This weeks article on Nynphing Techniques is a really good one and after reading it, it brought to mind another technique I use all the time and it works really good for getting the fly down to deeper depths. I just wanted to share it in case anyone wants to try it.

To begin with, I fish a lot by myself and all my techniques are created by me as ways to get the fly where I want it. So, this technique is not earth shattering and was not something I read.

There are a lot of places on the river where at the end of the fast water section there is a deeper hole where the fish are just waiting for food to be brought to them. You can cast your fly upstream and guide it through the fast water section and by mending your line you can get the fly down close to the bottom in the fast section, but, when the fly gets to the deeper hole it will get carried over the fish and sometimes they will come up for it and sometimes they will not. You can allow the fly to be carried to the end of the deeper hole and as you strip it back, it is still over the fish due to the moving water is under your floating fly line and holding it up close to the top. This will hold your leader, tippet and fly up over the fish and sometimes you can see your fly skipping along on top of the fast water. When I come across this situation, I will work my fly through the fast water section by mending to get it down and then after it has drifted through the deep hole, I will not start stripping the fly back, but, instead, I will stick my fly rod tip into the water and hold the tip close to the bottom in the fast water. This causes the fast water to go over the top of my floating fly line and will force the fly line to go all the way to the bottom which will take your leader, tippet and fly to the bottom where you can start a slow strip of the fly back. After you stick your fly rod tip down close to the bottom, you can still see your fly line stretched out in front of you and then you will see it get deeper and deeper until it disappears. If you slowly start to raise your fly rod you will see the fly line start back up. I have caught many fish with the rod tip down close to the bottom this way. As a Warning...do not try to set the hook by raising the rod tip when using this technique!! The weight and force of the water on the rod could cause you to apply too much force and may break you rod! Use a strip hook set and then slowly raise your rod and once it clears the water you can fight the fish in the normal manner.

Try this technique next time you are on the water and see how it works for you. I have had several people who have watched me do this and even though they like the results, they would never shove their rod down into the water for fear of breaking it. I am not rich and have the extra money for rod replacements, but, if you are careful, your rod will handle this. My fly rods are not for "show and tell" they are "my tools" for catching fish.

This is just another technique for getting your fly down deeper and it does work and I just wanted to share.