UW video of trout eating nymphs and why you don't feel 'em.

Here is a clip I shot of golden trout in the high country eating a Bird's nest. The split shot is painted orange so you can easily see the thing and the nymph is treated with desiccant so it glows. The take away here is the number of times you get bit and it doesn't translate into anything on the surface even when high sticking. In all these drifts Lisa only saw the leader twitch once and never once felt a tug. What was a small twitch on the surface was a trout swimming several feet sideways. You can see two quick sets following the grab but the fish is already gone.

Lessons:
Use a sharp hook and check it frequently.
-and-
Make false sets throughout the drift. Nothing radical, just have the nymph jump a couple of inches. I normally set 3 or 4 times per drift.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwRhU...r&noredirect=1

Guess I better start using indicators religiously...which ones do you all like the best?

Watching/feeling a leader WITHOUT an indicator will give you a much better sense of what's going on. Indicators add more resistance and weight between you and the fish. When an indi goes down, the fish has a lip lock on your fly. A sticky sharp hook beats an indi any day! That said, my favorite indicators for rivers are bobicators and on lakes Riley slip indies.

were you guys using an indicator or no?


nvm Ralph, you posted whilst I was typing

I totally agree on the sharp hook deal. I keep a hook hone in my front pouch and try to get folks to do the same with regular fly maintenance on the water. As far as indicators go, I personally like slack line techniques with bobbers for longer distance nymphing over tightline techniques and I like tightline/shortline stuff for working in close, even then I often use a bobber. The idea of indicators having resistance is definitely true, but what I think it does is that resistance partially sets the hook for the angler. My reflexes and dexterity aren't as deft as other anglers so any way I can idiot proof my fishing I usually go for. Balancing the indicator to the amount of weight used is also a huge deal for me and is something I think a lot of anglers overlook. I have about 5 different size indos along with different various indicator flies depending on the amount of weight I use. Its all about getting the right size that barely floats while still supporting the appropriate amount of weight.

as far as lakes go, I usually just use them with midges cause of the whole vertical ascension deal, but i used to use them with snails sometimes(and Id like to try them with diving damsel egglayers too)

Awesome vid. I suck at nymphing, but am planning at doing it more if I get a chance to fish

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan LeCount

The idea of indicators having resistance is definitely true, but what I think it does is that resistance partially sets the hook for the angler.

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I totally agree Dan, and when with clients I counted on it when you couldn't shout "SET" fast enough! I sometimes also add extra split shot for the same effect. I catch more fish tight lining without an indicator than any other method, but there are probably more situations than not where an indicator is indicated.

Wow!!! Ralph - Thank you. That was wonderfully educational.
Gregg

Great info, Ralph and Lisa. Thanks for sharing.
Larry S

Interesting how often they just "mouth" the fly.

This video explains a lot. I started the practice of the random small hook sets you mention after hooking fish when I just 'felt' I should set, with no visual sign of the leader doing anything unusual (fishing without an indicator). I foul hooked a rainbow over 20" with this method, but fair hooked many more than I would have just waiting for something to happen. Thanks for the research.

Any thoughts on using a dubbed nymph (hare's ear, bird's nest, etc) vs one that isn't?

I feel like the dubbed nymphs seem to catch on fish's teeth better and stay in their mouths longer than ones that aren't.

-JJ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jjjewett

Any thoughts on using a dubbed nymph (hare's ear, bird's nest, etc) vs one that isn't?

I feel like the dubbed nymphs seem to catch on fish's teeth better and stay in their mouths longer than ones that aren't.

-JJ

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I don't know about getting their teeth stuck, but trout definitely hold onto soft flies longer than hard ones like Copper Johns or epoxy flies. On the other hand, hard nymphs generally get into zone quicker.