Upstream Nymph

minktrapper

I was hoping to do a share of upstream nymphing or maybe freshwater shrimp fishing this spring on a river.Can someone tell me the correct leader and fishing methods to be used.Sometimes trout stomachs are packed with shrimp this time of year.I only have a floating flyline.

floattuber_lee

i fish up stream nymph a fair bit. i use three heavy nymphs (the weight and size depends on water height and speed of flow) i normally fish fairly fast flowing water i normally go with a hydropsyche on the middle dropper with a rhyacophilia on the top dropper and a weighted ptn on the point. normally id only 'cast' about 4ft of line out. the leader length i use is about 6-8ft to the first fly the about 25-30 between the flies.

For a more traditional upstream method id use probably a longer leader but it depends on what the river is like, a load of trees makes long leaders a nightmare!

check out oliver edwards stuff on youtube very informative.

madred006

minktrapper wrote: »

I was hoping to do a share of upstream nymphing or maybe freshwater shrimp fishing this spring on a river.Can someone tell me the correct leader and fishing methods to be used.Sometimes trout stomachs are packed with shrimp this time of year.I only have a floating flyline.

This is a question with many answers , lots of guys have their own preferences ,I use spiders up stream all year round and down and across aswell .but on a cast of three I might fish a weighted nymph on point .Then some guys have different rig set ups for various forms of nymphing and each as productive as the other .

floattuber_lee

it really is hugely variable, yesterday i had a weighted nymph on point with a partridge and orange and snipe and purple on the 2 droppers. ive read so many nymphing books and articles, and from what i can gather it is what works best for you and the river you are fishing!

minktrapper

What is a hydropsyche nymph and the rhyacophilia is a what? Ye are also using a weighted ptn?
What kind of leader line do I use.I normally use monofilament with a blood knot for a dropper and fish down and across.Would trout not detect your movements with such short casts?How about the humble freshwater shrimp.I picked up a few of them at Birr.Never heard of anyone using them never mind catching trout on them.
What size of hook would I use in coloured water.

The ptn is a pheasant tail nymph.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Shrimp are banned on all trout and salmon rivers around here.

minktrapper

The freshwater shrimp.A small little fella about 12mm long.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

minktrapper wrote: »

The freshwater shrimp.A small little fella about 12mm long.

Yep! We can't fish with them as the clubs consider it too easy!

minktrapper

Never knew they were ever banned on any river.

floattuber_lee

minktrapper wrote: »

What is a hydropsyche nymph and the rhyacophilia is a what? Ye are also using a weighted ptn?
What kind of leader line do I use.I normally use monofilament with a blood knot for a dropper and fish down and across.Would trout not detect your movements with such short casts?How about the humble freshwater shrimp.I picked up a few of them at Birr.Never heard of anyone using them never mind catching trout on them.
What size of hook would I use in coloured water.

The ptn is a pheasant tail nymph.

I use frog hair mono or flurocarbon i use the double uni knot to attach droppers

https://www.flyfishingpoint.net/en/flies/all/fmt272212-oliver-edwards-hydropsche-larva-size-12-oliver-edwards-hydropsche-larva

https://www.flyfishingpoint.net/en/flies/nymphs/caddis-larva/fmt272112-oliver-edwards-ryacophila-larva-size-12-oliver-edwards-ryacophila-larva

You can get very close to fish when you are upstream nymphing. i stopped down across fishing years ago when you upstream you eliminate a fair bit of drag and the flies appear more naturally. its quite an exciting way of fishing waiting for the braided loop to dart forward or stop.

minktrapper

Does one need a braided loop or would a simple knot do with a loop on the leader.

floattuber_lee

yeah if you have it setup with a needle knot thats fine a brightly coloured braided loop just makes it easier to see.

minktrapper

I have a braided loop and got a short length of rubber tubing to join it to main line.Should this be superglued in place.

floattuber_lee

yeah just a drop. they can slip otherwise

minktrapper

What knot do I use for joining leader to braided loop.What is the prime purpose of a braided loop.

dazza161989

minktrapper wrote: »

What knot do I use for joining leader to braided loop.What is the prime purpose of a braided loop.

Loop to loop knot

Flysfisher

Learn a knot called the figure 8 knot, an excellent knot for droppers and forming loops.

minktrapper

Whart method do I use for fishing eg. upstream cast and dead drift the nymphs.

floattuber_lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw7LdBbOE0

minktrapper

Excellent videos floattuber.Thanks for your help.I think I am fairly well on my way now.Thanks to everyone else too for ye'er help.

floattuber_lee

if you can find the full oliver edwards show they are worth a watch he shows everything from fly selection, how to set up leader and where to fish

minktrapper

Where can I get them

floattuber_lee

i have the dvds but they arent worth buying unless you enjoy fly tying and are ver good at it! might be available from the link that is on the vidoe i posted

minktrapper

I am tying flies for the last 20 years or so.

rpmcmurphy

Another upstream method i employ is the duo method or New Zealand style as it is often referred to. Using a floating line, dry fly with a dropper tied to its hookshank supporting a small goldhead nymph. The buoyancy of the dry fly must be sufficient to fish the nymph sub surface while remaining itself on top of the water. If a trout takes the surface dry you will obviously see the take and if it takes the nymph you will see the dry go under almost like an indicator. You can adjust the dropper length to suit water levels etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zab5WVc2UvI

I have used klinks with tiny nymphs and larger nymphs with larger dries.
Below is a few wee browns I had last Saturday. 1st and 3rd take the goldhead while the second comes to the dry which is a badly tied foam head caddis.

https://vimeo.com/89246415

When the hatches on my local stream intensify i will usually dispense with the nymph and go to single dry fly.