Czech Nymphing for Spooky Fish?

[Joe Billingsley]

I have a rudimentary knowledge of the technique of Czech Nymphing. Can it still be effective going after spooky fish in ultra clear water or will standing so close to them run them out of the area?

Joe

[Silver Creek]

Czech nymphing is defined as short line nymphing and it is not done in clear water with spooky trout. The technique for these trout is French or Spanish nymphing that is done with very long leaders and tippets. These leaders can be over 25 feet long.

Get George Daniel's book Dynamic Nymphing. It has a section on nymphing for trout in these situations.

[johnstoeckel]

I generally agree with SilverCreek. However, even when the stream is low and clear, you still might employ short line nymphing effectively where the water is broken and / or where you can approach closely without spooking fish. You also might need to reduce the weight of flies. I think the method is generally less effective in smooth, clear water. A dry / dropper fished with longer casts would be my first choice in this kind of water.