Bryan, thank you for this excellent video explaining the subtleties of strike detection. As you say, it is a combination of sight, feel, and intuition and it generally happens so quickly it is often impossible to identify what it was that triggered you to set the hook. I think you have explained that very well. I see that you are using, and obviously enjoying, your Diamondback Ideal Nymph # 6 - such a great rod - I am certainly enjoying using mine which I purchased on the strength of your prior endorsement.
I myself friend. I use a strike indicator on big water but when I'm in a stream I rely on feeling through the line and sometimes my rod but most of the time I feel it through the line. But this is the important topic for people that are just learning to nymph. If you never stream fished and that it can be difficult to detect of a hit when a fish you know takes your nymph in the rivers back east or I fished the Niagara River and I go down and I fish with my brother down in Georgia in a Chattahoochee and I fish up in Tennessee at the cow Creek and there's times that I have to use a strike indicator now. I'm originally from out west and we use both. That's where I learned to use them. Thank you for an awesome video!
Gald you enjoyed the video. I'm not afraid to throw on an indicator in the right conditions too. I should probably explore it more and do a video on it one day.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany I think you did the best you possibly could’ve done in explaining what to feel/look for while nymphing. It is probably the hardest type of fly fishing for most as but then add in some other natural conditions it makes it even tougher. Glad you mentioned the wind. My evil nemesis is the wind. I really hate when a gust of wind puts a bow in my line as my cast hits the water. I feel very disconnected when that happens to my flies. It’s like putting a mend in your line purposely and have to wait for the flies to sink deeper and for the current to take the mended bow out of your line. If it is a pretty windy day and I’m in a good flow I’ll purposely tie on alittle heavier fly to achieve a tighter line increasing my chance of feeling a take and setting the hook exactly what you said in your video! You mentioned this scenario so perfectly.
I started with a 6 lb mono rig. Just 6lb maxima -> 5x sighter -> tippet. I can't see ever steering away from it. The sink rate and sensitivity is just incredible.
Line and leader set up is also not just one style/type for everyone. It is specific to the individual.What has finally worked for me is 20' of 80# braid off the running line, 6' of 8# braid next, lastly 4' of 4# fluoro. I see and feel hits really good with this set up. Intuition makes up the rest.
Big water can be intimidating for euro nymphing. I find that breaking down the water you can reach and fishing it methodically is the best you can do. For areas you can't reach with euro nymphing you can try other methods. I go through it a bit in one of my Euro Nymphing for Steelhead videos.. You can check it out here. ua-cam.com/video/Wq_qMWTvl2w/v-deo.html
Man I’ve looked everywhere for what you use (size and beadhead or non bead head) on your dropper? I’ve been having decent luck euro nymphing as I literally just started this method 2 weeks ago. Mono rig with 18 ft 15 lb butt, 4ft 0x sighter to Tippett ring, 5ft Tippett, dropper I was using a 20 bead head brown midge, 14 tungsten perdigon as point. My question is what do you use for your dropper fly? Would a 14 point and then a 16 or 18 tungsten dropper be to heavy? Right now runoff has our river at around 700-900 cfs. Typically around 2-3 ft deep And btw your videos are very informative and no fluff. Just the good stuff that is actually helping me get better at this method. And more fun!
I'm glad you're enjoying the channel! The flies I use change all the time... many times per day even. It is mostly about getting the right weight of flies to get the right drift and that will change all the time depending on water flows, the specific dynamics of the water, etc. Check out the fly selection videos I did for more information about fly selection.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany right on appreciate the response! I went this morning and caught 4 in the 45 minutes I was out there. Used a 16 frenchie hot spot and 14 caddis larva chartreuse as point. Hooked into 3 nice fat 18 inchers and did lose a bigger one who broke my Tippett. 972 cfs today so it’s faster than normal due to runoff. Your videos definitely helping me and making it enjoyable out there on the water
Thanks for the awesome video. Very informative. I’ve been fly fishing for almost 10 years but I’m just getting into fishing a 10 foot, 3-weight rod using a sighter for strike detection. Yesterday I hooked 5 fish, 4 of which I felt before I detected movement from the sighter. The interesting thing was that all four of those feel strikes occurred downstream of me at the end of the drift. Unfortunately I got an awkward hook set on each one and the head-shaking stocked bows all got off before I could net them. I only use barbless hooks and have always considered losing some fish to be the cost of doing business with barbless hooks. I’ve also lost plenty of fish over the years at the end of my drifts when indicator fishing, so now I’m wondering if the problem is the way I’m setting the hook on those fish I’m hooking at the end of the drift. Any thoughts?
I had the exact same problem when I started and I would bet you're losing the fish because they are below you when you set the hook. It makes for an angle on the hookset that is not in your advantage and is more likely to pull out. Ideally you want to cast more upstream and not let the drift go more than 1 rod length below you. That way when you set the hook, you are at a better angle on the fish and way less likely to get a bad hook placement. You really shouldn't lose more fish on barbless hooks. In fact I find the barbless hooks penetrate more easily and as long as you keep tension on the fish, you should not lose them. I would bet it is all about the angle of the hookset. Work your way upstream and try to cast more upstream and give the flies time to get to depth. That way the drift is starting well above you, comes down right across from you and then just downstream of you (1 rod length). And always set the hook to the downstream side. Good luck!!!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Thanks for reading my reply and for the suggestion. I suspect you are right about the angle of the hook set being the issue. Problem was that the pile of fish were stacked in a deep hole that was a bit downstream of where I was able to cast to them. That’s an interesting point you make regarding barbless hooks penetrating the fish’s mouth easier. Makes sense. Ever fished Jansen Roeliff Kill in Dutchess County? My wife rented an Airbnb on it this weekend. I think it’s a put and take, but there may be some wild browns in there to keep it interesting for my son and me. Thanks again. Looking forward to your next video.
@@mistercarpenter5895 Ah...if you have to drift down below then there's not much you can do on the hook set except the keep it low and to the downstream side. I have never heard of that stream in Dutchess County... but send me a direct message on Instagram or email. I have a small stream you can try for brook trout in Dutchess County.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompanyProbably not going to have time to fish anywhere except the stream where the house is located in Red Hook. I’ll let you know how the stream is after the trip.
Very good information! I rely on both sight and feel! I can feel most but I always watch for the sighter to do something abnormal and if I see that like it jumping or come to a stop I set the hook. I mean it can be a fish or a rock! hook sets are free hahaha!
I catch way more trees than rocks! 😂😂😂 For real. I'm so focused on the water in front of me that I never look back behind me and my streams are fairly small with lots of trees behind me. Recipe for disaster. 😂
I really think that when fish bites on the fly and grab it, if the tippet and leader are fairly tight, you will feel it 0.05 to 0.1 second after you see the sighter hesitates or stops. On the other hand, if the rig is not tight, you do not feel it unless fish grabs the fly and runs, which lot of times happens when fish are very active such as in summer. Fish spit the fly out in a second when they sense its not a real bug and, by then, you miss that fish.
You are dead on with active summer fish. They can move with the fly quickly and there is no mistaking the take then! You also don't have to be near the bottom with those fish... they'll move for it! Love those days!
The big one was not the beefcake... When the beefcake hit many years ago, the line stopped in the middle of the deep run! I had quite a bit of line out in a deep run to get to him so it was mostly sight.
Bryan, thank you for this excellent video explaining the subtleties of strike detection. As you say, it is a combination of sight, feel, and intuition and it generally happens so quickly it is often impossible to identify what it was that triggered you to set the hook. I think you have explained that very well. I see that you are using, and obviously enjoying, your Diamondback Ideal Nymph # 6 - such a great rod - I am certainly enjoying using mine which I purchased on the strength of your prior endorsement.
Thank you! I have the DB 6wt and the DB 10'10" 2wt. I love them both! The Sage ESN that was almost twice as expensive now sits unused lol.
White Dog Outdoors, Subscribed because your videos are so much fun!
I myself friend. I use a strike indicator on big water but when I'm in a stream I rely on feeling through the line and sometimes my rod but most of the time I feel it through the line. But this is the important topic for people that are just learning to nymph. If you never stream fished and that it can be difficult to detect of a hit when a fish you know takes your nymph in the rivers back east or I fished the Niagara River and I go down and I fish with my brother down in Georgia in a Chattahoochee and I fish up in Tennessee at the cow Creek and there's times that I have to use a strike indicator now. I'm originally from out west and we use both. That's where I learned to use them. Thank you for an awesome video!
Gald you enjoyed the video. I'm not afraid to throw on an indicator in the right conditions too. I should probably explore it more and do a video on it one day.
You , my friend, nailed it and perfectly portrayed , what to look for and hopefully feel up the line to the tip of that fly rod.
Thanks, Jim. Tried a different approach with this video to cover just one topic and try to do it more concisely.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany I think you did the best you possibly could’ve done in explaining what to feel/look for while nymphing. It is probably the hardest type of fly fishing for most as but then add in some other natural conditions it makes it even tougher. Glad you mentioned the wind. My evil nemesis is the wind. I really hate when a gust of wind puts a bow in my line as my cast hits the water. I feel very disconnected when that happens to my flies. It’s like putting a mend in your line purposely and have to wait for the flies to sink deeper and for the current to take the mended bow out of your line. If it is a pretty windy day and I’m in a good flow I’ll purposely tie on alittle heavier fly to achieve a tighter line increasing my chance of feeling a take and setting the hook exactly what you said in your video! You mentioned this scenario so perfectly.
@@wildbrookies Thanks, Jim. I'll often put on heavier flies if I need to deal with wind too!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Yup! Even though you will get more hangups you’ll have more control and contact with those flies.
Just finished a guide trip in Western NC. All were by sight . . . and the guide yelling "SET" behind me. 😂
😂😂 I do the same when I guide! SET!! When you start to get in tune with things you will mostly likely see and feel many of them.
I started with a 6 lb mono rig. Just 6lb maxima -> 5x sighter -> tippet. I can't see ever steering away from it. The sink rate and sensitivity is just incredible.
Yeah. I think you have pretty much the perfect setup!
Excellent presentation Bryan. Best I’ve heard on this topic!
Line and leader set up is also not just one style/type for everyone. It is specific to the individual.What has finally worked for me is 20' of 80# braid off the running line, 6' of 8# braid next, lastly 4' of 4# fluoro. I see and feel hits really good with this set up. Intuition makes up the rest.
I agreed! Everyone has to experiment and see what works for them.
Very instructional videos. How does one Euro nymph is a wide stream?
Big water can be intimidating for euro nymphing. I find that breaking down the water you can reach and fishing it methodically is the best you can do. For areas you can't reach with euro nymphing you can try other methods. I go through it a bit in one of my Euro Nymphing for Steelhead videos.. You can check it out here. ua-cam.com/video/Wq_qMWTvl2w/v-deo.html
Man I’ve looked everywhere for what you use (size and beadhead or non bead head) on your dropper? I’ve been having decent luck euro nymphing as I literally just started this method 2 weeks ago. Mono rig with 18 ft 15 lb butt, 4ft 0x sighter to Tippett ring, 5ft Tippett, dropper I was using a 20 bead head brown midge, 14 tungsten perdigon as point. My question is what do you use for your dropper fly? Would a 14 point and then a 16 or 18 tungsten dropper be to heavy? Right now runoff has our river at around 700-900 cfs. Typically around 2-3 ft deep
And btw your videos are very informative and no fluff. Just the good stuff that is actually helping me get better at this method. And more fun!
I'm glad you're enjoying the channel! The flies I use change all the time... many times per day even. It is mostly about getting the right weight of flies to get the right drift and that will change all the time depending on water flows, the specific dynamics of the water, etc. Check out the fly selection videos I did for more information about fly selection.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany right on appreciate the response! I went this morning and caught 4 in the 45 minutes I was out there. Used a 16 frenchie hot spot and 14 caddis larva chartreuse as point. Hooked into 3 nice fat 18 inchers and did lose a bigger one who broke my Tippett. 972 cfs today so it’s faster than normal due to runoff. Your videos definitely helping me and making it enjoyable out there on the water
@@mikepeterson5377 That’s a great level of activity!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany do you use beat heads for dropper or just regular flies mostly? Feel like without the tungsten I couldn’t get down
@@mikepeterson5377 I use tungsten beads for all flies. The beads will vary in size depending on the fly and the weight I’m trying to achieve.
Thanks for the awesome video. Very informative. I’ve been fly fishing for almost 10 years but I’m just getting into fishing a 10 foot, 3-weight rod using a sighter for strike detection. Yesterday I hooked 5 fish, 4 of which I felt before I detected movement from the sighter. The interesting thing was that all four of those feel strikes occurred downstream of me at the end of the drift. Unfortunately I got an awkward hook set on each one and the head-shaking stocked bows all got off before I could net them. I only use barbless hooks and have always considered losing some fish to be the cost of doing business with barbless hooks. I’ve also lost plenty of fish over the years at the end of my drifts when indicator fishing, so now I’m wondering if the problem is the way I’m setting the hook on those fish I’m hooking at the end of the drift. Any thoughts?
I had the exact same problem when I started and I would bet you're losing the fish because they are below you when you set the hook. It makes for an angle on the hookset that is not in your advantage and is more likely to pull out. Ideally you want to cast more upstream and not let the drift go more than 1 rod length below you. That way when you set the hook, you are at a better angle on the fish and way less likely to get a bad hook placement. You really shouldn't lose more fish on barbless hooks. In fact I find the barbless hooks penetrate more easily and as long as you keep tension on the fish, you should not lose them. I would bet it is all about the angle of the hookset. Work your way upstream and try to cast more upstream and give the flies time to get to depth. That way the drift is starting well above you, comes down right across from you and then just downstream of you (1 rod length). And always set the hook to the downstream side. Good luck!!!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Thanks for reading my reply and for the suggestion. I suspect you are right about the angle of the hook set being the issue. Problem was that the pile of fish were stacked in a deep hole that was a bit downstream of where I was able to cast to them. That’s an interesting point you make regarding barbless hooks penetrating the fish’s mouth easier. Makes sense. Ever fished Jansen Roeliff Kill in Dutchess County? My wife rented an Airbnb on it this weekend. I think it’s a put and take, but there may be some wild browns in there to keep it interesting for my son and me. Thanks again. Looking forward to your next video.
@@mistercarpenter5895 Ah...if you have to drift down below then there's not much you can do on the hook set except the keep it low and to the downstream side. I have never heard of that stream in Dutchess County... but send me a direct message on Instagram or email. I have a small stream you can try for brook trout in Dutchess County.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompanyProbably not going to have time to fish anywhere except the stream where the house is located in Red Hook. I’ll let you know how the stream is after the trip.
Bryan, Another great video thank you. It’s always gonna be sight and feel and everything else that’s why they call it fishing 😅
Thanks Joe!
Great video! Thank you.
Thanks!
Very good information! I rely on both sight and feel! I can feel most but I always watch for the sighter to do something abnormal and if I see that like it jumping or come to a stop I set the hook. I mean it can be a fish or a rock! hook sets are free hahaha!
I catch way more trees than rocks! 😂😂😂 For real. I'm so focused on the water in front of me that I never look back behind me and my streams are fairly small with lots of trees behind me. Recipe for disaster. 😂
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany I’m the same way! I catch a lot of trees if it’s not a fish I’m setting the hook on 😂😂😂
I really think that when fish bites on the fly and grab it, if the tippet and leader are fairly tight, you will feel it 0.05 to 0.1 second after you see the sighter hesitates or stops. On the other hand, if the rig is not tight, you do not feel it unless fish grabs the fly and runs, which lot of times happens when fish are very active such as in summer. Fish spit the fly out in a second when they sense its not a real bug and, by then, you miss that fish.
You are dead on with active summer fish. They can move with the fly quickly and there is no mistaking the take then! You also don't have to be near the bottom with those fish... they'll move for it! Love those days!
Another much interesting video!
Thank you! I'm glad you've been enjoying them!
Thank you thank you thank you.
Welcome!
Never ever beach a canoe especially the lightweight boats. Always have water under the boat.
Hooksets are FREE🤜🏼🤜🏼
That they are!
Beefcake?
The big one was not the beefcake... When the beefcake hit many years ago, the line stopped in the middle of the deep run! I had quite a bit of line out in a deep run to get to him so it was mostly sight.
If you think that yironymphoing is fun, you should try fly fishing!
I like both! 🙃😉
I like both also. The more methods I learn, the more it helps me in the other methods.
Thanks Bryan