NYMPH FISHING WITHOUT AN INDICATOR "101" - Readers cast (Warren Patterson) - Dec 19

[WarrenP]

Bob O,

Thanks for providing another "wrinkle" to "no indicator" fishing. I find it a very interesting method and worth consideration.

By the way, WELCOME to FAOL from Tennessee. I will look forward to your contributions to this site.

[Bob O]

Thank you Warren.

[JeffHamm]

This same technique works well when fishing a team of unweighted spiders upstream. Cast up and mend to allow the flies to sink a bit. Spiders (soft hackles) can be very effective fished upstream using nymph techniques, but instead of fishing near the bottom you're fishing to fish feeding closer to the surface. If you like upstream nymph fishing, then upstream unweighted spiders are worth considering when the fish are a bit higher up in the water column. If they are feeding on the surface, spiders on light gage hooks can be employed instead of a dry, and again, you would use the same basic technique. What's great is that Warren's technique can prepare you for upstream fishing no matter where in the water column the fish are feeding, so it's a tremdous skill set to learn.

- Jeff

[WarrenP]

Jeff,

I had never thought about using my technique with soft hackles and I love swinging soft hackles! Thanks for posting that and sharing. I will try the upstream drift with soft hackles and thank you for the kind words.....

[rons81]

Great article Warren, Thanks

[AlanB]

This same technique works well when fishing a team of unweighted spiders upstream. Cast up and mend to allow the flies to sink a bit. Spiders (soft hackles) can be very effective fished upstream using nymph techniques, but instead of fishing near the bottom you're fishing to fish feeding closer to the surface. If you like upstream nymph fishing, then upstream unweighted spiders are worth considering when the fish are a bit higher up in the water column. If they are feeding on the surface, spiders on light gage hooks can be employed instead of a dry, and again, you would use the same basic technique. What's great is that Warren's technique can prepare you for upstream fishing no matter where in the water column the fish are feeding, so it's a tremdous skill set to learn.

- Jeff

That's how you fish spiders! I think it was T E Pritt who came out with the quote. "Fishing downstream is the devils work, my son, and don't let me catch you about it".

Cheers,A
.

[sandfly]

great article, same way I learned to nymph from the likes of schreibert on the famed pocono streams. though now as I get older and its harder to watch the line end I have added a 1" piece of orange fly line just past the line end on the leader to help me see it better..

[DUB]

That's how you fish spiders! I think it was T E Pritt who came out with the quote. "Fishing downstream is the devils work, my son, and don't let me catch you about it".

Cheers,A
.

The devil and I aren't strangers. I will cast downstream any time I see/hear the fish chasing caddis emergers.

[Grn Mt Man]

Warren,

Great article! You do it pretty much as I started out nymphing. My father-in-law always fished with a fly rod except he (gasp!) used worms, corn and once in a great while a little power bait but that came out shortly before he died. He taught me to get the bait down to the trout and we weighted with one or two split shots in those early days depending upon the depth and speed of the water. I didn't start fly fishing till about age 62 shortly after reading a fishing magazine article with a front page saying that trout fed under water 90% of the time. So, figured I was good to go with my conversion from bouncing bait along the bottom. Didn't have a mentor for proper techniques of fly fishing at the time so it was trial and error for me. Don't hardly ever use an indicator unless it's a dry fly; but, I like my method best. When tying flies that I'll use myself usually don't tie them weighted. I like to add some of that soft weight material about 12" to 18" above the fly and when I apply it I roll it between my fingers into an elongated submarine shape with a slight taper at each end instead of a ball shape like a split shot. I find that there's less bottom snagging this way and I really like the ability to add or subtract weight quickly and easily depending on the water depth and speed. It's also very easy to slide it gently up or down the tippet when the need arises unlike trying to relocate split shot. Gave up split shots long time ago.

[TwmsJr]

Very good article and true. Have not used indicators since I was knee high. You are right on with your method. It works in deep or shallow as well as fast or slow water.