I think this is one of the most thoughtful videos about our sport since a long time. I can subscribe to everything here. I still go Euronymphing but I typically stop after having caught about a dozen fish, there’s no point in catching more and I start missing my fly lines. I‘ve rediscovered my wet fly box and swinging flies in riffles which are stalked by Euro-Nymphers is a lot of fun, in particular when I catch fish. I have been to Czechia in April just to find the beautiful intact rivers of Bohemia empty. This very productive method has its side effects……
I thought this video was a joke. An experienced fly fisherman has many ways to fish: dry flies, indicator nymphing, spey casting , streamers, wet flies , wading, from a boat.....all depends on the target, the water conditions, the season, the weather, the wind, the size of the river, etc. Every technique has its place. I love tight line nymphing - no indicators, simple flies, can fish riffles, pocket water, pools,... but sure when the hatch is on, I have my dry fly rod ready. Don't bash something that works.
Exactly....all fishing is situational. I always have a tight line 3wt rod AND a 4 or 5wt with a floating line for dries or indicator. Why limit myself because of some self-righteous bias against euro. And I'm sorry but people who say they don't fly fish to catch fish are not being honest.
Can’t help to comment but from someone who’s been Euro Nymphing for 10+ years. But, Nymphing isn’t that easy. I’ve seen many seasoned anglers struggle when learning to nymph as I’ve fished with them. A couple anglers stopped Nymphing because of the complexity. Nymphing is just another ‘style’ of fly fishing. Whether you prefer dries, streamers, nymph’s or using indicators, just fish…….
I started chasing fish with a fly rod about 50 years ago when my uncle got me hooked on catching bluegill with a fly rod. I didn't grow up in trout country, so it was bluegills and bass for the most part. The first trout I ever caught on the fly was when I was swinging a black wooly bugger less than twent years ago after moving to Missouri. Even when I knew nothing about trout fishing I wanted nothing to do with "bobber lobbin' ". I started catching trout regularly when I started swinging soft hackles through riffles and started catching on dries when I learned how to put them on the current seams and get a drag free drift. I learned how to cast in the wind and still put the fly where it needs to be. Then I took up fly tying and learned how to put the right materials together to get a fly where you want it it the water column, how to get the right size and profile. All of this is what fly fishing is to me, and it has soul. Do I love the days when I catch a lot of fish? Hell yes, but the number of fish is not the most important part. The experience of the entire process is. I love the aesthetics of the fly cast as much as anything. I could sit and watch a really good caster for hours, adjusting the loop size, aerial mending, adjusting the casting stroke speed to put a fly where he wants it. I'm not saying that euro nymphing is easy, but it sure as hell doesn't take the practice or skill to tie the flies or fish them that traditional fly fishing does. Euro is not for me, I'll just keep swingin' my soft hackles, driftin' my dries, poppin' my poppers, and strippin' my streamers. Oh, sorry for the long rant.
I’d say ‘each to their own”, and do what you need to do to have fun. Personally very happily combine euro with other forms of fly fishing, and enjoy the lot! Really depends on the individual.
It is just another way to fish under certain conditions.It is just tight line nymphing. I like the fact I can change my depth during a drift or from drift to drift. If you are using a dry dropper, you have to re-tie it if you want to change depth. You don't miss many strikes compared to a strike indicator. The strike indicator creates more of splash which scares fish.
Fly line is designed to cast weightless fly's..fly line gets grabbed by the current, (drag).. I euro nymph with a mono rig, I'll use a 10lb leader for nymph's, switch to a 15lb leader for throwing streamers and indy rigs.. and for a hopper dropper .. All this with a euro nymphing rod.. just minus the fly line.
exactly! And when you can be this versatile you tend to pay MORE attention to river conditions, bugs, fish behavior and then modify your approach. This is quite unlike anglers who commit to any one approach, be it dry/bobber nymphing/streamers/euro nymphing etc.
My approach to trout is floating line, looped to 10 ft of euro line, looped to 25-30 ft of 6lb Amnesia. Start out nymphing and can put the euro line and leader away if a hatch appears. No need for 2 rods or spare spool.
I just recently decided to try out Euro because of the sheer amount of videos that kept popping up on UA-cam. It was only a month or two and a handful of trips out and I felt the same, it just felt like it was fishing with no soul or no magic involved. It felt methodical and boring rather than feeling like an art form, there is no flow.
I hired a guide to learn more about fly fishing...ended up euro nymphing all day. We caught fish and i can understand why guides do it, but i learned nothing other than i cant stand euro nyphing.
sorry you had this experience. The scenario I see MUCH more commonly = guides having clients lob bobber rigs all morning in one run/pool. No doubt they catch fish. This is just as unsatisfying, I'd say.
I’m just starting out. I love casting and playing fish a little longer, so off the bat euro nymphing seems less interesting to me. It’s clearly a successful method. But wow, reading the comments here is really showing me a lot of fly fisherman are arrogant and hypercritical of anyone who has a different opinion. I appreciate you for putting yours out there.
Yeah. it comes with the territory of being on UA-cam. Fly fishing and bow hunting are the two sports where people can get very passionate about their keyboards! Hahah! Good on ya for enjoying the fly line and really tapping into the soul of fly fishing. Good luck out there🤘
Euro nymphing is not the most effective way to catch fish. It is a very effective (and sometimes the only) method to catch fish in certain situations. In almost every creek, there are sections where the flow narrows and gets fast. Couple rocks on the way create 4-5ft deep pockets. But that is it. It is all white roaring water otherwise. You know there has to be fish at the bottom of those pockets. In those situations, you do not need any special equipment to do "euro nymphing" (I rarely go above 4wt rod for trout fishing anyway) All you need to do is to add a 10ft 5x tippet to your leader and retrieve the back end of the leader all the way to the reel. Tie one of your heavier nymphs and go at it. You do not need a sighter. You are not in a competition; you are not seeking every possible fish. All you care is the fish willing to play at the bottom of those pockets. Spend 5 minutes at each pocket and move on down the river. Changing this set up takes 2 minutes of your time. What makes euro-nymphing weird is that in waters perfect for swinging flies, people scan the whole stretch with a euro-rod like an ink-jet printer.
I am lucky to have started spey casting before Euro nymphing. Last time I was out a dude got in the water just about me with his Euro rig and hooked into a nice steelhead. He had no chance of ever even seeing the fish! I thought about how happy I was that I would have had a darn good chance of landing that 30" unicorn with my 8wt switch. An hour or so later, I landed a 24" chromer that would have done the same to the guy with the Euro rod. I still Euro in deep winter if I've gone a few weeks without a fish, but I will never Euro full time.
Honestly this…doesn’t exactly sound like it’s anti-Euro. Sounds more like a Marine Corps recruiting commercial: don’t sign up. you probably can’t do it. You don’t have what it takes😂
I "euro nymph" on my 8'6" 4wt. I always try to dry fly first and if I know a run or hole has nice fish in it that won't come up I throw on a squirmy worm or stonefly before I move on
@@greenhornflyhorn I have been using a hopper dropper a lot lately to pretty good success. It's been an odd year up here, being so hot the fish are not top feeding nearly as much as usual
I don’t know how anybody can say with a straight face that euro nymphing is more soulless than fishing a bobber and split-shot, which is the reality of many famous tail waters. I think the only issue comes when it is the only way you fish.
I have a lot of respect for the anglers that use traditional trotter techniques, small floats, single hook, centrepin reels, etc. it’s sadly not something we see that often anymore.
I was actually going to comment a similar thing. Watching a strike indicator or dry is no different than watching a sighter so not sure how traditional fly fishing makes you more aware of your surroundings or nature, you are still paying attention to your line/leader. That said I do prefer to use traditional rods/lines most of the time as I enjoy the cast, and they are a bit more versatile in most situations but there is a time and place for the Euro rod and I do break it out from time to time. Not to go down another rabbit hole, but the pretentiousness of fly fishing (either for or against a particular technique or brand or place) never ceases to amaze me.
I've found Euro Nymphing to be a blast on my mini portable Tenkara rod, easy to keep it packed and ready to go but still have my normal 9'5wt for traditional fly fishing set-up all the time
Great video that really puts into perspective what it's all about. I took up Euro Nymphing a few years ago, bought a bunch of equipment and fly tying material. It was cool at first, but I guess, looking back I never was really that into it. Thanks for putting into words what I guess I've felt and did. I somehow just never got excited by it. I'm not putting it down, it just doesn't appeal to me all that much. Sure, it's a very effective technique to catch tons of fish, I just enjoy casting a fly better.
Euro nymphing is soulless. I truly appreciate this video as I had a similar journey coming from bass and saltwater fishing into fly fishing when I relocated to Colorado. Euro nymphing really limits you to pocket water and depth. You can do so much more normal fly fishing with a real fly line...even fishing stillwater.
If one ignore competition rules- then a lot of doors can open. Tight line approaches with an indicator (bobbers and/or yarn) can be tons of fun and let you get great drifts at 25-35 feet away. I think a lot of commenters are attacking a strawman here...
Can't agree more on that. I'm based in an area with no natural freestone rivers (all channelized). Most of the small streams are not wide enough to flick a 10' rod.
The problem is, people make the mistake of thinking that euro nymphing is just supposed to seamlessly work across any situation, when nobody has ever ONCE claimed that to be the case. If people actually paid attention, they would see that clearly euro nymphing is meant for faster water areas. Yeah they use it in slower areas and "float the sighter" but generally it's for faster water. Also, hate to break it to people but traditional fly fishing with a fly line (at least when talking about nymphing or dry fly fishing, where you are achieving a dead drift, unlike streamer fishing) really limits you as well when fishing faster runs/pocket water. That thicker line creates WAY more drag in those conditions but if fishing a much slower run or a pool with less complex currents then a fly line would be a lot better. Euro Nymphing is not meant to be some sort of end all be all type of thing, like many assume that it is, it is just another "arrow in the quiver" as they say, but people want to get triggered because they are too emotionally attached to ONE certain method that they can't see the benefits in the others, or they just don't WANT to see them. That to me is what limits Fly Fishing when people want to like a certain method so much to the point that they genuinely trash any other method instead of just recognizing that they all have their place and are effective. Nothing wrong with having a favorite method like dry fly fishing over nymphing but they all have their place.
I am starting to go down the euro nymphing rabbit hole. I do catch a lot of fish doing it. However, I do also enjoy throwing a light line for dry flies. And I also enjoy tenkara fishing. I catch the most fish on tenkara, closely followed by euro nymphing. Smallmouth bass on a fly rod are a ton of fun too.
I have a Skagit question. What would be the average rod size and length, and line size to use for streamers 2 to 5 inches mostly? Right now my streamer set up is a 6wt with Rio predator elite wf6/i/s3. But I'd love to try to make a better set up for rolling casts in little nooks and flicking under branches. Just more versatility, I guess? I just watched your Skagit video, and it seems like something in my wheelhouse.
I typically reserve my euro nymphing to winter and runoff. I just love fly casting, being in rhythm with the line and rod, and casting streamers. I love bass on a fly, multiple warm water species, etc. I just feel pent up after too much time watching a sighter. It works. It really works well, but it doesn't scratch the itch that other methods does
Sometimes I do wonder if light spinning using a 3lb mono line and tiny mepps spinners is actually more subtle than casting a splashy number 6 line and pulling so called " fly" back through the water thats just heen disturbed by the fly line..
You have a point fishing should be about chilling out. Lots of competition anglers use this method, personally I’ve used the method on hard waters with mixed results so there’s still a challenge. Your completely right about buying “stuff” I’m the worst but sometimes just being there can be surprising nature is fascinating.
Imo eurotechniques limit the water type too much. In my home river the biggest fish tend to hold in very soft water that can't be even approached with a nymph rig. In some situations you must dig deep but quite often the fish will also take a dry fly or traditional wet fly.
I tried tenkara for a while but got annoyed by wind drag and trying to land fish with a long rod and overhead branches. Euronymphing eliminates those disadvantages but I don't enjoy casting it as much as casting a fly line... so I do it but only when I expect to see no rises all day. I think the point of all this is that we want to enjoy the process but also enjoy variety :)
I haven't fished salt water in over a decade because I'm more inland and more familiar with freshwater fly fishing. I bought a popper jig and hit up a ocean bay 30 minutes before sundown using my freshwater bass rod. Weather was perfect, nature in the bay was beautiful and quite (meanwhile everyone else was fishing off the piers and a fairly crowded beach). 20 mins in I caught a 26" striper bass! I was absolutely stoked! I can say its worth just switching up techniques and scenery time to time and keep things fresh and hey you might learn something new.
I went through the same sort of thing with fly fishing - got turned on to euro nymphing by a guy I met at a river and got totally swallowed up by it. Within a few months, I had lost interest in fly fishing entirely. That was a couple of years ago. Now I'm getting back into it and realize that while euro nymphing has its place, it is just not as much fun for me. I'm going to keep exploring the sport now and try to sharpen my streamer skills and get back to dry flies. That being said, there are some streams where I'm from that are small with so much vegetation around, there is no way I would not reach for the euro setup.
I don't get this. Euro nymphing is a healthy addiction. Maybe it's more hedonistic, because you just started, found early success, you're catching more fish, and the gears are turning. I have a feeling that this particular infatuation is a limerence, and in time, you'll find your way back to dries and streamers. There are seasons to everything. If you're excited about anything on that level, I'd say you're winning. It doesn't take anything away from the visceral energy of getting clobbered on a streamer, or seeing a fish rise to slurp a dry. It's all special and it all has its place. An old man once told me that if you are fly fishing, "you're gonna indirectly spend a lot of time in beautiful places in persuance of Trout." I'll never forget those words. Dont overthink it, just go fishing. Even if you are catching a ton of fish, and not paying her as much attention, Mother Nature will never abandon you. It's your story to write. Cheers
I was almost forced to start fly fishing. Tackle Warehouse refused to fulfil my orders and then tried to steal my identity, and it infuriated me to the point that I stopped fishing conventional bass tackle. Tenkara rod fishing is my addiction. Size 20-10 streamers and micro jigs. I can fish them like streamers, jigs, or nymphs without changing anything. Not traditional by any means, but it works, it's fun, and it's simple. Fixed line will teach you how to use your rod to fight fish, and you will get better at landing big fish. I still have western gear though for suspended jigging/indicator fishing, and streamers.
100% agree, fly fishing is a lifestyle, and opportunity to enjoy time on the river, an opportunity to unplug. Catching fish is of coarse enjoyable, but far from the only reason we are there. Euro nymphing is highly effective, but has no soul, it is purely a numbers game. Here is a great quote by Henry David Thoreau "Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after"
Ive tried euro nymphing for the last 3 years. Its way over rated, way misrepresented, and its awful when fishing areas where the fish wont bite if they can see you...I catch more with an indicator rig, and way more with a splitshot or bounce rig.
If I was interested in the number of fish I catch I surely wouldn't be using a fly rod. It's certainly not the most effective/efficient way to hook a fish. This idea blows people's minds. This, along with catch and release, are the two most unique aspects of conservation-based fishing that non-anglers just can't seem to wrap their minds around.
Well said! Not to denigrate euro nymphing, but fly fishing to me involves an expansion of one’s mind, opening yourself up to a whole new world. Limiting yourself to just one aspect of this beautiful art form, I feel, stymies all the cool possibilities the sport offers.
why do you assume that euronymphing limits one to just that or that it doesn't expand one's mind? I find that when I use contact nymphing approaches, I have to think about currents and a 3-D "map" of the drift lines. Just chucking a bobber or dry dropper or swinging a wooly bugger take far less "expansion of one's mind". They are easier- and perhaps more enjoyable to some- which is fine. But it's just not accurate to claim that contact nymphing inherently involves less thinking / expansion of the mind! After all- the angler is now in far more control of the drift.
@@martinhodell8465 You neglected to take into account “…not to denigrate….” I never said you’re NOT expanding your mind, but there is more to fly fishing than exclusively Euro fishing.
It’s the same e 2 lb test w number 10 long shank and a broken worm and a split shot. Bam 💥 catches fish every time. Like bow hunting once u do it it’s a rush be smarter fisherman w a fly
I've been flyfishing for 35+ years and have incorporated Euro nymphing into my different types of flyfishing. I have to respectfully disagree with you. Getting out in nature and being one with nature doesn't change if your casting a dry, nymphing with a indicator or Tight lining euro style.To each his own I guess
I don’t understand why people say dry fly fishing is artistic and euro nymphing is no soul and no art? Because of that famous movie? It’s just a matter of perspective, isn’t it? I can throw nymphs 40 feet and catch fish with euro nymphing. It’s super exciting and rewarding. Why isn’t it not an art?
Putting together a great euro or indicator rig and having great success with it is very rewarding. It’s great in the winter and early spring, but I always look forward to putting that stuff up in favor of dry and dry dropper. For me, that style feels the most beautiful, even if I catch less fish. Folks should get proficient at a few different techniques to get the most enjoyment.
I only Euro nymph where I fish from the bank and use the reach of the rod, Grayling fishing And I might get one fish a day if I’m lucky, where I fish. Catching 50-60 trout is obscene! I like a challenge and also? It’s not good to be hooking numbers of fish like that, whats the point?
Good video but like everything nice in life, you need balance. Most people watching me fish think I’m euro nymphing but I’m just using a 3wt rod, tight lining, and on any given river, I use at least three different techniques by the end of the day by switching spools, leaders, flies etc. Recognizing your desire to do euro competition is the red line for me.
I love Euro Nymphing. Not because I do it all the time but the ones who do just paid for my new Loomis rod. Can't sell enough nymphs to these guys. The technique does not work all of the time. That's the thing people have to realise. If they say it does then they need to visit a river on which they are totally out of their comfort zone.
I don’t understand why you would make this video. The problem is the dogmatic commitment to euro nymphing and now you are dogmatically opposed to euro nymphing. Why not just do everything? Like if you are on a stream euro nymphing and you are catching a ton of fish or find yourself too focused on breaking down currents, just switch to a dry fly or a streamer or a dry dropper. There is nothing wrong with using a proven tactic, the issue is when you solely commit to one tactic and you have basically done the same thing by committing not to use a tactic.
LOL....despite having grown up in trout country, I transitioned to doing mostly saltwater fly fishing a few decades ago. The fact that people are struggling with this "addiction" makes me never want to go back. Even though this guy has clearly evolved, never once did he indicate any desire to fish for anything besides trout. Get out of the trout bubble, folks. There's a whole universe out here.
Yep, catching fish is only part of it. Catch a couple on a dry, a couple on a nymph. Tie your own, and spend the rest of the day in heaven along the River. “A person never steps into the same river twice”. Heraclitus.😊
Well said. Seems like that vid was a bit of a therapy session for you and I couldn’t agree more with all your points. Think what people need to realize is you’re not bagging on Euro, rather don’t just do that solely. Think the same would apply to those who are only doing wet flys on the swing or chucking massive streamers Shit, they’re all fun. Do everything
Wait until you find out that Euro fly fishing is even more than tight line nymphing. There are special dry fly techniques too. :D But anyways: In case you have to deal with calmer water you need long distance nymphing because you can´t approach the fish up close. But yes, EN is boring as hell. A guide forced me to fish it 3 days. I really lost all the fun in fishing. I´m wondering how is it possible to get addicted to it. :D
If the argument is that euro nymphing made you a zombie (too repetitive, too focused on your sighter?) I'd say this is much worse with those who stare at indicators all the time. If the argument is that you camped out in certain runs or fished more slowly...I'd say the way you proceed and target water is a choice, independent of your tactic (euro nymphing / indy / dries). I totally get the appreciation of casting dries with fly line & using multiple techniques. I'd say the most versatile anglers can vary between tight-line / dry / dry dropper / streamer tactics very quickly-- and that is FUN. My point is that a lot of the things you're criticizing here are issues with your approach to angling- not things that are particular to euro nymphing. We all go through stages of evolution as anglers. You have. But don't conflate that with the tactic. One could just as easily do the same thing about streamer bros, dry or die guys, etc. Versatility is fun. Observing nature and adjusting one's approaches is fun.
Yeah, it is much more important to focus on everything else…….who wants to catch fish why they are fly fishing?!? 😂. I unapologetically LOVE Euronymphing because I catch more fish. But, I don’t do it exclusively. I love all versions of fly fishing and do euro, Stillwater indicator fishing, throwing streamers and doing dry’s. I feel like there are all these people trashing euro for more “traditional” methods. Regardless of the method of fly fishing, here are the things that make it beautiful: 1. You get out in nature and experience the wild and wildlife. 2. The sounds of the river or stream are very soothing. 3. It takes focus, focus on your fly or indicator, reading the river, the cadence and feel of the line. Because of all of this focus, for me, the cares of the world fade away and allow me to escape my cares and challenges. You do have to focus on euro. But don’t you have to do that with EVERY other method? Anyhow, this is my first time seeing one of your vids and I don’t love the topic, but you seem like a good dude and I think awareness is really important. Thanks! Also, I love your hat! Where did you get it? Good luck to you!
Fishing shouId be about having fun. The happiest fishermen I know are 6-year oIds catching bIue giIIs with worms off the dock with a Zebco Snoopy outfit. You don't need to expIain yourseIf if it doesn't hurt the environment you're good to go.
Im confused. No matter the technique you are always staring at something...indicator, fly, sighter, its all the same. I euro and still enjoy the destination plenty. Not to mention the beauty of each fish I catch (which is typically 10x with euro nymphing) You are one weird dude, but you do you! 😂
If you want to keep these fisheries, you don't stick a hook in the fishes' mouthe's ever day. If rivers are heavily fished it is too much. Before euro happened, I had been on rivers where the fish were so beaten up that they didn't fight, rolled on their sides until you took the fly out. And their faces were all hacked up. So it isn't just Euro, it is other techniques that are just too effective. But then what do you do about it? It doesn't make sense to do stuff where your fly isn't even in front of fish. But we have been down this path for over a hundred years. It is what the dry flies only thing was actually about. Otherwise the rivers would have been emptied. Catch and release was a partial solution, but it was used to flood the zone with new fly fishers, so eventually you still come up against barriers. And the sport is at risk. The reason we have special seasons, or fly fishing only sections is because fly fishing is regarded as more challenging, and less damaging, or cruel, that bait. But people will eventually catch on to the fact that is no longer the case. Penn banned mono rigs decades ago. Penn anglers figured those techniques out a very long time ago. Euro is nothing new.
I miss the old-fashioned purists. The dry fly snobs. Thirty years ago, it was pretty common to run into guys who only fished dries or who might fish a wet or emerger but wouldn’t scrape bottom. Guys who only used floating lines and wouldn’t add weight to the leader. Some of it was over-the-top snobbery, like the bamboo only guys, but I miss it. Now everybody’s too fish-greedy to limit themselves. They stay out on the water too long, hook too many fish. As you pointed out, it’s bad for the resource and bad for the sport.
@@robertheal261 you can make the same presentation with a broomstick, or a fly rod.. provided you keep (most) of the floating line off the water. Everyone has a pet peeve, I guess. Mine was Floating indicators; won’t touch em. Great for beginners but it’s hardly fly fishing IMO. If this (Joe Humphreys) video doesn’t warm you up to naked nymphing, nothing will. And that’s okay too! To each their own. ua-cam.com/video/3dhKgm4dztg/v-deo.htmlsi=9LEBPG3hH59D2Qst Cheers,
Euro nymphing is bloody brilliant. Nothing teaches you to think about the bottom of the river like being in contact with it. And if you like fish...well...you're not going to see more of them by other methods.
If you like fish you don't stick a hook in their mouths ever day. If rivers are heavily fished it is too much. Before euro happened, I had been on rivers where the fish were so beaten up that they didn't fight, rolled on their sides until you took the fly out. And their faces were all hacked up. So it isn't just Euro, it is other techniques that are just too effective. But then what do you do about it? It doesn't make sense to do stuff where your fly isn't even in front of fish. But we have been down this path for over a hundred years. It is what the dry flies only thing was about. Otherwise the rivers would have been emptied. Catch and release was a partial solution, but it was used to flood the zone with new fly fishers, so eventually you still come up against barriers. And the sport is at risk. The reason we have special seasons, or fly fishing only sections is because fly fishing is regarded as more challenging, and less damaging, or cruel, that bait. But people will eventually catch on to the fact that is no longer the case. Penn banned mono rigs decades ago. Penn Anglers figured those techniques out a very long time ago. Euro is nothing new.
@@HondoTrailside Sorry your rivers are so messed up. Mine are not. And it's not euro that's to blame, it's overfishing generally. Unless you're going to ban bait and limit numbers of anglers, that's going to happen: because the easiest way to catch fish is bait. At least euro uses artificials, and not everybody can do it well.
Thanks for sharing that. I found it interesting when I decided to get into euro nymphing. I liked the idea of maybe catching more fish but I was really somewhat bugged that i was using monofilament line like I use on my spinning rod basically. I loved everything about the fly line and the fly cast, roll cast etc...Funny thing is i would fish the Provo with my father as a kid. He used a fly rod with a small closed face Zebco reel at the back and 4lb test. He would tie on two nymphs and a drop shot. He could easily swing it underhand and shoot it across the river, tight line and bounce flies along the bottom and land a lot of fish. This was basically euro nymphing back in 1977. Now all of a sudden it seems to be something new. Funny how things keep coming back around. I too enjoy the challenge of working a fly ling and fly rod. Lets be honest you can euro nymph with a good willow or Tenkara rod with a little mono and some nymphs. This type of fishing is one step away from a small worm on a hook at the end of your mono on a budget spinning rod. Much less challenging than finessing a fly line and fly rod. And you are right.....There is much more to fishing than landing fish:)
It does have some similarities to the ole worm and hook but euro is more technical. I will say, nothing beats a worm and a hook BUT! Euro nymphing is darn close😆
You have lost your cotton picking mind! Fly fishing is about catching fish and most anglers can enjoy the outdoor world while they are catching. Maybe you are one of those people who can't multitask. The majority of anglers want to catch fish. No one cares if you catch fish or not. They don't even care how you fish as long as it's legal. Do whatever floats your boat my friend but the majority of anglers will disagree with what you said in your video.
I promise you anglers with the mindset you are talking about are less happy and are less satisfied after a fishing session than an angler who is already just happy to be able to get on the water. That being said every man for himself. But don’t go and tune what he said in the video because you are clearly not on the same level and understanding of what other people might enjoy.
@@dannybarker442 thanks for your insight Danny! Just at a different stage of my fishing life. It’s the little things that I enjoy now. I will agree, not everyone thinks like me nor would I want them to. Definitely in the minority here but I still get joy from helping people get on fish. Keep er’ Tight!
Wierd. Can’t say I follow you. Gear? You can go crazy on gear with any style. As to missing the scenery, stop and look around from time to time. Flinging a bobber can be done with a spinning reel. Back in the 80’s Gary Borger made a VHS video for SA. He shows nymphing with a tight line. Staring at a sighter? Don’t you stare are you bobber or dry while fishing? Just don’t get your rant but I don’t have an addictive personality
@@greenhornflyhorn Did you have a script. I like your message, but it wasn't well organized or as complete as it could be. I don't think people will walk away from an effective technique because it is addictive. Apparently we have 300K deaths a year from Fentanyl.
Euronymphing is just an irritating fad, fed by tackle manufacturers. It's no comparison to the interest and skill and fun of all the other forms of fly fishing. :-(
I don’t fly fish to catch fish. I fly fish because it’s fun and unique. Casting and sight fishing, using different methods, mixing it up.
Well said, i do enjoy a fish on the line but not addicted to the idea anymore. Thanks for the comment
I think this is one of the most thoughtful videos about our sport since a long time. I can subscribe to everything here. I still go Euronymphing but I typically stop after having caught about a dozen fish, there’s no point in catching more and I start missing my fly lines.
I‘ve rediscovered my wet fly box and swinging flies in riffles which are stalked by Euro-Nymphers is a lot of fun, in particular when I catch fish.
I have been to Czechia in April just to find the beautiful intact rivers of Bohemia empty. This very productive method has its side effects……
I thought this video was a joke. An experienced fly fisherman has many ways to fish: dry flies, indicator nymphing, spey casting , streamers, wet flies , wading, from a boat.....all depends on the target, the water conditions, the season, the weather, the wind, the size of the river, etc. Every technique has its place. I love tight line nymphing - no indicators, simple flies, can fish riffles, pocket water, pools,... but sure when the hatch is on, I have my dry fly rod ready. Don't bash something that works.
Exactly....all fishing is situational. I always have a tight line 3wt rod AND a 4 or 5wt with a floating line for dries or indicator. Why limit myself because of some self-righteous bias against euro. And I'm sorry but people who say they don't fly fish to catch fish are not being honest.
Can’t help to comment but from someone who’s been Euro Nymphing for 10+ years. But, Nymphing isn’t that easy. I’ve seen many seasoned anglers struggle when learning to nymph as I’ve fished with them. A couple anglers stopped Nymphing because of the complexity. Nymphing is just another ‘style’ of fly fishing. Whether you prefer dries, streamers, nymph’s or using indicators, just fish…….
Not true at all. Anybody is able to sling a bead head around, not everybody can make a cast into a tight willow with a size 18 dry fly.
I started chasing fish with a fly rod about 50 years ago when my uncle got me hooked on catching bluegill with a fly rod. I didn't grow up in trout country, so it was bluegills and bass for the most part. The first trout I ever caught on the fly was when I was swinging a black wooly bugger less than twent years ago after moving to Missouri. Even when I knew nothing about trout fishing I wanted nothing to do with "bobber lobbin' ". I started catching trout regularly when I started swinging soft hackles through riffles and started catching on dries when I learned how to put them on the current seams and get a drag free drift. I learned how to cast in the wind and still put the fly where it needs to be. Then I took up fly tying and learned how to put the right materials together to get a fly where you want it it the water column, how to get the right size and profile. All of this is what fly fishing is to me, and it has soul. Do I love the days when I catch a lot of fish? Hell yes, but the number of fish is not the most important part. The experience of the entire process is. I love the aesthetics of the fly cast as much as anything. I could sit and watch a really good caster for hours, adjusting the loop size, aerial mending, adjusting the casting stroke speed to put a fly where he wants it. I'm not saying that euro nymphing is easy, but it sure as hell doesn't take the practice or skill to tie the flies or fish them that traditional fly fishing does. Euro is not for me, I'll just keep swingin' my soft hackles, driftin' my dries, poppin' my poppers, and strippin' my streamers. Oh, sorry for the long rant.
I’d say ‘each to their own”, and do what you need to do to have fun. Personally very happily combine euro with other forms of fly fishing, and enjoy the lot! Really depends on the individual.
Just go fishing and have fun doing it no matter what it is
I was absolutely waiting for you to grab a euro setup at the end and fish it. Thought this was gonna be a spoof episode.
It is just another way to fish under certain conditions.It is just tight line nymphing. I like the fact I can change my depth during a drift or from drift to drift. If you are using a dry dropper, you have to re-tie it if you want to change depth. You don't miss many strikes compared to a strike indicator. The strike indicator creates more of splash which scares fish.
Fly line is designed to cast weightless fly's..fly line gets grabbed by the current, (drag).. I euro nymph with a mono rig, I'll use a 10lb leader for nymph's, switch to a 15lb leader for throwing streamers and indy rigs.. and for a hopper dropper .. All this with a euro nymphing rod.. just minus the fly line.
exactly! And when you can be this versatile you tend to pay MORE attention to river conditions, bugs, fish behavior and then modify your approach. This is quite unlike anglers who commit to any one approach, be it dry/bobber nymphing/streamers/euro nymphing etc.
My approach to trout is floating line, looped to 10 ft of euro line, looped to 25-30 ft of 6lb Amnesia. Start out nymphing and can put the euro line and leader away if a hatch appears. No need for 2 rods or spare spool.
I just recently decided to try out Euro because of the sheer amount of videos that kept popping up on UA-cam. It was only a month or two and a handful of trips out and I felt the same, it just felt like it was fishing with no soul or no magic involved.
It felt methodical and boring rather than feeling like an art form, there is no flow.
You need to watch Old Dominion Trout Bum. Before him, I was just basically tight lining.
I hired a guide to learn more about fly fishing...ended up euro nymphing all day. We caught fish and i can understand why guides do it, but i learned nothing other than i cant stand euro nyphing.
Yikes!! I completely understand where the guide is coming from, get the client on fish as soon as possible.
sorry you had this experience. The scenario I see MUCH more commonly = guides having clients lob bobber rigs all morning in one run/pool. No doubt they catch fish. This is just as unsatisfying, I'd say.
Did they tell that is what they mainly do in their description or did they just pull it out of nowhere?
That's profound dude, we should all be more like you
I’m just starting out. I love casting and playing fish a little longer, so off the bat euro nymphing seems less interesting to me. It’s clearly a successful method. But wow, reading the comments here is really showing me a lot of fly fisherman are arrogant and hypercritical of anyone who has a different opinion. I appreciate you for putting yours out there.
Yeah. it comes with the territory of being on UA-cam. Fly fishing and bow hunting are the two sports where people can get very passionate about their keyboards! Hahah! Good on ya for enjoying the fly line and really tapping into the soul of fly fishing. Good luck out there🤘
Euro nymphing is not the most effective way to catch fish. It is a very effective (and sometimes the only) method to catch fish in certain situations.
In almost every creek, there are sections where the flow narrows and gets fast. Couple rocks on the way create 4-5ft deep pockets. But that is it. It is all white roaring water otherwise. You know there has to be fish at the bottom of those pockets. In those situations, you do not need any special equipment to do "euro nymphing" (I rarely go above 4wt rod for trout fishing anyway)
All you need to do is to add a 10ft 5x tippet to your leader and retrieve the back end of the leader all the way to the reel. Tie one of your heavier nymphs and go at it. You do not need a sighter. You are not in a competition; you are not seeking every possible fish. All you care is the fish willing to play at the bottom of those pockets. Spend 5 minutes at each pocket and move on down the river.
Changing this set up takes 2 minutes of your time.
What makes euro-nymphing weird is that in waters perfect for swinging flies, people scan the whole stretch with a euro-rod like an ink-jet printer.
I am lucky to have started spey casting before Euro nymphing. Last time I was out a dude got in the water just about me with his Euro rig and hooked into a nice steelhead. He had no chance of ever even seeing the fish! I thought about how happy I was that I would have had a darn good chance of landing that 30" unicorn with my 8wt switch. An hour or so later, I landed a 24" chromer that would have done the same to the guy with the Euro rod. I still Euro in deep winter if I've gone a few weeks without a fish, but I will never Euro full time.
Honestly this…doesn’t exactly sound like it’s anti-Euro. Sounds more like a Marine Corps recruiting commercial: don’t sign up. you probably can’t do it. You don’t have what it takes😂
I "euro nymph" on my 8'6" 4wt. I always try to dry fly first and if I know a run or hole has nice fish in it that won't come up I throw on a squirmy worm or stonefly before I move on
Do you ever try a dry dropper? It’s a fun way of fishing if your regs will allow it🙂
@@greenhornflyhorn I have been using a hopper dropper a lot lately to pretty good success. It's been an odd year up here, being so hot the fish are not top feeding nearly as much as usual
I don’t know how anybody can say with a straight face that euro nymphing is more soulless than fishing a bobber and split-shot, which is the reality of many famous tail waters. I think the only issue comes when it is the only way you fish.
I have a lot of respect for the anglers that use traditional trotter techniques, small floats, single hook, centrepin reels, etc. it’s sadly not something we see that often anymore.
I was actually going to comment a similar thing. Watching a strike indicator or dry is no different than watching a sighter so not sure how traditional fly fishing makes you more aware of your surroundings or nature, you are still paying attention to your line/leader. That said I do prefer to use traditional rods/lines most of the time as I enjoy the cast, and they are a bit more versatile in most situations but there is a time and place for the Euro rod and I do break it out from time to time. Not to go down another rabbit hole, but the pretentiousness of fly fishing (either for or against a particular technique or brand or place) never ceases to amaze me.
I've found Euro Nymphing to be a blast on my mini portable Tenkara rod, easy to keep it packed and ready to go but still have my normal 9'5wt for traditional fly fishing set-up all the time
Great video that really puts into perspective what it's all about. I took up Euro Nymphing a few years ago, bought a bunch of equipment and fly tying material. It was cool at first, but I guess, looking back I never was really that into it. Thanks for putting into words what I guess I've felt and did. I somehow just never got excited by it. I'm not putting it down, it just doesn't appeal to me all that much. Sure, it's a very effective technique to catch tons of fish, I just enjoy casting a fly better.
@@trouthawk pretty much summed it up! Thanks for watching 🤘
Euro nymphing is soulless. I truly appreciate this video as I had a similar journey coming from bass and saltwater fishing into fly fishing when I relocated to Colorado. Euro nymphing really limits you to pocket water and depth. You can do so much more normal fly fishing with a real fly line...even fishing stillwater.
Yup! I completely agree!
If one ignore competition rules- then a lot of doors can open. Tight line approaches with an indicator (bobbers and/or yarn) can be tons of fun and let you get great drifts at 25-35 feet away. I think a lot of commenters are attacking a strawman here...
Can't agree more on that. I'm based in an area with no natural freestone rivers (all channelized). Most of the small streams are not wide enough to flick a 10' rod.
The problem is, people make the mistake of thinking that euro nymphing is just supposed to seamlessly work across any situation, when nobody has ever ONCE claimed that to be the case. If people actually paid attention, they would see that clearly euro nymphing is meant for faster water areas. Yeah they use it in slower areas and "float the sighter" but generally it's for faster water. Also, hate to break it to people but traditional fly fishing with a fly line (at least when talking about nymphing or dry fly fishing, where you are achieving a dead drift, unlike streamer fishing) really limits you as well when fishing faster runs/pocket water. That thicker line creates WAY more drag in those conditions but if fishing a much slower run or a pool with less complex currents then a fly line would be a lot better. Euro Nymphing is not meant to be some sort of end all be all type of thing, like many assume that it is, it is just another "arrow in the quiver" as they say, but people want to get triggered because they are too emotionally attached to ONE certain method that they can't see the benefits in the others, or they just don't WANT to see them. That to me is what limits Fly Fishing when people want to like a certain method so much to the point that they genuinely trash any other method instead of just recognizing that they all have their place and are effective. Nothing wrong with having a favorite method like dry fly fishing over nymphing but they all have their place.
I am starting to go down the euro nymphing rabbit hole. I do catch a lot of fish doing it. However, I do also enjoy throwing a light line for dry flies. And I also enjoy tenkara fishing. I catch the most fish on tenkara, closely followed by euro nymphing. Smallmouth bass on a fly rod are a ton of fun too.
I have a Skagit question. What would be the average rod size and length, and line size to use for streamers 2 to 5 inches mostly? Right now my streamer set up is a 6wt with Rio predator elite wf6/i/s3. But I'd love to try to make a better set up for rolling casts in little nooks and flicking under branches. Just more versatility, I guess? I just watched your Skagit video, and it seems like something in my wheelhouse.
I typically reserve my euro nymphing to winter and runoff. I just love fly casting, being in rhythm with the line and rod, and casting streamers. I love bass on a fly, multiple warm water species, etc. I just feel pent up after too much time watching a sighter. It works. It really works well, but it doesn't scratch the itch that other methods does
Sometimes I do wonder if light spinning using a 3lb mono line and tiny mepps spinners is actually more subtle than casting a splashy number 6 line and pulling so called " fly" back through the water thats just heen disturbed by the fly line..
Look up The Mealie Master. He casts a single mealworm on an ultralight spinning rod and catches _all_ the trout.
You have a point fishing should be about chilling out. Lots of competition anglers use this method, personally I’ve used the method on hard waters with mixed results so there’s still a challenge. Your completely right about buying “stuff” I’m the worst but sometimes just being there can be surprising nature is fascinating.
Imo eurotechniques limit the water type too much. In my home river the biggest fish tend to hold in very soft water that can't be even approached with a nymph rig.
In some situations you must dig deep but quite often the fish will also take a dry fly or traditional wet fly.
I kinda agree but have had success in super slack water. I will say it shines in pocket water and faster currents. Appreciate you watching🤙
I tried tenkara for a while but got annoyed by wind drag and trying to land fish with a long rod and overhead branches. Euronymphing eliminates those disadvantages but I don't enjoy casting it as much as casting a fly line... so I do it but only when I expect to see no rises all day. I think the point of all this is that we want to enjoy the process but also enjoy variety :)
Completely agree with point
I haven't fished salt water in over a decade because I'm more inland and more familiar with freshwater fly fishing. I bought a popper jig and hit up a ocean bay 30 minutes before sundown using my freshwater bass rod. Weather was perfect, nature in the bay was beautiful and quite (meanwhile everyone else was fishing off the piers and a fairly crowded beach). 20 mins in I caught a 26" striper bass! I was absolutely stoked! I can say its worth just switching up techniques and scenery time to time and keep things fresh and hey you might learn something new.
I went through the same sort of thing with fly fishing - got turned on to euro nymphing by a guy I met at a river and got totally swallowed up by it. Within a few months, I had lost interest in fly fishing entirely. That was a couple of years ago. Now I'm getting back into it and realize that while euro nymphing has its place, it is just not as much fun for me. I'm going to keep exploring the sport now and try to sharpen my streamer skills and get back to dry flies. That being said, there are some streams where I'm from that are small with so much vegetation around, there is no way I would not reach for the euro setup.
I don't get this. Euro nymphing is a healthy addiction. Maybe it's more hedonistic, because you just started, found early success, you're catching more fish, and the gears are turning. I have a feeling that this particular infatuation is a limerence, and in time, you'll find your way back to dries and streamers. There are seasons to everything. If you're excited about anything on that level, I'd say you're winning. It doesn't take anything away from the visceral energy of getting clobbered on a streamer, or seeing a fish rise to slurp a dry. It's all special and it all has its place. An old man once told me that if you are fly fishing, "you're gonna indirectly spend a lot of time in beautiful places in persuance of Trout." I'll never forget those words. Dont overthink it, just go fishing. Even if you are catching a ton of fish, and not paying her as much attention, Mother Nature will never abandon you. It's your story to write. Cheers
I was almost forced to start fly fishing. Tackle Warehouse refused to fulfil my orders and then tried to steal my identity, and it infuriated me to the point that I stopped fishing conventional bass tackle.
Tenkara rod fishing is my addiction. Size 20-10 streamers and micro jigs. I can fish them like streamers, jigs, or nymphs without changing anything. Not traditional by any means, but it works, it's fun, and it's simple. Fixed line will teach you how to use your rod to fight fish, and you will get better at landing big fish. I still have western gear though for suspended jigging/indicator fishing, and streamers.
100% agree, fly fishing is a lifestyle, and opportunity to enjoy time on the river, an opportunity to unplug. Catching fish is of coarse enjoyable, but far from the only reason we are there. Euro nymphing is highly effective, but has no soul, it is purely a numbers game. Here is a great quote by Henry David Thoreau "Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after"
One must master all Fly techniques!
More importantly is the company that makes phentex out of business and only existing stock is available?
Maybe there's a need for E.A. - 12 step program for addicts (Euronymph-aholics Anonymous). Local meetings and sponsors....😅
I really don't understand why people come out saying euronymphing is easy. I'm a competent dryfly angler but find euronymphing not easy
Ive tried euro nymphing for the last 3 years. Its way over rated, way misrepresented, and its awful when fishing areas where the fish wont bite if they can see you...I catch more with an indicator rig, and way more with a splitshot or bounce rig.
Yada, yada, yada!
If I was interested in the number of fish I catch I surely wouldn't be using a fly rod. It's certainly not the most effective/efficient way to hook a fish. This idea blows people's minds. This, along with catch and release, are the two most unique aspects of conservation-based fishing that non-anglers just can't seem to wrap their minds around.
Well said! Not to denigrate euro nymphing, but fly fishing to me involves an expansion of one’s mind, opening yourself up to a whole new world. Limiting yourself to just one aspect of this beautiful art form, I feel, stymies all the cool possibilities the sport offers.
why do you assume that euronymphing limits one to just that or that it doesn't expand one's mind? I find that when I use contact nymphing approaches, I have to think about currents and a 3-D "map" of the drift lines. Just chucking a bobber or dry dropper or swinging a wooly bugger take far less "expansion of one's mind". They are easier- and perhaps more enjoyable to some- which is fine.
But it's just not accurate to claim that contact nymphing inherently involves less thinking / expansion of the mind! After all- the angler is now in far more control of the drift.
@@martinhodell8465 You neglected to take into account “…not to denigrate….” I never said you’re NOT expanding your mind, but there is more to fly fishing than exclusively Euro fishing.
Are you aware that you can fish, drys,streamers,nymphs,indicatorsdry dropper all on a mono rig? Why does it need to be done with traditional methods
Because that is what fly fishing is all about
Sounds like bass fishing after 80 k u wake up truck boat gear over gear it never ends. I get it
It’s the same e 2 lb test w number 10 long shank and a broken worm and a split shot. Bam 💥 catches fish every time. Like bow hunting once u do it it’s a rush be smarter fisherman w a fly
I've been flyfishing for 35+ years and have incorporated Euro nymphing into my different types of flyfishing. I have to respectfully disagree with you. Getting out in nature and being one with nature doesn't change if your casting a dry, nymphing with a indicator or Tight lining euro style.To each his own I guess
One fish in a dry is worth 100 on a chuck’n duck euronympho.
Make a video with a person throwing small and large dry flies with a euro nymphing rig. Better yet want to see one with smallmouth flies.😉
This is why folks say do everything in moderation.. lol
Use it sparingly all aspects of the game from euro to streamers to indicator fishing ,if anything it makes you swell round angler
I don’t understand why people say dry fly fishing is artistic and euro nymphing is no soul and no art? Because of that famous movie? It’s just a matter of perspective, isn’t it? I can throw nymphs 40 feet and catch fish with euro nymphing. It’s super exciting and rewarding. Why isn’t it not an art?
Putting together a great euro or indicator rig and having great success with it is very rewarding. It’s great in the winter and early spring, but I always look forward to putting that stuff up in favor of dry and dry dropper. For me, that style feels the most beautiful, even if I catch less fish. Folks should get proficient at a few different techniques to get the most enjoyment.
I only Euro nymph where I fish from the bank and use the reach of the rod, Grayling fishing
And I might get one fish a day if I’m lucky, where I fish.
Catching 50-60 trout is obscene!
I like a challenge and also? It’s not good to be hooking numbers of fish like that, whats the point?
Good video but like everything nice in life, you need balance. Most people watching me fish think I’m euro nymphing but I’m just using a 3wt rod, tight lining, and on any given river, I use at least three different techniques by the end of the day by switching spools, leaders, flies etc. Recognizing your desire to do euro competition is the red line for me.
I love Euro Nymphing. Not because I do it all the time but the ones who do just paid for my new Loomis rod. Can't sell enough nymphs to these guys.
The technique does not work all of the time. That's the thing people have to realise. If they say it does then they need to visit a river on which they are totally out of their comfort zone.
I don’t understand why you would make this video. The problem is the dogmatic commitment to euro nymphing and now you are dogmatically opposed to euro nymphing. Why not just do everything? Like if you are on a stream euro nymphing and you are catching a ton of fish or find yourself too focused on breaking down currents, just switch to a dry fly or a streamer or a dry dropper. There is nothing wrong with using a proven tactic, the issue is when you solely commit to one tactic and you have basically done the same thing by committing not to use a tactic.
LOL....despite having grown up in trout country, I transitioned to doing mostly saltwater fly fishing a few decades ago. The fact that people are struggling with this "addiction" makes me never want to go back. Even though this guy has clearly evolved, never once did he indicate any desire to fish for anything besides trout.
Get out of the trout bubble, folks. There's a whole universe out here.
Yep, catching fish is only part of it. Catch a couple on a dry, a couple on a nymph. Tie your own, and spend the rest of the day in heaven along the River. “A person never steps into the same river twice”. Heraclitus.😊
Well said. Seems like that vid was a bit of a therapy session for you and I couldn’t agree more with all your points. Think what people need to realize is you’re not bagging on Euro, rather don’t just do that solely. Think the same would apply to those who are only doing wet flys on the swing or chucking massive streamers
Shit, they’re all fun. Do everything
Wait until you find out that Euro fly fishing is even more than tight line nymphing. There are special dry fly techniques too. :D
But anyways: In case you have to deal with calmer water you need long distance nymphing because you can´t approach the fish up close. But yes, EN is boring as hell. A guide forced me to fish it 3 days. I really lost all the fun in fishing. I´m wondering how is it possible to get addicted to it. :D
If the argument is that euro nymphing made you a zombie (too repetitive, too focused on your sighter?) I'd say this is much worse with those who stare at indicators all the time. If the argument is that you camped out in certain runs or fished more slowly...I'd say the way you proceed and target water is a choice, independent of your tactic (euro nymphing / indy / dries).
I totally get the appreciation of casting dries with fly line & using multiple techniques. I'd say the most versatile anglers can vary between tight-line / dry / dry dropper / streamer tactics very quickly-- and that is FUN.
My point is that a lot of the things you're criticizing here are issues with your approach to angling- not things that are particular to euro nymphing. We all go through stages of evolution as anglers. You have. But don't conflate that with the tactic. One could just as easily do the same thing about streamer bros, dry or die guys, etc. Versatility is fun. Observing nature and adjusting one's approaches is fun.
It’s interesting that George Daniel of all people won’t teach euro to new fly anglers
Wait till you pick up a two handed rod. That's a whole other addiction.
Yeah, it is much more important to focus on everything else…….who wants to catch fish why they are fly fishing?!? 😂. I unapologetically LOVE Euronymphing because I catch more fish. But, I don’t do it exclusively. I love all versions of fly fishing and do euro, Stillwater indicator fishing, throwing streamers and doing dry’s. I feel like there are all these people trashing euro for more “traditional” methods. Regardless of the method of fly fishing, here are the things that make it beautiful: 1. You get out in nature and experience the wild and wildlife. 2. The sounds of the river or stream are very soothing. 3. It takes focus, focus on your fly or indicator, reading the river, the cadence and feel of the line. Because of all of this focus, for me, the cares of the world fade away and allow me to escape my cares and challenges. You do have to focus on euro. But don’t you have to do that with EVERY other method? Anyhow, this is my first time seeing one of your vids and I don’t love the topic, but you seem like a good dude and I think awareness is really important. Thanks! Also, I love your hat! Where did you get it? Good luck to you!
Fishing shouId be about having fun. The happiest fishermen I know are 6-year oIds catching bIue giIIs with worms off the dock with a Zebco Snoopy outfit. You don't need to expIain yourseIf if it doesn't hurt the environment you're good to go.
Well said! Happy Holidays my friend🙂
Im confused. No matter the technique you are always staring at something...indicator, fly, sighter, its all the same. I euro and still enjoy the destination plenty. Not to mention the beauty of each fish I catch (which is typically 10x with euro nymphing) You are one weird dude, but you do you! 😂
I’m weird? Well……excuse….me! Hahaha! Label away as you see fit. 👍
Cane pole with a fly.
If you want to keep these fisheries, you don't stick a hook in the fishes' mouthe's ever day. If rivers are heavily fished it is too much. Before euro happened, I had been on rivers where the fish were so beaten up that they didn't fight, rolled on their sides until you took the fly out. And their faces were all hacked up. So it isn't just Euro, it is other techniques that are just too effective. But then what do you do about it? It doesn't make sense to do stuff where your fly isn't even in front of fish. But we have been down this path for over a hundred years. It is what the dry flies only thing was actually about. Otherwise the rivers would have been emptied. Catch and release was a partial solution, but it was used to flood the zone with new fly fishers, so eventually you still come up against barriers.
And the sport is at risk. The reason we have special seasons, or fly fishing only sections is because fly fishing is regarded as more challenging, and less damaging, or cruel, that bait. But people will eventually catch on to the fact that is no longer the case. Penn banned mono rigs decades ago. Penn anglers figured those techniques out a very long time ago. Euro is nothing new.
I miss the old-fashioned purists. The dry fly snobs. Thirty years ago, it was pretty common to run into guys who only fished dries or who might fish a wet or emerger but wouldn’t scrape bottom. Guys who only used floating lines and wouldn’t add weight to the leader. Some of it was over-the-top snobbery, like the bamboo only guys, but I miss it.
Now everybody’s too fish-greedy to limit themselves. They stay out on the water too long, hook too many fish. As you pointed out, it’s bad for the resource and bad for the sport.
Hey buddy, don’t try crack.
Don't worry, you'll be back. They always come back, ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
It's not flyfishing, it's fishing with a fly.
You’re splitting hairs
Maybe, but I'll maintain, if you can make the same presentation with a spinning rod, it ain't fly fishing. 😉 @flyholics
@@robertheal261 you can make the same presentation with a broomstick, or a fly rod.. provided you keep (most) of the floating line off the water. Everyone has a pet peeve, I guess. Mine was Floating indicators; won’t touch em. Great for beginners but it’s hardly fly fishing IMO. If this (Joe Humphreys) video doesn’t warm you up to naked nymphing, nothing will. And that’s okay too! To each their own.
ua-cam.com/video/3dhKgm4dztg/v-deo.htmlsi=9LEBPG3hH59D2Qst
Cheers,
Sure, dude.
Euro nymphing is bloody brilliant. Nothing teaches you to think about the bottom of the river like being in contact with it. And if you like fish...well...you're not going to see more of them by other methods.
If you like fish you don't stick a hook in their mouths ever day. If rivers are heavily fished it is too much. Before euro happened, I had been on rivers where the fish were so beaten up that they didn't fight, rolled on their sides until you took the fly out. And their faces were all hacked up. So it isn't just Euro, it is other techniques that are just too effective. But then what do you do about it? It doesn't make sense to do stuff where your fly isn't even in front of fish. But we have been down this path for over a hundred years. It is what the dry flies only thing was about. Otherwise the rivers would have been emptied. Catch and release was a partial solution, but it was used to flood the zone with new fly fishers, so eventually you still come up against barriers.
And the sport is at risk. The reason we have special seasons, or fly fishing only sections is because fly fishing is regarded as more challenging, and less damaging, or cruel, that bait. But people will eventually catch on to the fact that is no longer the case. Penn banned mono rigs decades ago. Penn Anglers figured those techniques out a very long time ago. Euro is nothing new.
@@HondoTrailside Sorry your rivers are so messed up. Mine are not. And it's not euro that's to blame, it's overfishing generally. Unless you're going to ban bait and limit numbers of anglers, that's going to happen: because the easiest way to catch fish is bait. At least euro uses artificials, and not everybody can do it well.
@@HondoTrailsidePenn?
@@immanuelcan3310more than that use barbless hooks only !
I'm a real American. I throw streamers. 😂
That would make a great bumper sticker!
😂
Where is the straight jacket buddy? You goofy😅😅😅
@@jkgkjgkijk i’m one of the few that can get out of one. So…..”they” gave me a camera and said I could make UA-cam videos. It’s worked so far!🤪
Thanks for sharing that. I found it interesting when I decided to get into euro nymphing. I liked the idea of maybe catching more fish but I was really somewhat bugged that i was using monofilament line like I use on my spinning rod basically. I loved everything about the fly line and the fly cast, roll cast etc...Funny thing is i would fish the Provo with my father as a kid. He used a fly rod with a small closed face Zebco reel at the back and 4lb test. He would tie on two nymphs and a drop shot. He could easily swing it underhand and shoot it across the river, tight line and bounce flies along the bottom and land a lot of fish. This was basically euro nymphing back in 1977. Now all of a sudden it seems to be something new. Funny how things keep coming back around. I too enjoy the challenge of working a fly ling and fly rod. Lets be honest you can euro nymph with a good willow or Tenkara rod with a little mono and some nymphs. This type of fishing is one step away from a small worm on a hook at the end of your mono on a budget spinning rod. Much less challenging than finessing a fly line and fly rod. And you are right.....There is much more to fishing than landing fish:)
It does have some similarities to the ole worm and hook but euro is more technical. I will say, nothing beats a worm and a hook BUT! Euro nymphing is darn close😆
I spin float with worms more than I fly fish fish on a lake it's more relaxing than constantly casting and retrieving.
You have lost your cotton picking mind! Fly fishing is about catching fish and most anglers can enjoy the outdoor world while they are catching. Maybe you are one of those people who can't multitask. The majority of anglers want to catch fish. No one cares if you catch fish or not. They don't even care how you fish as long as it's legal. Do whatever floats your boat my friend but the majority of anglers will disagree with what you said in your video.
I promise you anglers with the mindset you are talking about are less happy and are less satisfied after a fishing session than an angler who is already just happy to be able to get on the water. That being said every man for himself. But don’t go and tune what he said in the video because you are clearly not on the same level and understanding of what other people might enjoy.
@@dannybarker442 thanks for your insight Danny! Just at a different stage of my fishing life. It’s the little things that I enjoy now. I will agree, not everyone thinks like me nor would I want them to. Definitely in the minority here but I still get joy from helping people get on fish. Keep er’ Tight!
You want addiction? Try bonefishing!
Hahah I could imagine!! I stand like a blue heron fishing for carp!!! But it’s awesome. Thanks for the comment
Addictive personality disorder? Fly fishermen are diverse.
It's a soulless technique
Wierd. Can’t say I follow you. Gear? You can go crazy on gear with any style. As to missing the scenery, stop and look around from time to time. Flinging a bobber can be done with a spinning reel. Back in the 80’s Gary Borger made a VHS video for SA. He shows nymphing with a tight line. Staring at a sighter? Don’t you stare are you bobber or dry while fishing? Just don’t get your rant but I don’t have an addictive personality
Thanks for watching!
Well, that was 8 minutes of my life I’ll never recover 😂
Gosh darn it!!! I am trying to get better at the UA-cam game. Any suggestions are always welcome
@@greenhornflyhorn Did you have a script. I like your message, but it wasn't well organized or as complete as it could be. I don't think people will walk away from an effective technique because it is addictive. Apparently we have 300K deaths a year from Fentanyl.
You’ve moved from transactional fly fishing to fly fishing for its intrinsic value.
Euronymphing is just an irritating fad, fed by tackle manufacturers. It's no comparison to the interest and skill and fun of all the other forms of fly fishing. :-(
Euro nymphing is NOT fly fishing 🎣
that's what big flyline wants you to think, brother.