Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
RETURN to Putah Creek Trout -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing Forum -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing -> What's the deal with Prince Nymph's? The Rodney Dangerfield of Fly Fishing?
Post Info TOPIC: What's the deal with Prince Nymph's? The Rodney Dangerfield of Fly Fishing?
Lahontan


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 195
Date:
What's the deal with Prince Nymph's? The Rodney Dangerfield of Fly Fishing?
Permalink  
 

Ok ... let me come clean!

I had a religious experience about 9 years ago, on Prosser Creek in Tahoe.

I was a hack fisherman.  My family was spending the week with the family of one of my wife's coworker's.  The husband, an avid outdoorsman, invited me to go fly fishing with him. I said heck ya!  He loaned me a 9ft, 5wt sage, his second string ... I had never used gear of that quality.

Took me to this cool little creek. Killer weather, I mean off the hook!  I was stressed out, overworked and needed the break ... I had no idea what I was doing.  He gave me the run down on nymphing with an indicator.  Fished almost 4 hours with out a take ... at least one that I could detect.  I was so grateful to not be at work that I started to bliss out on the weather.

No skill, no instinct. I was standing on top of a huge rock, laying my nymph into a riffle  and trying swing it into the back water behind the big rock.  I spaced out...I don't know how long...but when I came to, my line, indicator and all had gotten sucked into the swirling "toilet bowl" behind this rock.  I thought, "what the heck", shouldn't be day dreaming. I started trying to pull my fly up out of about 15' of water and the dxxx thing started pulling back.

Fast forward, it turned out to be the most incredible 16" native bow I've EVER seen!  Had to be over 3" thick.  I'll never forget it!  I was hooked!

Here's the thing ... I caught it on a Prince Nymph ... don't remember the size.  Ever since I've had this thing ... like the Prince Nymph was the Rodney Dangerfield of fly fishing. You know; No Respect.

I don't know where I got this, but I hear it once in a while here, in this forum.  I find myself trying hard not to use em on Putah ... but everytime I use them ... I get play.

So what give's?  Is the Prince Nymph the "Rodney Dangerfield" of fly fishing?

__________________
"You tell yourself that it will be both educational and spiritually uplifting, as all imaginative excuses for goofing off are." John Gierach, "Music of the Spheres".
Daara


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 165
Date:
Permalink  
 

i say yes and no . i mean i've caught wyoming cutthroughts and goldens in the E. fork of the wind river in wyoming and caught fish in the sierras. so, its a kinda all around fly, like buggers. but you can have better luck in some places using flys that are spacific to that river/lake/other bodyof water.

__________________
I Where freedom dwells is my country.
Ben Franklin 
Brundoggy


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 32
Date:
Permalink  
 

I haven't had a chance to be out on the creek too much this year, but last year at this time 14 -16 BH prince nymphs were working for me.
Mike

__________________
shon42073


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1808
Date:
Permalink  
 

The fact is the prince nymph catches fish. I use em alot, especially if i'm at a new spot or am not sure what to use. Hey, It has my respect. Theres also many different versions of it. Actually the last nice wild fish i caught on putah was a few weeks ago on a prince nymph, A fat 16 incher.

__________________
SAB


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 6
Date:
Permalink  
 

I am far from an expert, in fact a rank beginner but I really have to say that I have caught more trout on a Prince Nymph than any other fly.

__________________
JT


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1205
Date:
Permalink  
 

Honestly, I have never fished a Prince Nymph.

__________________

"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
throwinmetal


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 91
Date:
Permalink  
 

i caught my first fly fish with a prince nymph on the lake. it was a small hardhead.

__________________
ChucktheDuck


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 187
Date:
Permalink  
 

Everyone should carry a few sizes of Prince nymphs in their box. It is one of those flies that just plain works when others fail. I remember being on the Yuba last spring and catching some fish on a Prince in the morning. That afternoon I talked to a couple guys that had just beached their drift boat and they had been skunked, said it was a tough day for everyone. When I told them I was getting fish on a Prince they were shocked. One guy said "man we were just joking about Prince nymphs wondering if anyone ever uses those anymore". Obviously fish still eat them! The Prince is a great searching pattern if you don't know what bug to use or you are new to the water. I have caught fish all over on prince nymphs and even used them for bluegills with success. Don't know what they are supposed to look like, don't care. It takes some of the technicality out of fly fishing which at times is just what I need. By the way Prosser is a great little fishery and there are some nice fish in that skinny water.
chuck

__________________
"when you put your hand into a flowing stream you touch the last that has come before and the first of what is still to come" -DaVinci
Frenchie


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 35
Date:
Permalink  
 

The Rodney Dangerfield of fish seem to like them so I think there is something to your theory.


Attachments
__________________
Jeff French
ChucktheDuck


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 187
Date:
Permalink  
 

Is that a carp?

__________________
"when you put your hand into a flowing stream you touch the last that has come before and the first of what is still to come" -DaVinci
cole


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:
Permalink  
 

Who's coy pond did you catch that out of Frenchie?hahaha.  Anything with pea**** catches fish.  In Mike Mercer's book he explains that pea**** is hands down the best material ever used in tying.  The Zug bug and prince are two favorites.  I wish the stuff stayed the same color once it hit the water.  As soon as it see's the sun it bleaches to a weird copper color which is its effectiveness.  I like hotwire princes also which is a double wire body.  Red/Yellow and Green/gold are hot little flies.

__________________
Frenchie


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 35
Date:
Permalink  
 

Yup. It's a carp. The Rodney Dangerfield fish. They don't get much respect, but they are just fine by me.

Someone mentioned a place that had some near Putah a few months ago on this message board.

It would be fun to hit Putah for some trout and then go for some golden bones to round out the day.   


__________________
Jeff French
opdinnerout


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 15
Date:
Permalink  
 

Now don't get me wrong, I respect them as a fish and as a fly fishing addict its always fun catching stuff but the first carp I caught was missing a bunch of big scales and I kinda got that puke taste in my mouth...lol have not pursued a carp since.biggrin

Nick

__________________
shon42073


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1808
Date:
Permalink  
 

Theres quit a few carp in putah, more so below solano lake damn. But they dont fight much for there size. Its like pulling in a log.

__________________
bono


Master Fly Fishing Guide

Status: Offline
Posts: 531
Date:
Permalink  
 

My post a few days ago about the prince nymph and me never ever ever using them was obviously just a joke!If I was allowed only 5 flies to fish for trout or even steelhead one of them would be a prince.
I will use the prince in just about any kind of water including lakes,in fact I think I've caught more fish in lakes on a prince than any other fly.I've just not done well in Putah with  the fly as a result havent used the prince in Putah in years,but apparently Putahs fish seem to like em. Bono

__________________
Greg Bonovich
greg@putahcreekflyfishing.com
http://www.putahcreekflyfishing.com
Phone: 800-480-5285
Cell: 707-480-3809
dtp916


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 349
Date:
Permalink  
 

Prince Nymphs?

I like Amber Wing Princes much better.

I like Dark Lords even more.

Prince is the #1 selling fly in the country. I don't fish them much. I do have a few though. Rather throw the newer trendy fly laughing.gif

Bird's Nest is by far one of my favorites though. It is my favorite! I like them in all colors and sizes. Tan with krystal flash rib is sweet peace.gif

__________________

"The bottom or you got him?!"
LilWhippersnapper


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 909
Date:
Permalink  
 

I killed em yesterday at Putah with a Prince Nymph.

Captain and Brian sure know how to catch a carp...huh guys.

__________________
Mama said bait fishing is the devil!
shon42073


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1808
Date:
Permalink  
 

You just had to bring up the carp huh. Sucks when your fishin hard, catching nothin then you finally get a fish on and its damn carp, Cant beleive theres people that wanna catch those things. But it fought hard ! We all killed em on putah saturday. #20 griffith gnat with a 20 zebra midge dropper is what i mostly used. Wooly buggers were killin the planters.

-- Edited by thecaptain at 07:05, 2007-10-22

__________________
brian clemens


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1909
Date:
Permalink  
 

hum woolly buggers who would have thunk it. hahaha. hopefully those bait chunkers didnt catch them all, cuz ill be bringing my boss and bosses son to hit them up.

__________________

Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
ChucktheDuck


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 187
Date:
Permalink  
 

Where Putah creek runs behind the Davis Airport off Hutchinson there are some nice shallow riffles where carp come up to nymph in the evening. I have been out there bass fishing and switched to carp just because some of them were so darn big!!! I have not caught one of the truly huge ones yet (and there are a few) but I did land one that went about 6lbs on my 7 foot 3wt in August. That was easily one of the best fights I had this year. I hooked the carp about 6 feet in front of me as he nursed the bottom and he immediately streaked off into the deeper water downstream ripping about 20 yards of line off the reel. He then proceeded to try to snag my line on every weed patch, stick and rock in the area but I held my ground and kept his head up. Luckily carp don't usually jump in a fight so you can kinda pin them on the surface. The fish made about three more nice runs while each time I fought frantically to gain line. Twice the fish took me beyond the knot between my line and backing. Finally I hauled it onto a shallow gravel bar near me and tried to tail it but the darn thing kept zipping back and forth across the bar. After a bit of a struggle I grabbed it and held it up in front of me. It was a hefty fish and a competitor by all means. A carp is not a trout or a steelhead, but it will always be game in my book.
chuck

__________________
"when you put your hand into a flowing stream you touch the last that has come before and the first of what is still to come" -DaVinci
shon42073


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1808
Date:
Permalink  
 

Chuck is there still good bass fishing in the lower stretches of putah ? I used to float some spots around winters about 15 years ago and caught my largest ever smallie, and largemouth, Smallie was about 4 lbs. took it on a rainbow crocodile, the largmouth had to be pushin 10 lbs. took it on a 7 inch pumpkin seed power worm. I floated it for a few hours back in april and didnt have any action. The carp are massive, I used to see em at stevensons bridge, also caught alot of bass in that area. I think the lower stretch of putah is really very neglected, Sad.

__________________
ChucktheDuck


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 187
Date:
Permalink  
 

There are definitely still some good bass in lower Putah. I only saw a couple smallies this year that were pinner but there are a bunch of largemouths. I know of one spot over by the carp area I was talking about where the creek is all choked up with bushes and in the spring and summer the bass come up and sit right against the shore in the bushes. One day in June I caught like 15 bass out there pitching a jig and the largest 5 were like 4lbs, 3lbs, 3lbs, 2.5lbs, and 2lbs. I also pulled a 7 pounder out of there earlier this season on a senko (yeah I know I wasn't fly fishing but what the hell). If you know where to look there are a few pigs swimming in there.
chuck

__________________
"when you put your hand into a flowing stream you touch the last that has come before and the first of what is still to come" -DaVinci
dtp916


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 349
Date:
Permalink  
 

A guy came in to my shop and bought a bunch of "small dark nymphs".

I said where you fishing? He said Putah Creek. Have you ever fished there before?

laughing.gif Yeah just a few times!

He bought a bunch of #18 Prince Nymphs and I talked him into some Dark Lords and my personal favorite, Sloan's Mighty May baetis.

__________________

"The bottom or you got him?!"
JT


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1205
Date:
Permalink  
 

Do you get paid on commission?  I can picture it, "Try some of these...The fish have been slamming these...You can't go to Putah without these."  It must be great to get paid to talk about fishing.  You're a lucky guy.

__________________

"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
dtp916


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 349
Date:
Permalink  
 

I wish I got a commission laughing.gif

But that's pretty much exactly what I said biggrinbiggrinbiggrin

__________________

"The bottom or you got him?!"
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
RETURN to Putah Creek Trout -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing Forum -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing -> What's the deal with Prince Nymph's? The Rodney Dangerfield of Fly Fishing?


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard