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In contrast to the riffle is the run. A run as a section of
stream that’s shallow on one side, but deep and swift on the other side. A run
is a great place to find trout, he added. Even better is a run with a cut bank,
especially an undercut bank with an overhang.
“There’s a lot of cover, and undercuts are where you often find big trout.
Finally, you’ve got pocket water. I defined pockets as a section of
stream with a lot of boulders. Current gouges out holes, or pockets, behind the
rocks, and they are great places for trout to hide.
“Almost everybody ignores pocket water. “If it doesn’t look like a pool, people
don’t want to fish it. It takes forever to fish them all, and a lot of times
there are fish in all of them.” For nymph fishing, you should prefer a 9-foot
rod with a tip that’s not too fast. A fast rod has a stiff butt, so most of the
flex is in the tip.
“When you’re out there fishing and you have a really fast rod, it throws narrow
loops, and that’ll get you in trouble nymph fishing.
Many fly fishermen favor really light tippets, or heavy tippets, as thick as 3 X
or 4 X if the water is really clear. The thicker tippet helps land bigger fish,
and contrary to tradition, a thicker tippet doesn’t spook fish.
Hitting the right depth is key for nymph
fishing for trout. The rule of thumb, he explained, is that the nymph should
be twice the distance from the strike indicator as the depth of water you’re
fishing. If the water is 3 feet deep, the fly should be 6 feet from the strike
indicator.
To fish deep, fast water, use a weighted nymph and split shot to get the nymph
down fast. Sometimes he also uses a tandem rig with two flies. He likes a big
stone fly with a smaller nymph tied to a dropper line.
When the stone fly touches bottom, it makes the little nymph wiggle, like it’s
struggling to get to the surface,. “It looks so good I’d eat it myself, but
don’t hurry your casts or you’ll really regret this rig.” To cast a nymph
effectively, take your time and casting slowly. That will produce the wide loops
necessary to prevent tangling.
“The moment it touches the water, nothing else in the world matters but
that strike indicator, “If you look away for even a moment, that’s when the
trout will hit. If the indicator stalls or jiggles, you have to assume it’s a
fish and set the hook immediately.”
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