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Post Info TOPIC: What's your "standard" nymph rig?
Ty


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What's your "standard" nymph rig?
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Hey guys, the boards been slow lately and I always like to talk fly fishing so I wanted to start a discussion about your "go to" nymph rig.  I'm not talking about patterns, but set up.  I'm a self taught fly guy, reading books and magazine articles and since I started 5 or 6 yrs ago have always used the standard 2 fly rig.  Bobber, split shot, larger fly, smaller fly.  I goofed around with a 3 fly rig once or twice but it seemed un-necessary.  My last time time fishing Putah for the season (mid Nov) I had one of those frustrating outings that Putah can hand out every now and again.  With a 1yr old at home and busy work schedule, my fishing time is VERY limited now and I get very anxious when out on the water.  I feel like I need to be very efficient with my time, so after seeing all the usual spots occupied on the creek, I went to a tougher spot and started losing flies, once, lost the indicator and everything (didn't think that was possible).  With my fishing time almost at an end I rushed to re-tie my rig and stopped at just one fly.  My go to, super secret Putah killer.  Dropped it in a small pocket and hooked up several times immediately.  Any way, long read just to say I don't think you need an "attractor" nymph all the time.  If you know what the trout are eating, just stick with that single nymph.  Any thoughts?

 

-Taylor



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So you were high sticking? I do this when I'm close enough to a run I wanna fish before I ever use a indicator. I always use two flies.

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I'm curious what you all think of this setup I've been using...

18" 2x mono sighter (Umpqua)
3ft 3x fluoro tippet
3ft 4x fluoro tippet (with dropper loop tied at bottom)

I've been using fluoro tippet b/c it should be able to sink faster than tapered leader and is less visible (and is cheaper). I add my shot just above the dropper loop. Also, I sometimes add dropper loops at 20" intervals to attach more flies, but not usually at Putah. If I need to cast further out, I attach a thingamabobber just below my sighter.

I've started pre-tying my 2-fly rigs, and storing them in a leader wallet. I connect these rigs to my leader with a loop-loop connection, which makes replacing my rig quite fast if needed. The setup is as follows:

10" 5x tippet to first fly, with perfection loop at other end of fly
18" 6x tippet to second fly, connected to hook of first fly

I've liked this setup, but haven't been killing it on Putah lately (maybe 2 fish and another bite or two in a 4hr outing). Part of that could be my fly selection, but I think more is likely due to my presentation when high-sticking. For the high-stickers out there, do you usually try to keep enough tension so that you feel the takes, or do you usually look to see your sighter twitch? I'm wondering if I'm leading my flies too quickly in order to keep tension, which pulls them off the bottom.





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What I usually do is keep the tip of the rod in front of my line where it meets the water. Your not dragging the fly, just keeping ahead of it so I can feel the take or if I'm hitting bottom. My set up is 3' of braided line tied into my fly line, a small ball bearing swivel, 4-5' of 3x or 4x, and 5x on the dropper fly. This prevents line twist and the braid doesn't kink when you're constantly adjusting indicators for depth. People maybe against the swivel cause it's not "flyfishing" but neither is UV spray. This sane setup is used by a guide on the Truckee. You could even run three flies with this setup. I've tied 1'-2' off the swivel with an emerger pattern for risers plus the 2 flies.

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My indo rig...

4' of braiden mono off my fly line to my bobber. I use a loop knot to the indo.
4X leader body with a clinch not to the indo. This changes based on depth and I add or subtract mulitiple times a day.
Blood knot to 5x 14". I leave one tag end long and uncliped and put my split shot or puddy on the tag end.
First Fly off the 5x
Second Fly 5x tied to the eye of the first fly.

There is a certain way to set this rig up so it works right. It is a killer set up because when done right you can show the fish your flies first vs the leader and the split shot.

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Ty


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Rossflyguy wrote:

So you were high sticking? I do this when I'm close enough to a run I wanna fish before I ever use a indicator. I always use two flies.


Ross, yes high sticking.  I frickin love high sticking, I'll do it any chance I get.



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Ty


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Clubby, when I high stick, I always use a lot of weight, that keeps the line tight.  I adjust depth by how high I hold the rod and/or how much leader I have out, during the drift I keep my flies directly below my rod tip.  That way I can tell if it slows or twitches.  And many times you can feel the tap-tap-tap type takes.  Then just lift the rod tip and you're hooked up.

 



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Ty


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Berryessie, sounds like you've put a personal touch on your rig.  Do you try and keep that 4' of braided between the fly line and indo off the water with a high tip, or just throw mends?



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I use a variation of George Daniel's leader formula: 9’ 0X Tapered Leader > 20” section of 2X Bi Color Sighter Material (Umpqua) >Tippet Ring > 3‐6’ of Fl. Tippet (4‐6X). This allows me to fish close with only the leader out the tip and farther away with an indicator attached to the sighter section. On the Putah, I've been using 4' 5x to the first fly and ~18" 6x to the second. I've been using a heavy tung bead/ lead wrapped fly followed by a smaller tung bead fly tied off the bend of the first.

What George teaches is that you should shorten the dropper fly tippet or potentially use a single fly in pocket water with conflicting currents. If you use longer tippet droppers, they have a tendency to pull on each other and won't sink/ drift right.

I have tried many variations including using small (Putah-sized) flies tied off droppers with the split shot at the terminal tip i.e. drop-shot style. Kelly Galloup style: www.youtube.com/watch

I definitely believe that there isn't ONE perfect nymph rig.... Different waters, different distances, different flies all impact what might work best. George Daniel's book, Dynamic Nymphing, is a great book that covers that perspective.

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Ty, I use that to high stick at first but also for mending.  Having that bigger separation between fly line to indo is valuable because it allows you to mend and place your fly line in better current with out moving the indo.  Also it helps with over setting small flies on hook sets. 



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How about the knots you guys use on the nymph? I've been using the canoeman loop on pretty much everything lately. I'd like to find the sweet spot between knot strength and quick tying so as to not waste time on the river. Thoughts?

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Ty


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drdan, I tried rigging with shot below my flies but someone mentioned it is against regs to put weight below a hook. Not sure if it only applied to salt water angling but I stopped using that method.


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I don't think so. The drop shot method for bass is used all over the state.

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Ty wrote:

drdan, I tried rigging with shot below my flies but someone mentioned it is against regs to put weight below a hook. Not sure if it only applied to salt water angling but I stopped using that method.


 

I looked this up and found this on the DFW site: "Section 2.10(b)(2) regulations allows the use of a drop shot weight if the leader is 18 inches or longer."  I looked directly at the 2014-2015 regs and it clarified: "2. It is unlawful to use any hook which is directly or indirectly attached closer than 18 inches to any weight exceeding 1/2 ounce"  I assume the intent is to decrease the possibility of snagging.  I assume that they mean the distance between the hook and the terminal weight needs to be at least 18", but it is unclear.  Just need to make sure you get the distance/ weight correct I guess.  Thanks for pointing this out Ty!

 

 



-- Edited by drdan on Saturday 13th of December 2014 03:32:19 PM

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Keep reading that regulation all the way through. 2.10 b4 states that is unlawful to use a weight directly below a hook.

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If your fly is tied off on the tag end of a knot then it is in effect NOT directly below the hook? In theory you could have a 3 foot long tag to a 1 foot piece of line. Certainly NOT directly below the hook. Tie your fly off on a 1 inch (good luck tying that) tag then perhaps it IS directly below the hook?

I just know that I have a much better feel for takes when I drop shot while high sticking pocket water. I'm not sure why but I never tried this method on the Yuba while banging bottom, but it didn't seem to matter.

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Rossflyguy and Ty - thanks a lot for sharing how you lead your flies. I've probably been pulling them a little too quickly.

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My leader formula for nymphing Putah is as follows: 12" .025 in., 4" .020, 1/2" .017, 1/2" .015, 1/2" .013, 1/2" .012, 1/2" .010, 2" .009, 4" .009 (2X), 4" .008 (3X), 5" .007 (4X), then 5X flouro tippet. My indicator is attached to the top of the tippet. The length of the tippet depends upon the depth of the water. The first fly is attached to the tippet with an improved clinch knot (4 ½ turns); the second fly is attached to the bend of the first fly with 5X fluoro and is usually around 10" long. A split shot is attached about 9" above the first fly.

 

As you can tell the leader is basically a short butt section, a bunch of short segments of decreasing size, and a tippet section. I have increased the lengths of the last several sections so that I can replace these segments as needed and use the same leader over and over again. All of the front segments down to .009 are Maxima Ultragreen. The 2X, 3X and 4X segments are soft mono (or fluorocarbon); the 5X segment is fluorocarbon. I know this leader seems a bit cumbersome to tie up, but I’ve been using it for 30+ years and I’ve been happy with the way it performs. It will turn over properly with two weighted flies even if the tippet is 9 feet long.

 



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Ty


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I almost always use a tapered knotless leader, just to make things easy. I really hate tying knots with small tippet on the river. One thing I have changed recently is using tippet rings. They seem to save my leaders and are a bit quicker for me to change tippet material.

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Late to the game here but if you are strictly nymphing there is no reason to use a tapered leader or a make your own leader with stepped line sizes.  A long time ago I learned using tapered leaders for nymphing is a big waste of money. I have about a 1 foot butt section off the end of my flyline with a very small loop. I tie on my tippet, usually 5X directly to the butt section, length depending on the river I'm fishing. split about 4 inches above the first fly, 18-24 inch dropper to the second fly.  Haven't used an indicator in years, not necessary in the kind of water/the way I like to fish. I will use one on a big river like the Lower Yuba.



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