This month, full time fishing guide and England international fly angler Lewis Hendrie talks us through Euro nymphing.
Can you tell us how you would describe Euro nymphing?
Euro Nymphing is a collaboration of various different nymphing techniques all rolled into one. I look at it as a hybrid of all the different nymphing techniques merged together (a nymphing cocktail!) consisting of the well known techniques: French, Czech, Spanish, Polish and the classic long line nymphing.
What are the differences between, French, Czech, Spanish and Polish nymphing?
These various nymphing techniques came about by each country experiencing different challenges with how to catch fish in their own waters. They came up with their own tweaks on the tackle they use and the way they fished their nymphs.
Here are the differences:
French Nymphing - Is all about the range. The use of a long rod and long leader are the 2 main tools for the job as the long rod helps control line elevation and the long leader ensures a subtle approach to line shy fish. The technique was developed for fast shallow water the fish favour during the summer months.
Czech Nymphing - Is a short line technique where the flies are literally fished under the rod tip with only a short amount of fly line out the end of the rod tip. The line is elevated and held off the water. 2 or 3 flies are cast upstream that track back with the current and as the flies run along side of you and head down stream they will start to lift in the current to imitate a pupating/emerging nymph. This is where the techniques comes into its own and has proved lethal.
Polish Nymphing - Almost identical to the style of Czech Nymphing, As it was the Polish who taught the Czechs how to fish the method during the mid 80’s. The difference being the way the leader is constructed and generally fished with just 2 flies.
The heavy flies are cast upstream, where the angler slightly leads them as they drift downstream to imitate the speed of the flow. The point fly is usually the heaviest fly.
Spanish Nymphing - Similar to French nymphing, the use of a long leader and long rod are the main tools. It is used to fish at range for very spooky fish. One of the more unique things about this method are the flies they use. The Perdigone Nymphs are epoxy bodied nymphs with that sink quickly in the water.
What do you need tackle and leader wise to get yourself set up to nymph fish in this way?
There are no restrictions on the tackle you need to fish the techniques. The modern day style of nymphing is better suited to longer length rods of a lightweight range such as rods of 9’6” or more, in a line class of 1-5wt. A rod with a soft/sensitive tip is best to feel delicate takes and set the hook well. This is equally as important for playing fish as rods with a softer tip cushion the head shakes when playing the fish and ensures the hook remains tightly in place.
There are various different options when it comes to the type of leaders we can use. The most common being the French leader that comes in lengths of 5-10meters. The French leader can be attached to any line and in some instances people use it to replace the fly line.
Other options when it comes to line are the new micro thin nymphing lines.
Due to changes in the rules in competitions I have had to make changes to the way I fish my euro nymhping set up.
To comply with the new rules I have now been using the micro nymphing line and a short leader construction of around 12-14ft. Since using this system for my nymph fishing I wouldn’t look back.
The reel balance is something of a personal preference. Some people like a heavy reel to make their outfit bottom heavy and others a lightweight reel to make the outfit tip heavy.
I personally use light weight reels to make my outfit tip heavy so that I can detect the most subtle takes and to also make the setup as lightweight as possible. This way I can keep my arm high for longer periods.
My nymphing outfit consists of:
9’9”ft 2wt or 10ft 3wt nymphing rod
A lightweight Reel - Sage Click 3/4/5
Micro Thin Nymph line - Hanak 000wt SLT and Rio Fips Nymph Line
A cut down french leader of 12-14ft - Hanak and Soldarini Fly Tackle
An 18 inch Indicator - Rio and Hanak Bi-colour indicator spools
How far do you like to place your flies apart?
Being a competition fisherman, I tend to fish my rigs to comply with competition rules (50 cm apart minimum), even when I’m pleasure fishing.
But I also tailor my approach to how far I place them apart as it can be affected by a number of factors such as clear or dirty water,shallow or deep water, slow or fast water and pressured water. As you can see, there are many variables.
How long do you make your droppers?
Although dropper length will vary a lot between fishermen. I for one, like to fish droppers of around 4-5 inches maximum. This makes them long enough to change flies.
If you were teaching someone to euro nymph for the first time what elements would you concentrate on first?
One of the first and foremost important elements of nymphing is line control and presentation. Presentation doesn’t just mean how your flies approach the water but also to how they fish under the water.
Fly speed - Ensuring that your flies mimic the speed of the water they are fishing in.
Watercraft - Understanding where the fish can feed without consuming too much energy such as back eddies, gutters and gullies, and don't forget “the crease” that is found in the faster paced water where the fast and slower current meet. Oxygenated water (look for the foam line that highlights where the main flow is running).
Depth the flies fish at - When the fish are feeding at a particular depth, it is important to get your flies at their level. Using different bead sizes and weights we can change the depth we fish at due to the speed of their sink rate.
What are the common faults you see with newcomers to euro nymphing?
The most common faults tend to beline control and reaction time.
Many beginners can also rush their flies through the water creating artificial drag which can put the fish off eating and in some instances can panic them.
Line control is everything from tracking the depth we fish our flies based on rod angle and speed that our flies move through the current. The more we can iron out these factors the more fish you should catch.
Striking can also be an issue where the fisherman uses the whole forearm to strike into a fish. The problem with striking the same way you would set the hook when fishing a dry fly is it is not quick enough. Fish are generally quick at taking nymphs and not being able to see the take when nymphing can automatically slow down hand eye co-ordination. Once the line control is mastered it is possible to feel the take before the indicator has even registered. The easiest and quickest way to set the hook is a quick tap of the wrist.
Are there situations where you would fish with just one fly, two or more?
As I progress as a fisherman and look to better my fishing, I try to push myself to try things out of my comfort zone. In doing this I have seen a huge improvement in my catch rate when the going gets tough.
Changing the number of flies I fish dependant on a situation is one of these things I work on.
Fishing more than one fly over spooky or pressured fish is an example of where I might fish only a single fly.
This having been said, there are many times where multiple flies will increase your success rate and by fishing flies of differing weights means we can cover a variety of depths within the water column. When I use three flies the top fly will fish close to the surface, the middle dropper will cover anything mid water and the point fly dredges the bottom of the riverbed meaning we can cover all of our variables when we are prospecting to find what depth the fish are feeding at.
The most common case where this is paramount is when I fish for big grayling in the winter.
The cold temperatures concentrate the fish deep in the pools where they are lodged to the bottom of the riverbed.
How often will you change flies during a fishing session and do you change size and weight of them?
When it comes to the amount of time I change my fly patterns within a session the answer is not a lot. But when it comes to my flies in terms of actual weight and size I would say a fair amount. I have made this a habit which has now turned into a routine.
Like many other anglers, when I go pleasure fishing I like to relax, take in the environment around me and enjoy myself. But I can’t help but want to better myself after one of those fishing days where the fish turn around and bite us in the ass.
It’s these days that leave me sitting at home eating dinner and analysing the day, wondering how I could have done better!
Possibly, the biggest and most valuable lesson I’ve learnt is it’s not about special flies that we all so want to believe in. Its about the depth we are fishing at and the depth that the fish are feeding at. So I always consider my fly weight as my main concern over any particular pattern.
Yes, pattern does have its say on a given day but within reason I would be pretty confident that as long as you selected the right weight of fly for a situation you would be in with a chance.
Are you fishing just jig flies with this method?
There are no set rules to the flies we use or the hook types we are using. The fish won't care whether or not you're fishing a jig hook or a standard straight hook.
Saying that though, I do like to fish jig hooks, and often find myself fishing a jig on the point when fishing multiple flies. The advantage of jig hooks is the angle they sit in the water. They can bump along the river bed without snagging so frequently. Also it is the angle they fish at too.
What I will say is it more comes down to what you have confidence in. As using the right hooks that you feel confident using plays a big part in your success.
Do you dead drift your flies or vary the presentation?
It is very important to try as many differing approaches whilst fishing the nymphs. Many fish will happily take a dead drifted fly but when a fish has seen one too many flies or just doesn’t seem interested in your flies a simple jigging action to lift the flies up and down will often induce the fish to grab your flies in a desperate attempt to stop them from getting away.
This also stands for techniques such as swinging your flies down and across the current or lifting and shaking your flies up on a straight run towards the surface (imitating an emerging insect). Trying something different and covering every angle can bring rewards.
How long are you letting your flies drift for?
The drift time of my flies varies between which nymphing style I'm using and the speed of water I'm fishing.
Also if I choose to use the French or Spanish style where I'm separating the distance between me and the fish (at a range of about 20-30ft ) then my flies are covering a lot more water meaning I gain a longer drift.
When I fish the Czech or Polish style where I am fishing at close range and only get short drifts.
There are many different sorts of indicators for this style of fishing, what do you prefer and why?
There are many different style of indicator that you can buy commercially. These range from bi-coloured indicator, coloured braid, running line or spiral indicator. All the styles have their place, in catering the different preferences of the consumer. My favourite would have to be the bi-coloured indicator as it simple, thin in diameter, subtle and it also sinks when I want to fish my flies deeper in the water column.
Do you fish the method differently when targeting trout instead of grayling?
A lot of people fish the method differently when targeting trout and grayling. Personally, I don’t really change much up. The only real difference I make when targeting grayling is that I add a third fly instead of the two nymphs I would usually fish when targeting the trout.
My reasons for a third fly (the top dropper) when grayling fishing is not to create another catching fly (although it will always take the odd fish) but to quickly tighten the indictor to put me in contact with my flies as quickly as possible when nymphing deep or slower paced water as the flies take longer to straighten.
Flurocarbon tippet or copolymer?
Tippet material is a bit of a sensitive subject, as a consumer we all go through copious amounts of the stuff and I often get asked what brand of tippet I prefer and if I use fluorocarbon or copolymer.
I use both but each has its positives and negatives.
Copolymer qualities are it's very supple so it allows the flies to get more movement in the water than fluorocarbon, it also has great abrasion resistance meaning the line will be more reliable and remain stronger than fluorocarbon when rubbing around all of the obstructions found in the riverbed. It also has a better low diameter to poundage strength than fluorocarbon.
Its negatives are that it has a sheen to it which has reflective qualities that may be seen by the fish
When it comes to fluorocarbon it is invisible in water, sinks well and it has good knot strength. Unlike copolymer, it can be a lot stiffer which doesn’t always allow my flies as much movement.
I tend to use fluorocarbon in very clear water, on line shy fish or on sunny days. I use copolymer on cloudy days, dirty water conditions, when fishing with shrimp patterns or Czech nymphs where movement is key and also when fishing extremely light tippet diameter matters.
My favourite copolymers are:
- Stroft ABR
- Rio Powerflex
- Rio Suppleflex
- Varivas Super tippet
My favourite Fluorocarbons are:
- Rio Fluoroflex plus
- Hanak Fluorocarbon
- Tiemco Fluorocarbon
- Airflo Sightfree G3 Platinum
The most important thing I’ve learnt when using any tippet whether fluoro or copoly is line diameter. This can speak volumes in dictating your success but most importantly it is about having confidence in the product you use and believing it works for you.
The real problem I have with fluorocarbon is it isn’t bio degradable so it is not healthy to the environment. So, if only given the option to fish with only one it would be copolymer every time.
How would you term the most efficient way to cast the flies?
Where conventional fly casting requires a certain amount of skill with the dynamics of the cast, with nymphing we rely on the weight of the flies to load the rod. The overhead cast would create a whole world of problems and would probably result in a broken rod tip when the flies collide with the rod tip.
To overcome this we merely lob the flies using the weight of them and by allowing them to track behind us and get trapped in the downstream current. Then, by getting stuck in the meniscus of the water it acts as an anchor point allowing us to load the rod and catapult the flies over the top of the rod tip and upstream of us. It is a term I call ‘Bug Slinging’!
What is the hardest element to learn with this method?
This is an easy one to answer in my opinion: line control.
Most people can catch fish, but having a good understanding and ability to achieve good line control is something that can take time and a good eye. This includes everything from your ability to read the water speed and matching your drift accordingly along with detecting bites and staying in contact with your flies.
Lewis Hendrie is a full time fishing guide and partner of Devon School of Fly Fishing