Sure they both have their own set of problems but which method do you find easier to catch trout. … Forget whether there is a hatch on or not or what time of day or the temperature…Forget that trout get a high percentage of their food underwater… Forget all that weasel answer stuff… Just, by which method of fly fishing, in its self, and when the occasion called for it, have you found easier to catch trout …
[This message has been edited by mantis (edited 10 November 2005).]
[This message has been edited by mantis (edited 10 November 2005).]
When they are going for dries, I rejoice. Mucho easier. Still, there is something hypnotizing about nymphing. And, in the winters out here, you’d better enjoy it or you are not going to fish.
I guess I’m one of the dry fly guys. That’s the method I prefer and catch a good number of trout that way. My second choice would have to be a nice soft hackle wet fly, with nymphing being a third place finisher for me.
I think each method has it’s own challenges. I love watching fish rise to dries, but I’m not gonna waste precious fishing time waiting for a hatch. I’ll fish what’s working, even streamers…
And you didn’t specify, are you talking nymphing with or without a bobber?
I fish dries more often than nymphs. Regardless, I believe that my honest, albeit somewhat bias, answer is that on moving water dries are more difficult. I base that opinion simply because there are more things to consider and accomplish to be successful.
BG
Well, there is a big difference isn’t there. Always thought I had a soft touch untill a guide put a pair of tiny strike indicators on my leader. How easy it made nymphing… just flip it out and let it sweep. No wories about matching the hatch, no conflicting currents to worry about doing crazy things to your dry fly… Yup strike indicators are a story by themselves. Like worm fishing with a bobber. No need to worry about back casts…just let it float down river, then lob it back upstream…Well, take your choice. Guess I just should have said which form of fly fishing is easier: Not just nymph vs dry… I mean it is tough enough on here to get a straight answer… Again, though, which is easier to use to catch fish. Each in their own best condition… Heck, just about everyone wants to fish on top when there is a great hatch on and they are looking up… Thats a weasel answer (not yours) But that was not the question…
Dries and Nymphs both have their difficulties!The Drift on both Methods must be Drag free and in Feeding Lies.Both have their times where they sometimes out fish each other(or at least for me).That said I wont state which one is a easier Method to use to catch Trout.Without a good PRESENTATION you wont catch jack!Now Nymphing,you make it sound easier than it is!When Nymphing you must apply the right amount of Weight,have the correct Depth so the Nymphs get down to the bottom,choose the right Nymph and keep the right Nymph on as the Trout Moods might change in a moments notice,have a drag Free Drift and be able to read Water(a very hard thing for Newbies)in order to find Feeding Lies.Samething with Dries except that you have Crosscurrents on top of the water.!If you put everything together correctly,it will make a difference on how productive your Outting will be.
Since you didn’t specify …I’ll wade in here…there is very little flow in my area…so I mostly fish stillwaters…that said…nymphs produce the bigger fish for me…while dry’s tend to get mauled by the smaller less wary trout…dries only cover the top of the water column…nymphs start out at the bottom…and a slow hand twist retrieve allows the nymph to cover all of the column…so there ya go…for me nymphs produce bigger fish…dries produce many but smaller fish…works for me…your milage could vary… )))
Nymphing has a lower entry point to catch “a” trout but there are higher levels of skill and knowledge to be obtained in nymphing than dry fly fishing. This skill and knowledge is fun to obtain and definitely rewarding.
Why this conversation. Both methods are essential to fly fishing. Some day’s you can Dry and some day’s you may need to nymph. I personally like all aspects of fly fishing. Some day’s I will strip a Woolly and some day’s I will nymph with a small indicator and some day’s I will use a Terrestrial and others a dry. Bottom line is all methods are good and every fly fisherman should know how to do all of them.
I think JC answered the question most directly and succinctly. Anything else is just an elaboration of a particular angler’s interest or prejudice. The preduice part of my answer is not meant as a jab at anyone in particular, but just an observation of mine over 65 years of fishing with a whole bunch of folks and for different species of fish.
Back a few decades ago the hew and cry of the bass fisher in literature and in real time fishing was “I’d rather catch one fish on top than 100 underwater”. Top-water is fun for sure, but the premise is pure b.s., unless there is a hatch on. Fish feed 90 percent of the time beneath the surface, so for sure you will catch more fish with sub-surface lures or flies…trout included.
The so-called “Golden Age” of fly fishing in this country show-cased the dry fly so thoroughly that the wet-fly and those of their ilk were put on the back burner. Except for the more recent resurgence of soft hackles (really just necked-down versions of wet flies) and nymphs, the dry is still the glamour fly. But ask yourself this question and be honest. Regardless of what kind of fly fishing you prefer; what fly would you rather have (only one choice) if you were caught in a bad situation and needed trout for food to survive…a Quill Gordon or a wooly bugger? Nuff said.
Later, RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
I think dry fly fishing makes it easier for me to catch fish simply because I can see what’s going on. Even with an indicator you are only seeing what the indicator is doing which may be different from what is happeining where the fly is. As far as I can tell, you have all of the same issues to deal with proper presentation, drag, etc with both methods. Nymphing presents the additional issues of finding the right depth and generally not being able to see the fish, fly or what the current is doing at the depth you are fishing.
That said, I agree with the majority of opinions here that it depends what is happening on the water.
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)))