Fly Fishing - Nymphing Setup: What's Your Favorite Setup?

joey · Location: Colorado

Nymphing (for me) tends to be the most productive method that I use when fly fishing. I love casting dries and stripping streamers but when I need to get things done I generally dig out the nymph box. I was curious to hear how most of you setup your nmph rig. I have fishined with many people and although alot of us use the same "rigging" some of us do not.

I tend to fish with a leader at least as long as my rod (generally 9 feet) I then will tie 12-14 inches of tippet material off my leader and attach my first fly. Off the bend of the first fly I then tie another 12" of tippet and attach my second fly.

At the top of my leader near the butt section I attach a thingamabobber with a clove hitch (I have really grown to like the thingamabobber). Now depending on the water depth and speed I can adjut the bobber acordingly along with the weight.

I like to place my weight/splitshot above the knot where I attached my first piece of tippet. This will keep it from sliding down to my first fly.

If I am fishing a run that is deep and fast my first fly will generally be an attractor pattern with a bead head (prince nymph, pheasant tail, copper john, etc..) the trailing fly I like to be smaller with no beadhead. This allows it to float a little higher up in the water column.

This set up works for me and I use it often. I would like to hear how the rest of you "nymphers" out there set up your line when fly fishing with nymphs.

waterwhippa · Location: Syracuse, NY

I think an important aspect of nymphing is building your own leader. Depending on what type of water you are fishing, using different diameters of leader material in short sections will slice through the water column faster, getting your fly where it needs to be quickly and efficiently. You can also tailor your leader to sink the fly slowly by using larger diameter leader off the butt section. There is really no exact formula for this approach other than trial and error but if you mess around and experiment enough you will get an exceptional feel for it and have better success.

eastendfly · Location: East Hampton, NY

Waterwhippa
Reading your post I do things pretty much the same the only things is try to put a small bb shot between your two flies when nymphing. Even though the weight is only 6 inches between flies its very affective!! Try it and let me know

SperryWater · Location: Allentown, PA

I've been experimenting with some of the Euro nymphing techniques that everyone is talking about and I must say they work.

I've had great success with a Spanish/French long leader setup consisting of (in the order shown):
6-ft 20lb Maxima,
3-ft 15lb Maxima,
18" sighter (2 pieces of contrasting colored dacon backing material)
6-ft 4 or 5x tippet material to point fly (heavily weighted nymph/bugger)
6" dropper with smaller weighted nymph or wet fly or soft hackle tied into tippet section with triple surgeons knot about 18" above point fly

The big difference in this setup is strike detection using the sighter. It is amazing how many subtle stikes you pickup.

troutaddict1 · Posted: Fri 07/03/09 12:53 am Post subject:

Joey,

I fish word for word the same nymph setup you do with the weight above the little knot. When fishing deep fast water, like big river type stuff, I like the tag end set up. The one where you tie 2 blood knots and then suspend your flies off the side of your leader. You then attach weight to the bottom and knot it. It takes longer to set up and uses more line but I only use it when flows are big. I have had more success on the classic set up so I hardly ever change. Recently though, I purchased one of those moffitt leaders. Although I was hesitant at first I tried it. They are outstanding. It's only meant for moderate flows and medium depth water but its great if it meets these conditions. You can cast it like a dry fly is attached but fish normal nymphs very effectively. It also lands much softer because the weight is in the actual leader making it very effective for sight fishing. Try it out if your interested and let me know. It's a great new way to fish.

flytyinfreak · Posted: Fri 07/10/09 11:48 pm Post subject:

Ok Let's see here. I fish a long non tapered leader of 3x/4x thats 9 ft long, it's joined loop to loop style to the fly line. at the end of that I tie on a large bright heavily weighted fly like a stone or a prince nymph. off of the eye I tie a 12 " trailer of a non weighted small Pt or hares ear nymph. What i use for a strike indicator is 2 pieces of (now discontinued) Rio kahuna twisties about 1 1/2 inches long these are twisted into little pea shaped indicators. I keep them 4-6 inches apart. they aren't boyant enough to float just enough to keep a weighted fly bouncing along the bottom in near density neutrality. I adjust the little indicators until they are in the top one foot of the water column and watch them as they drift through the slot. If they ride in circuit through the slot and move "strangely" then I use a down stream sweeping set. I have gotten pretty good with this method and have upped my catch rate quite thoroughly!

westbranchfisher · Location: Indian Island, Maine

My favorite setup is I take a leader about 3/4 the length of my rod, and attach about two feet of tippet to the leader. Where the leader and tippet meet, I tye a large black stonefly nymph on. BUT, when I tye the second fly on, it's not attached to the hook of the stonefly nymph. I attach the small copper john to the tippet that came through the eye of the hook on the stonefly nymph. So nothing is attached to the hook of the stonefly nymph. Alot of people don't do it this way, but I do, because it's very effective. Oh, yeah! Both the flies are beadhead Very Happy