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The dead drift method of fly fishing with nymphs is the most effective method an angler can use. Remember, nymphs are generally at the mercy of the rivers current, and get carried wherever the current happens to take them. An angler who can simulate this “helplessness” of the nymph will be able to consistently take trout. There are basically three different ways to accomplish a dead drift of a nymph. Each of these is covered below. Dead Drift Method : Quartering for Wade AnglersThis is the easier of the two different dead drift nymph fly fishing methods for an wade angler to use. Basically, this method is not much different than dry fly fishing. Simply cast your nymph across AND upstream. Retrieve any excess line, throwing upstream mends as needed to allow the nymph to dead drift for as long as possible (you do not want to “drag” the nymph across the current). The mends also allow the nymph to sink to the proper depth as well. Dead Drift Method : Direct Upstream for Wade AnglersThis is the most effective, and most difficult, of all nymph fly fishing techniques. It is also similar to dry fly fishing when you cast your fly directly upstream of where you happen to be. This method is simply done but very difficult in practice – beginners can expect to lose many a fish. To do this method, simply cast your nymph directly upstream (and in the same current seam, if possible) from where you are standing in the water. As the nymph makes it’s way back down towards you, retrieve in all excess fly line – striking the balance between allowing the nymph to have a perfectly “drag free” float while at the same time not having to much line out (which will prevent proper hook set). Strikes on a nymph fished in this manner can occur anytime since the nymph is floating drag free. Always follow the strike indicator using this method, setting the hook immediately whenever you see the strike indicator stop momentarily in the water or suddenly change direction. With practice, you’ll get a feel for what differentiates a “rock strike” from a “trout strike”. Also, don’t be in to big a hurry to pick up the nymph. You can let it float right down almost to your feet (within 5-10 feet), assuming you didn’t make too much of a commotion during your wading (thus scaring away all the fish near you). Remember, trout will be facing against the current waiting for their food to arrive – and you’ll be downstream from them. Thus, they won’t see you unless you make lots of noise to let them know that you are there. The other reason you want the nymph to continue floating towards you is because you want to nymph to come up from the bottom of the river a bit – which simulates an emerging insect. As the nymph gets closer to you, simply raise the rod tip a bit. This will bring the nymph off the bottom of the river and put it in a gradual, but still downstream, incline towards the surface. Once you pick up the fly, you will then want to wade just a bit to your right or left, then make another cast, allowing the nymph to dead drift through another spot in the river that is just a bit away from where your nymph previously floated through. By doing things this way, you can cover a lot of water in a hurry – in a very effective manner. Dead Drift Method : For Boat AnglersIf you have a fishing boat, the dead drift method allows you to cover a huge patch of water in a hurry – and very effectively, to boot. The nice thing about a boat, of course, is that you are floating in the water – generally at the same speed of the current provided the wind isn’t blowing you around too much. For this reason, it is possible for anglers to use a dead drift method to cover huge segments of water with just one cast. To do this, you have several options, depending on the types of water you are fishing. One way is to cast your nymph directly DOWNSTREAM of your fishing boat, paying attention to the current seams (you want your nymph to land in the same current seam that you’re boat is in, so that the drift speed of the nymph will more or less match your boats drift speed). As the nymph speed and float speed of your boat should fairly closely match, little line mending or retrieval will be needed. Instead, just let the nymph helplessly float down the river, paying ever so close attention to the strike indicator. This method also works just as well by casting your fly downstream and a BIT across from where your boat is. You don’t want to cast TOO far across the river, as your fly may end up in a different current than what your boat is in (leading to frequent drag by the nymph). However, if the current speed is the same, you can let the nymph helplessly float along the various current seams in the river for great distances (current seams are excellent habitat for large, finicky trout). Finally, and somewhat less effectively, you can cast your nymph directly upstream from your fishing boat. The reason this is less effective is because your boat just went over the fish – thus potentially spooking the fish. The trout will also see your fly line (one reason the downstream method is so lethal is because the trout sees the fly FIRST, not the fly line and leader first). However, this method does have one advantage – like the wade angler using the direct upstream method, you can simulate a rising nymph by very gradually pulling in line and raising the rod tip, which will bring the nymph off the bottom of the river and closer to the surface. Fly Fishing with Nymphs : SummaryOverall, learning
the subtleties of nymph fly fishing requires persistence and
practice. There is really no other way to learn
it except by doing it – just like anything else in fly fishing,
really. However, the angler who puts in the time to learn even
the basics of nymph fly fishing will be rewarded with better quality
fishing – leading to more fish caught and fewer days where
you “get skunked”.
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