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Leader length.
Mon 3rd January, 2011
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There are a number of factors to consider when deciding leader length for nymphing. Firstly the estimated depth of the water you intend to fish.
As a general rule most anglers will set the indicator at around one and a third times the estimated depth.
You will also have to take into account the speed of the current, flow changes and the weight of the flies that you are using.
Ideally you want the flies to be somewhere near the bottom in the first half of your drift especially when your after trout on their spawning runs.
By casting well upstream and "mending" the line you will be able to keep them in the zone as long as possible. Its usually best to begin mending as soon as your drift begins especially in faster water.
This prevents a downstream bow forming in the line which would cause your indicator to accelerate towing your nymphs downriver before they had a chance to sink to the river-bed.
Its important to keep slack in the system by constantly readjusting and re-positioning the fly line during the drift. As a rough guide whatever the river tries to do with your line ... you do the opposite. This will help you achieve a drag free drift and keep the flies on the bottom.
Don't always expect the take to register in the classic way with the indicator sliding under. Sometimes it may just pause or you will see a series of little dips as it travels downstream, strike at any unusual movement.
Occasionally you will experience takes right at the very last moment just as you are about to lift off to recast. This combination of raising the rod and the resulting straightening of the line causes the fly to rise from the bottom mimicking an aquatic insect making its way to the surface.
If you keep getting takes like this it could be your flies are not getting down fast enough so you may need to experiment with some of the above.
There is a technique called the " Leisenring lift " invented in the 1940's used mainly when you can see the trout in front of you. This involves deliberately raising the rod tip as the flies near your intended target causing the nymphs to rise up in front of the fish...hopefully inducing a take.
Anglers fishing buoyant patterns like globugs often experience takes at the very last moment during a drift. This is normally an indication they need to use more weight or alter their leader length because the globug isn't getting down to the fish fast enough and not reaching the bottom until they are about to recast.
Taking all of this into account and the fact that it will be unlikely you'd be fishing in the same spot all day it makes sense to use an indicator setup that can be easily adjusted up or down.
There are several well known methods...some anglers attach a piece of yarn using a small rubber band an idea which was probably introduced to New Zealand from America in the 1980's.
These orthodontic bands can be difficult to source so this is my alternative suggestion. Visit the surf section of your local tackle shop and pick up some rig tubing.
Its normally sold in various diameters go for the smallest you can comfortably handle. If they stock it in silicon and latex rubber go for the latex because it grips better.
Its a very similar procedure to the one described in the Quick Indicator guide.
Cut off a small section of tubing and forming a loop in the line and push it through the rubber tubing.
Pull a couple of inches through take it back to the bottom and thread it through a second time.
Place a finger in the loop and gripping the line with the other hand pull. This turns the piece of tube inside out forming a figure of eight sliding rubber "knot" at the base of the looped line.
Insert the yarn into the open loop and slide the rubber knot up. Now hold the line either side of it and pull again to snug everything up even tighter. Comb and trim the yarn and once again you have a sliding indicator.
You can also buy or make yarn indicators tied on a rubber "O ring" or the more common ones tied onto a snap link.
Which ever method you choose you will gain better presentation, cover more fish correctly and definitely hook up more often varying the leader length to suit changing river conditions.
Tight Lines
Mike |
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