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NYMPHING - part two

Our October 1999 contribution from Terry Lawton

PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN SEPTEMBER 1999

THE TAKE

How do you recognise a take? Sometimes it can seem almost impossible. With experience, a sixth sense tells you that you have a fish on the end of the line. A fish feeding just under the surface can sometimes make it easy by taking your nymph as it hits the water. Although you are endeavouring to cast to a fish that you can see or one that has betrayed its presence with a bulging rise form, it is not always possible to see the fish. When wading for example, your range of vision into the water is quite limited and so you do need to be able to detect a take beyond where you can see into the water.

Trout can take a nymph with great delicacy and expel one from its mouth with equal expediency. There is what you will come to recognise as an exquisite, heart-stopping moment when the downstream drift of your leader is checked and it 'draws' under. You raise your rod and tighten, unsure whether you have hooked a fish or your nymph has snagged weed. Almost before you have time to think, a 1 1/2 lb brown trout explodes into action and you know it was a fish and not weed. At least that time!

With practice and concentration, detecting takes will be become a sixth sense: you sense or "feel" that you have a fish on, even if you cannot always see it. Watch for the tell-tale splash as you cast to see where your nymph landed, as this will show you where it is in relation to your fish. Good eyesight, clear water and polaroids will all help you to follow your fly as it drifts downstream and thus increase your chances of taking fish.

Two keys to success are watching the fish and concentrating hard on the floating end of your leader: here the indicator helps as it gives you something to focus on. If your fish turns, rolls or opens it mouth - look out for the white flash of inside of a fish's mouth as it draws in your nymph - tighten straight away. If you cannot see the fish and the end of your leader seems to stop, is drawn under or moves in some way, again tighten straight away. If you have got it right, you should have a fish on the end of your line firmly hooked in the scissors or the roof of the mouth. Sometimes you will find that you have tightened into the bottom or a lump of weed flies past your ear. You may think that you have hooked the bottom and it turns out to be a fish. By the time you have realised it is a fish, it can be too late to tighten into it.

Another reason for casting to fish that you can see and watching that fish all the time is the frustration of seeing a swirl of a fish as you lift off to cast: this can be "your" fish which followed your nymph downstream and decided to make a grab for your nymph as it was about to disappear or another fish that you had not seen. With such fish it is easy to pull the fly out of its mouth if you tighten too quickly. Equally once you have committed yourself to lifting off and casting again, it can be impossible to stop even if you spot the following fish. This can, I believe, be the reason for seemingly missing fish. For example you cast upstream to a bulging fish, your fly passes the spot where you think the fish is lying and then your leader checks. When you tighten there is nothing there. What may have happened is that the fish turned and took your nymph facing downstream and as you tightened you simply plucked the fly out of its mouth.

That a fish will make an attempt at a nymph as it disappears out of sight can be used to our advantage by employing a tactic known as the Leisenring lift or induced take. This technique involves making your nymph rise in the water as it approaches the fish to make it think that it is about to lose a meal. To do this successfully you need to know where your fly is in relation to the fish and here the indicator on the end of the floating section of your leader helps. As the end of your leader passes the fish, raise your rod so that your nymph rises in the water and if your timing is right, your quarry will turn and grab the fast-disappearing nymph.

ACCURATE CASTING

Upstream nymphing demands a good and consistent standard of presentation (as do all forms of fly fishing). Sometimes a fish will move perhaps two feet to take a nymph but more often than not, you have to be within inches to get a reaction. Surface and unseen underwater currents can sweep your nymph past a fish and out of sight or range. Realising the existence of and overcoming such obstacles is all part of the challenge of upstream nymphing. Drag, the curse of the dry fly man, can happen as easily - but unseen - underwater as on the surface.

Accurate casting includes casting far enough upstream to allow the nymph to sink to the right depth so that it is in the fish's feeding lane as well as being in line with the fish. If you are sure that your nymph has not been subject to unseen drag, try a cast to the side of the fish, a closer cast or changing the depth of your fly. There are some fish that what ever you do and however accurately you cast that cannot be induced into taking your nymph. Move on to another one.

Accurate casting is called for in summer if the water level is low and the sun is high in the sky, your line will throw a shadow that can clear all fish from a stretch of water. A stealthy approach, delicacy, accuracy and a long, fine leader can all help. Only cast as close to a fish as you think you need and do keep the end of the line behind the fish. Short, accurate casts are to be recommended but not at the expense of getting too close to the fish and frightening it.

Particularly when wading it can be very effective to raise the rod when you have retrieved all but enough line to be able to cast again and fish out the cast by raising the rod and then using a roll pick-up followed by a false cast to extend your line further and then completing your cast. The roll pick-up helps load the rod when you have but a short length of line beyond the top ring.

Because many nymphs and shrimps live on or near the bottom of rivers and streams, your artificial needs to fish near the bottom too. You must check your hook regularly for weed. Although it is annoying to keep catching weed it does tell you that your fly is getting down to the bottom. If you can see your nymph and it looks to be getting too near the bottom, a little lift with your rod tip (like an induced take) will make the fly rise up in the water.

Fish that are bulging and taking nymphs just before or on the point of eclosion demand a nymph that fishes much closer to the surface. To achieve this you can use an artificial that has less weight or grease the tippet nearly up to the fly. This is one time when the use of an unleaded nymph may be called for. To make sure that an unweighted nymph does penetrate the water surface spit on it well and ensure that the last few inches of your tippet are quite grease free.

Identifying what fish are feeding on is more difficult unless flies are hatching, but you won't go far wrong if you start off with a small Gold Ribbed Hare's nymph or a Sawyer Pheasant Tail nymph. The Pheasant Tail can be very effective when there are flies hatching. If after a number of good presentations the only reaction you are getting is a fish turning to inspect your fly before leaving it well alone, it is time to change your fly either for another pattern or one of a different size. The frequent inspection is telling you that your artificial is not a good match for fly the fish is feeding on or expecting to see.

PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN SEPTEMBER 1999