I’m just curious as to how many of our members do the whole Czech nymphing method on a regular basis. I mean the whole method, with large, weighted nymphs, three or more flies, plain monofilament leader and no more than a few feet of fly line extending from the rod.
If you are a regular, how do you detect most of your strikes? Do you see leader or line movement first? Do you see the flash or open mouth of the fish? Do you feel the take? Thanks in advance for your response. 8T
I do the ‘whole thing’ regularly on a couple of rivers in Colorado during the summer.
In the correct environs, the technique is deadly and fun to fish.
I tend to ‘see’ almost all of my strikes. Occassionally I’ll hook one on the ‘set the hook at the end of every drift’ hookset. Once in a while I’ll forget what I’m doing, stop paying close attention, and feel a strike.
What makes this seem to ‘work’ for me, and it was hard to do at first, is to set the hook whenever you think there might possibly, even remotely, been some minor or infinitesimal hesitation, stop, or ‘odd’ movement of the line. I’m likely to make fifty or more ‘hooksets’, for every fish I actually hook. Two or three on each cast, at least.
Hooksets are free, and you earn points towards future fish for every one you attempt where there isn’t a fish…
I’m afraid to ask what the translation of that would be. Perhaps I should have phrased my question more carefully. I was really asking who uses the Czech nymphing method not who was of Czechoslovakian heritage. You definitely gave me my best laugh of the night! 8T
This past summer, I was fortunate to be involved with the Youth Fly Fishing World Championships which were held here in PA. This was the first time this event was ever held in the USA. To see this technique in action is actually shocking in it’s effectiveness. This technique is better suited to fast moving, riffle water as opposed to slower “frog water”, so the possibilities of actually seeing the take are reduced. The broken water surface allows the angler to get closer to the fish without being detected.(They can’t see you, but you can’t see them either). I find that most of the fish I catch are “felt” strikes, but any unusual movement of the line should be responded to with a strike. Since this is relatively tight line nymphing, not much is needed in the way of a strike. One of the keys to success in this type of fishing is in the use of the proper type of hooks. These chemically sharpened hooks help with hooking the fish, and the shape of the hook helps keep fish on. Two of the best hooks for this type of fishing are Knapek brand hooks, and Partridge Flashpoint hooks. No add on indicators are allowed by competition rules, but the leaders are usually constructed with some sort of highly visible short piece of line that acts as a visual indicator. Here’s a link for those folks that would like to learn more about this type of fishing:
In my neck of the woods czech nymphing as you describe it with more than one fly is illegal. One hook only rule is in effect.
I sometimes Stillwater fish using one weighted chronomid suspended about 4 or 5 feet from the rod tip hanging below my anchored boat. Strikes are usually almost always visible and are often violent. You have to pay strict attention or risk losing a fly rod overboard. Sort of czech nymphing lite. :mrgreen:
The answer to your question is yes. You get one point for your method of fishing and one point for heritage. You could have gained another point for the exclusive use of Magic Shrimp Foil on your Czech nymphs. Take care! 8T
Im not a regular Czech Nympher, But I found a Fly fish Ohio Video Podcast all about Czech nymphs. Its being downloaded to my Ipod as I type this, Should be interesting!