Fishing a nimph

thehamo

whats the best way to fish a nimph, pheasant tail or otherwise. Was down on the river today and tried every which way possible but got nothing. Tried up stream, down stream, like a wet fly, slow retrieve fast retrieve, slow water fast water etc etc. Not even a thunk. Apparantly the fish have been gobbling up the nimphs on the river the past few days (dodder).

Any pointers??

squadro

Did you use a strike indicator?

thehamo

no. tried fishing "newzeland style" with a dry on the top and the nimph as a dropper hanging off the hook but nout.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

There are pros and cons to using indicators. I never buses them as I learned my technique over 50 years ago when there was no such thing.

This article covers all I would suggest, and more.

http://www.orvis.com/s/basic-nymph-fishing-techniques/566

This time of year you may need a little weight to get the nymph down. Having the right nymph also helps.
Line control is vital.Don't cast directly upstream, but quartering upstream, and allow the fly to drift downstream past you. All the while, making mends upstream in your line to achieve the longest, drag-free ride. Once the fly has passed, retrieve the fly in a series of short swimming strips toward you. And don't stay in the one spot too long, take a few steps along the bank and try again.

thehamo

super advice thanks a million. Would you use them on slow moving water much? I was using bead head nymphs today, trying to get down as it was a tad bright out

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I would only nymph slow sections if there is sufficient aquatic plant cover.

BrownTrout

Look up Czech nymphing and French nymphing on YouTube. Easiest and most effective methods