Nymphing, indicator or not

[Al Agnew]

We all know that nymphing usually has a better chance of catching trout than either dries or streamers, but it's not classic fly fishing.  Most still use an indicator (or a bobber, as Mary says--kinda like saying I'm using a "fetal emerger" instead of an egg pattern or glow ball), but casting a Thingamabobber 4 feet up your line from lead and two flies isn't pretty, and often leads to some truly monumental tangles, the kind where if you're smart you'll just cut everything off and rebuild it because it will take less time than untying a bunch of knots a boy scout couldn't dream up.  So these days, what I used to just call tight line nymphing now has a whole bunch of permutations, like Czech nymphing.  

When I started seriously fly fishing, I always used an indicator.  My buddies seem to really like yarn indicators, but I've gotten used to Thingamabobbers, and can read them far better than yarn...little jiggles and twitches that don't even show up with yarn are telling me that the lead is dragging the bottom and what kind of bottom it is.  Fishing a big river like the Yellowstone as often as I do, indicators are usually "indicated".  Why?  Because much of the time you're fishing a run that might be 20 yards wide and too deep to wade into, so a lot of your drifts are 30 -50 feet away from where you're standing.  No way I can tight line nymph in that situation, but indicator nymphing is reasonably easy.  

But lately I've been taking the indicator off whenever I am fishing a drift that is less than 15 feet away from where I'm standing.  No special leader and tippet setups like the pros say you need to do, just take off the indicator.  I've still usually got a 7.5 or 9 ft. leader at most, with tippet tied to it with a blood knot, split shot just above the knot, and two nymphs on the tippet--the first fly is tied about 8 inches below the knot and split shot with a palomar knot, leaving a tag end about 12 inches long, to which I tie the second fly.  I see no reason to take the time to tie on another piece of tippet onto the bend of the hook of the first fly as a dropper, like so many anglers do.

A while back on the gin clear waters and heavily pressured trout of DePuy Spring Creek, I stood in one spot, tight line nymphing this setup without an indicator in a little run below a riffle, and caught 11 nice trout.  It was funny...I often seem to have trouble sensing the fish taking the nymphs when not using the indicator, but on this morning I was in the zone, sensing the tiniest differences that told me a fish had taken it.  It gave me the confidence to get more serious about tight line nymphing.  If I can get really good at it, it's a whole lot better in some ways than indicator nymphing...you can adjust the depth of your drift on the fly, so to speak, and you don't have to wait for the indicator to tell you the fish has taken it, which is often too late.  And...it just feels more like fly fishing.

So...what about it?  Do you nymph without an indicator?

[slothman]

I do both, but usually have an indicator. I used to never tie onto the bend of the hook. I did what you do and leave a long tag on a Palomar. Recently, however, I have been tying onto the bend of the hook and it seems a bit more natural. 

[trythisonemv]

Never really use an indicator except a dry dropper rig once in a while.  I prefer direct contact and elevation of the lead. George Daniels pretty well nailed it with adding in the manageable slack concept. That little bow that acts almost as a strikeindicator.  I tend fish smaller streams and find it to be deadly to tight line. Also I vary on using dropper from bend to tying a tag with a triple surgeons knot and either seem effective.  Ive tried indicator and its just tangles and awkward casts. Spoiled on spinning gear I guess. 

[fishinwrench]

The only time I use a bobber is when I am drifting a midge in slow/slick water.

When I lay the line down for a nymphing drift I like to think of it as "setting a trap".  I want just enough tension in the system to begin immediately tightening up if anything stops the fly, and instead of concentrating on the end of my line I focus mostly on the section of line between my rod tip and the surface of the water.  When the angle of that section of line changes then you know that either your fly or the split shot has hit something.

A fly truly "dead drifting" is too easy for a fish to spit back out.  But when things begin to tension up as soon as a fish bites it then it is way harder for that fish to spit it out without getting stuck. Just like a trap.

The only time I want zero drag in the drift is when the fly is sinking.  As soon as it gets down where I want it then I want just enough drag to keep things tight. If opposing currents are making that impossible then I add more weight and/or shorten my casts.

One thing that I think makes nymphing harder to do effectively is using 9'+ leaders.  Just because leaders come in 9' lengths doesn't mean that is the length you should be using.  In most nymphing situations I do way better with a leader of about 7 ft. (Less butt/more tippet). 

[trythisonemv]

 

The only time I use a bobber is when I am drifting a midge in slow/slick water.

When I lay the line down for a nymphing drift I like to think of it as "setting a trap".  I want just enough tension in the system to begin immediately tightening up if anything stops the fly, and instead of concentrating on the end of my line I focus mostly on the section of line between my rod tip and the surface of the water.  When the angle of that section of line changes then you know that either your fly or the split shot has hit something.

A fly truly "dead drifting" is too easy for a fish to spit back out.  But when things begin to tension up as soon as a fish bites it then it is way harder for that fish to spit it out without getting stuck. Just like a trap.

The only time I want zero drag in the drift is when the fly is sinking.  As soon as it gets down where I want it then I want just enough drag to keep things tight. If opposing currents are making that impossible then I add more weight and/or shorten my casts.

One thing that I think makes nymphing harder to do effectively is using 9'+ leaders.  Just because leaders come in 9' lengths doesn't mean that is the length you should be using.  In most nymphing situations I do way better with a leader of about 7 ft. (Less butt/more tippet). 

Totally agree with less leader concept. Short line nymphing is very effective.  I will go a little longer if small stream with spooky fish though.