system. Most of the time I use what I refer to as the Mono Rig. It’s a very long leader that substitutes for fly line, and I’ve written about it extensively on Troutbitten. Tight line and euro nymphing principles are at the heart of the Mono Rig, but there are multiple variations that deviate from those standard setups. Sometimes I use split shot rather than weighted flies. Sometimes I add suspenders to the rig. I even throw large, articulated streamers and strip aggressively with the Mono Rig. All of this works on the basic principle of substituting #20 monofilament for fly line.

Tight line nymphing is my default approach on most rivers. I like the control, the contact and the immediacy of strike detection. But sometimes adding a suspender (an indicator that suspends weight) just works better.

Often, I add a dry fly to my tight line nymphing rig. “The Duo” (European fishermen’s term for dry/dropper) is widely popular because it’s a deadly variation of the standard tight line approach. But dry/dropper rigs have their issues. And choosing a Thingamabobber or a Dorsey Yarn Indicator for the suspender not only solves those issues but also includes extra benefits.

This isn’t about which method is better. Invariably, the answer to such questions in fishing is, “It depends.” Everything has its place. This is about how to use tight line principles with a suspender rig. I hate arbitrary limits. Do what works.