Articles With the Tag . . . tight line

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

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.

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

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

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

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 . . .

Drop Shot Nymphing on a Tight Line Rig — Pt.1

Apr 13, 2022 | Drop Shot Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig

** NOTE ** This is the first installment of the Troutbitten Short Series covering drop shot nymphing. Find the full series HERE. -- -- -- -- -- -- The more time I spend on the water, the more I find new ways to use old ideas. I enjoy finding inspiration through...

The Red Amnesia Problem

Mar 20, 2022 | Commentary, Nymphing, The Mono Rig

** UPDATE ** After publishing this article, I've settled on as my current replacement recommendation for Red Amnesia. I still prefer Amnesia (and I have more than a dozen spools), but the Neon Fire...

#9. Putting It All Together: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Jan 2, 2022 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig

** NOTE ** This is the ninth and final featured skill in the Troutbitten series, Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing. You can find the overview, along with dedicated articles for each chapter and skill published HERE. -- -- -- -- -- -- So, at the...

#8. The Strike: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Oct 10, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig

** NOTE ** This is the eighth featured skill in the Troutbitten series, Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing. You can find the overview, along with dedicated articles for each chapter and skill as they publish HERE. -- -- -- -- -- -- In this series...

#6. Locating the Strike Zone: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Aug 15, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 7 Comments

Locate the strike zone, and unlock the mysteries of what’s happening underneath. Know where your nymph is, and stop guessing.

This is everything . . .

#5. Finding Contact: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Jul 26, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 6 Comments

Nervous sighters and the line dip. Learn to better read the sighter for contact, then back off. But remember, until you are in touch, you can’t reliably and purposefully slip out of touch . . .

#4. Recovering Slack: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Jul 21, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 18 Comments

We can recover slack in three ways: by stripping, by raising the rod tip and by leading the rod tip downstream. And while these are basic skills, the heart of advanced nymphing is in the critical ability to recover slack in all three ways . . .

#3. Sticking the Landing: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Jul 12, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 8 Comments

The goal is to stick the landing on the sighter — to end in the final position perfectly, rather than struggling to find it after the landing. The best anglers learn to adjust the amount of slack — and therefore, time to contact — within the cast. That’s the art of a good tuck cast. So we tuck and then stick the landing on the sighter at an angle and depth where we expect to catch that contact . . .

#2. Turnover and the Tuck Cast: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Jun 27, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 15 Comments

The tuck cast is a fly first entry. And it is the basic skill of tight lining. If you’re still lobbing, then stop it. And learn to cast. Because doing so opens up a world of new opportunities. And because a fly first entry sets up every necessary skill that follows . . .

#1. Angle and Approach: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing

Jun 20, 2021 | Nine Skills for Euro Nymphing, Nymphing, Tactics, The Mono Rig | 28 Comments

For some reason, nymphing anglers seem to believe they’re getting wonderful drag free drifts on a tight line, just because the nymph disappears out of sight. But here’s the fact: If the line is tight and it’s crossing seams in any way, you are not dead drifting the nymph.

Angles and approach are critical . . .