Don't Reach While Tight Line and Euro Nymphing . . . or Ever
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2022
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Find the companion article for Don't Reach:
troutbitten.com/2022/05/18/fl...
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But, what about that pretty magazine pose? What about those videos of nymph fishermen with their arms high and extended, reaching the fly rod out to maximum length? It’s silly. It’s unnecessary. And it won’t last for long.
Reaching is an unsustainable body position at any age.
Reaching the arm takes power from the forward cast.
By keeping the elbow in a natural and relaxed position, our casting accuracy improves.
Reaching while fishing dry flies limits what can be done with aerial mends or things like the stop and drop. In short, reaching makes the dry fly angler one-dimensional.
Reaching while tight line nymphing takes away the angler’s ability to tuck cast or to control the entry angle. More leader lands on the water. And that leader would be better in the air, because anything that touches the water eventually drags.
Need any more reasons? Read the companion article on Troutbitten.
troutbitten.com/2022/05/18/fl...
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Fish hard, friends.
Dom - Спорт
Makes sense. Never really thought how taking a step forward gives you the same effect as reaching. Beautiful video series. I have always enjoyed your articles.
Cheers.
Anyone who negatively comments on the artistic aspects of Josh’s filming is insane. This video is a prime example of his style. It’s art.
Great video on casting too Dom. I’m trying to break the habit of reaching. I often fish my 7.5’ rod here so I don’t have the length from my 9 or 10’
-Ben from Maryland
Thanks Ben. Very kind.
“Strive for loops, not swoops”…… Fantastic Dom. You’ve made a believer out of me on this technique. JJ
Thanks, John.
i just want to go on record and say I subscribed at under 4k because this channel is going places. Another great video!
That's very nice. Cheers.
I've subscribed after watching only two of your videos, the production values of which rival -- and even exceed -- those made by big-budget tackle manufacturers, suppliers and outfitters. Nicely done!
Thanks very much. Production is Wilds Media. Josh has a great eye.
Spot on, Dom. Good stuff.
Cheers
Love the tips. Keep ‘em coming. Great video.
You got it!
My mentor always taught high sticking. I got lots of fish, and also a sore arm and shoulder. Going to try this method.
Right on.
What a great video great info and high production quality thank you
Cheers. I appreciate that.
Another awesome lesson Dom thanks.
I appreciate that.
Thanks! This was well explained & makes perfect sense to me, I really appreciate it!
Glad to hear it.
Excellent videos andn podcast I have to book a trip one of these days
Cheers, Bob.
Solid advice, and well reasoned argument to why it is correct.
Thanks
Your voice and inflection remind me so much of les stroud lol. Thanks for the video
I'll take it. Same haircut too. Cheers.
I’m a beginner and this is the best advise to date. Thx
CHEERS
You invest tons into these quality videos; well done and many thanks as we all benefit by learning principles to become better fish-hunters.
For tight-lining/Euro nymphing, especially in Winter, I’ve switched over to Tenkara/Keiryu rods of at least 360cm with 360-400cm of #3 Level Line and 6x tippet.
Thanks for the kind words. If Tenkara works for you, I think that's wonderful. That's what matters.
I will mention this article, only as another idea.
troutbitten.com/2018/05/30/the-trouble-with-tenkara-and-why-you-dont-need-it-2/
People who don't read it tend to get bent out of shape. The point of this article is that the Mono Rig offers everything that Tenkara does, along with the added simplicity of adjusting for length with a reel. I'll also say that recovering slack only with the rod tip (Tenkara) is very limiting on windy days and in tight cover.
Cheers.
Dom
Thank you so much Dom for keep sharing all tips and tricks.
Still haven’t found a single person who uses the mono rig here in Sweden , but since I switched from Fips rules type of nymphing
a couple years ago versatility have increased a lot.
I like to ad little more length of but section material for some extra reach when streamerfishing though. I have streams where I fish when I cannot wade into position for 2-rod length game. Since I increased the but section length I can still cover that section of water whit out losing too much of tight line advantage.
I already look forward for the next video and to visit PA and hire you and Bill Dell for a guided trip.
Have a nice one
Thanks much. And I'm glad to hear of your success. I too use a leader that is longer than two rod lengths. That FIPS rule is another that is unnecessarily limiting.
awesome video! thank you!
Cheers, and thank you.
Just Subscribed, great tip, looking forward to watching more videos! 👊🏽 tight lines...
Thank you.
Your video is really important for us who don't wish to quit fly fishing but are also fighting torn rotatory cuffs. And a lot of us are. Fortunately, somehow in my past I learned to fly cast with very minimal movements and use my wrist to control the rod rather than my arm. Now if you just had a good video about a knot; tippet to fly which can be changed without dissembling the knot. Not a clip as nymphs of size 18 - 22 are great for trout but clips are to big for them. Knots are tough as some of us when getting old develop a bit of shake which can really slow down any fine leader knots in the field. Just the same thanks for the video
Good stuff, Tim. That's always the best way to cast, regardless of whether we have an injury or not. Glad you learned that way.
Not sure I understand what you mean about "dissembling" the knot. However, I would never use a clip for a nymph, regardless of the size. I promise that you can tie your flies on with a Davy Knot. If you have enough dexterity to use a clip, then you can tie a simple Davy. Here's the Troutbitten article.
troutbitten.com/2017/09/17/fifty-fly-fishing-tips-8-use-the-davy-knot-heres-why/
Cheers.
Excellent insight 🤙
Appreciate it!
Great content!
Thank you.
Great advice. There was one time last year I did a day trip to the Ausable for some small rainbow rises. The banks of the river were about 10' or so above me, and my loops were hitting the vegetation at the top of them. To compensate, I was reaching the rod as high up as I could stretch to get above them. The water was deep in this area, so I wasn't able to wade. Bite was good all day. Light drizzle, and overcast. I woke up the next morning trying to figure out why my right shoulder was so sore. Well it was from exactly what you're speaking on here, so you're advice here is not far fetched.
Right on.
Absolutly agree. Since last 10 years, talking about this in the land of Polish Nymphing :)
Cheers
Fully agree. I think on this topic the discussion of the importance of the line hand is important. Hand in hand with reaching is the habit of raising the rod tip as your nymphs approach and lowering as they have passed you. Sometimes this is good especially at shorter distances but I have found getting better and practicing a smooth knit retrieve with a more lateral rod to be a game changer for me. It was weird to get used to (sort of like rubbing your head and patting your stomach at the same time) having both hands do such different motions. A video on this I think would be good. If you watch the top competition euro anglers they all have a very active line hand on most drifts. But to my main point is that outstretched arm is often a lazy way of managing line rather than using your line hand properly.
Good stuff. So I'm with you on the line hand. It's absolutely necessary, yet many anglers don't have it. I've written multiple articles and even done a podcast about this:
troutbitten.com/2021/07/21/4-recovering-slack-nine-essential-skills-for-tight-line-and-euro-nymphing/
troutbitten.com/2022/01/31/podcast-recovering-slack-tight-line-skills-series-4/
Also, to your point, there's something I call the Lift and Lead.
troutbitten.com/2020/12/06/tight-line-and-euro-nymphing-the-lift-and-lead/
Lastly, I opt for what I call a Pulley Rerieve rather than a hand twist. I think it's much more effective and simple.
ua-cam.com/video/R38kBRLwrB4/v-deo.html
I will say that I rarely let the flies go past my position because they don't dead drift down there. I fish upstream and work upstream, almost always. But that's kind of another topic.
Cheers.
Dom
Excellent, thanks
Cheers
Excellent advice as always!
Thanks very much.
Hey Frank! You’ve seen this one? Let’s push eachother to not raise our arms this year on the river
@@flyfishingphotoproject use the rod, save the shoulder
Thanks for Sharing
You bet.
Excellent tip. I find that most guys who fish with an extended arm are lobbing their casts across stream. Fishing upstream with a tuck cast requires casting, is more fun, and, for me, catches more, and better, fish.
Perfect.
I agree on most of your points, but I do notice that much of what you outline is more applicable to the type of river you feature in most of your videos. Pretty shallow, able to wade like all the way across, etc. This is not a criticism; naturally you’ll do this because that’s the type of river you mostly fish. But on bigger rivers out west, we can’t just “take one step forward” ‘cause often that means we’ll be in the river and starting to float down it. 😂 I start without a reach, but if I want to cover more water, I end with a reach, otherwise that water stays untouched.
I am figuring out how this mono rig, which I’ve been loving, works for me on the Deschutes, and there are some differences for sure. But figuring those out are part of the fun.
Thanks for all the great content!
Thanks very much for your comment. Good stuff, and it gives me a chance to emphasize a point. A lot of people will tell me the same as you just did -- that sometime you can't move over .... and they think they will cast further by reaching. But NO. It's not true. As I mentioned in the video, reaching takes much of your power our of your cast.
I fish big rivers! I'm sure I will show that sometime. But we film where we do for all kinds of reasons. And when I fish big rivers, I stay disciplined enough to fish what I can accurately fish because it is in range. And when I want to lengthen my range, I do it by simply casting further, but NOT by reaching, because it makes the cast worse.
Lastly, you mentioned the Mono Rig and tight line tactics. The worst mistake you can make is casting too far with these rigs, because you take your tight line advantage away.
READ: The Fundamental Mistake of Tight Line and Euro Nymphing Anglers
troutbitten.com/2021/06/13/the-fundamental-mistake-of-tight-line-and-euro-nymphing-anglers/
The answer for bigger rivers isn't to reach -- hell, that's only going to give you a foot or two extra. Instead, use a tight line to the indy system and expand your range. That's what I do very often on bigger rivers.
That article is here:
troutbitten.com/2017/02/14/tight-line-nymphing-with-an-indicator-a-mono-rig-variant/
Of course there are times when I'll reach out AFTER the cast, but it's not my baseline approach, and I do it rarely.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
@@Troutbitten Appreciate the prompt and thorough response! And that's a great point to emphasize. I agree that reaching while *casting* isn't ever really a good thing, but I think we both agree that sometimes reaching while drifting might give you a couple extra feet (I'm 6'6" with long arms, so I get even a little more I think) that would otherwise go uncovered. Maybe after a bit longer, proper, cast.
I also appreciate the pointer to the article. You might notice that I just put a comment on that article after finding it myself, ha ha. (Different type of comment; more of a couple questions.) I definitely know that I'll be on an indicator more often on a big river like the Deschutes, and that will let me cover more ground.
Wow thanks I never knew!
Cheers
Thanks Dom
You bet
Thanks for this information - I was shown Euro nymphing by holding out the rod - I give it a go but after a while my arm and shoulder ache and I give up on it - I recently bought a level euro line which I found better (for me) than the mono lines - will give it a go again using your casting technique - looks to be far more comfortable over a session - Regards - Steve - U.K.
Sounds good. A level fly line will say much more than 20 lb Chameleon. That's okay, but it will change things. Cheers.
Love the content! Can you help me decide between an ultralight ll 9'9 3t/4wt/ultralight ll 10'8 3wt/ and a or is Helios 3f 10'6 3wt?
Primarily fishing indicators and hopper droppers on Colorado rivers but also want the ability to euro nymph on the mono rig with it! Thanks man love all the content!
Here ya go. These Troutbitten articles will help. I promise:
troutbitten.com/2021/09/22/the-best-fly-rods-for-the-mono-rig-and-euro-nymphing-my-favorite-rods/
troutbitten.com/2017/10/15/fifty-fly-fishing-tips-12-use-a-versatile-and-general-fly-rod/
Cheers.
Dom
Hi there Dom. Thanks for helping and the podcast is great for listening to during transit. I was thinking g that a great handshake is hands meeting to shake, while arm fully extended. And then, take one step forward to a more comfortable handshake position. Thanks again.
I love that
@@Troutbitten well I’m down to do that if we end up on similar areas. 1. Fully extend the shake 2. Step in, baby, yeah!
You are the best
Cheers
Completely agree with no need to extend the arm
Cheers.
This is super helpful to me transitioning into euro nymphing! Thank you and new sub here! Question for you: what camera are you using during your speaking points? It is so crisp!
Thanks very much. Yeah, I'm not sure what camera Josh had that day. He's got some great stuff. You can ask him here, on his company's webpage:
www.wildsmedia.com/
Or find him on Instagram @wildsmedia
@@Troutbitten thank you very much!
Cheers
Have you fished tankara? Many of these tips are tenkara casting fundamentals. Thanks for these video's!
Hello. Absolutely. Tenkara makes use of the same tight line advantage that a Mono Rig style or euro nymphing does. It's all pretty similar, with definite differences. Yes, I've fished Tenkara a good bit. My quick take is that it's actually not simple. It's frustrating because the fixed line is too limiting. In this article, I argue that you can do (almost) all the Tenkara stuff with a Mono Rig system, but you still have the major benefit of using a line hand and just changing leaders to change to fly line tactics or anything else.
troutbitten.com/2018/05/30/the-trouble-with-tenkara-and-why-you-dont-need-it-2/
Cheers.
Thank you - I have never been much of a fisherman- since I retired I am trying to learn Tenkara as a generally inexpensive way to become a better fisherman - generally as a retired biology teacher just being out in the woods and streams is a happy place.
I will start working my way through your videos because the way you present information works well in my science mind. For now I will stick with Tenkara but as I continue to learn and hopefully start catching more fish I will consider transitioning to western style - thank you for the information you put out to help folks like me!
I can’t be the only one that thinks the fish are 2 feet further than I’ve just cast , trying to stop this bad habit 😂
Ha. Nice
YES!
Hey now!
Hello, when it come to casting and lobbing , can you still cast using micro leaders ? and with mono line? I am just learning the sport and appreciate your videos. Thank you.........
Hi Jim,
That's a great question. Check out this video where I demonstrate that you can cast with a Mono Rig with NO weight attached to the leader. It casts just a fly line, if you treat it that way.
ua-cam.com/video/Kcjvow4IfD4/v-deo.html
But, not every leader build will cast like that. A micro leader will NOT cast like that. However, you can certainly get a good cast with a micro leader IF you have that same good stroke, once the weight is on the leader. But there needs to be enough weight too. Trouble is, most people that I see casting skinny leaders don't cast but rather lob because the leader micro leader kind of lean heavily on the side of lobbing.
Long story there. But the point you CAN cast and not lob a micro leader, yes. You just have to be very intentional.
Cheers.
Dom
IDK man im getting jacked sticking my arm out in the middle of the river for 6 hrs straight. But sometimes you just need to reach for super technical areas
Heh heh. There ya go. And I agree with you, I'll reach out there a couple times a day. It's just not sustainable. Also, I only reach AFTER the cast completes. I reach to lead, not to cast. That's the key. Only reason I reach, then, is to lead the flies through one seam.
Also, I treat everything like it's a technical area. :-)
Cheers.
Nice Instructional! What water bottle do you carry? I'm in the market for a good system!
Thanks. Simple Nalgene Narrow Mouth. Been using them for decades. I attach via a carabiner to a sturdy wading belt. That matters. Here ya go:
troutbitten.com/2019/05/01/lets-rethink-the-wading-belt/
Hello I have a question am new to tightline nymphing I don't fly fish..so how much line do you have out when you start your cast to create them nice loops your talking about ...thanks.
Oh, that's far too big of a question for a UA-cam comments section. But Troutbitten is a big resource. Find the full Fly Casting category here:
troutbitten.com/category/fly-casting/
Also, if you are very new to casting, check out the Orvis Learning Center.
Good luck and have fun.
Hmm mostly see people hold their arm out it does get tiring I started pulling my arm in and still catch as many fish
Right. Probably catch more because it makes for a better cast.
I threw a euronymph rod once when I hired a guide. I said to myself who the hell wants to reach like this all day? My hand is numb. This video may make me actually pick up the 10’ 3 wt.
Good
I feel like this is a self correcting issue. as you said it's not sustainable to reach.
I've also met many people who believe that reaching is just what you have to do to be successful. The opposite is true.
There is a time and a place for reaching! Tell Lance Egan he’s doing it all wrong!😜
Well sure. If you watch to the end of the video I acknowledge exactly that -- that there's a time and place. If you read the supporting article, you'll notice the same -- I acknowledge that there's a time and place. However, no good angler is reaching as a baseline approach with these methods. The idea that we must reach all or even most of the time is a misconception.
If you "cast" a nymph rod, the line and leader will be too tense which wont allow the nymphs to sink properly
Thanks for the comment. But I strongly disagree with this. Sounds like you are lobbing and not casting.
It's Casting Not Lobbing
troutbitten.com/2019/07/07/fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-its-casting-not-lobbing/
We cast to get a fly first entry, because it's more efficient, provides more options, is more accurate, more effective and more fun.
Without a fly first entry, then line lays in on the cast with the fly, in fact, creating more tension as you say. With full turnover, the fly can go in and only the material that must go in with it -- with less tension.
#2 Turnover and Tuck Cast -- The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing
troutbitten.com/2021/06/27/2-turnover-and-the-tuck-cast-nine-essential-skills-for-tight-line-and-euro-nymphing/
PODCAST: Turnover and Tuck Cast -- The Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing
troutbitten.com/2022/01/19/podcast-turnover-and-tuck-casting-tight-line-skills-series-2/
Lastly, to me there are no "nymphing rods." There are just fly rods. The way we nymph, we use a Mono Rig to do anything and everything with a nymph, choosing a versatile rod.
troutbitten.com/2021/09/22/the-best-fly-rods-for-the-mono-rig-and-euro-nymphing-my-favorite-rods/
Hope those articles spell out my approach.
Cheers.
Dom
This isn't brain surgery
Oh I agree. But it's also not bluegill fishing. Consistent success with wild brown trout, in all seasons, in all conditions, takes refinement and versatility.
34 wasted sec to get to the presentation... not interested in fluff
Then Troutbitten is not for you. We enjoy creating videos that show the art and the experience of fly fishing as well as the tactics. If you don't like that, then you won't like any of this channel. Please move on.
@@Troutbitten I admire the contributions you have made to advance the state of the art of nymphing in particular. Its just that of late its clear its becoming like so many other sites with the high touch videography at the expense of my time. I do not mean to put down this site, as you have more good information than nearly any site. That said, it would be nice for those of us who want efficient education to have a "table of contents" to cut out the fluff, and get to the point. I would certainly prefer that, as I'm sure many of your regular followers would as well.