French Nymphing

[Ming Moua]

Just need to be out, so right after work I headed out to the river knowing that there was only 1 hr to fish.....DARN But I manage to get quiet a few hookups and this nice bow here. Lately, i have been experimenting on French nymphing, I'm surprise, it's a very awesome nymphing technique. Sometime when I'm indicator nymphing, I have notice some times that the trout will nip at the nymph and spit it out with out the indicator going down. This technique is very good for spooky fish and subtle takes.

Ming

[Pete]

Ming,

Would you please tell us about French nymphing? Polish, Czech I understand, but I must have skipped class during the French nymphing lesson . Don't have a clue about it, but if you can catch as nice as the one you pictured, I am have my note book ready.

Pete

[Ming Moua]

Ming,

Would you please tell us about French nymphing? Polish, Czech I understand, but I must have skipped class during the French nymphing lesson . Don't have a clue about it, but if you can catch as nice as the one you pictured, I am have my note book ready.

Pete

Pete, I will try my best to explain French nymphing. French Nymphing is a nymphing technique that requires a long leader, indicator --the slinky, and then tippet. The technique only requires the fly fisher to cast the long leader and not the fly line. FNT is very effective for spooky fish and subtle takes that sometime indicators can not detect. So during French nymphing, the fly fisher is more in contact with the flies. More contact with the flies means more noticeable takes and hookups. To keep contact with the flies it is best to extend and elevate the arm and rod at a completion of a cast and never letting the long leader touch the water. Maintain line tension by leading the rod just like CZECH nymphing and keeping the slinky indicator just above the surface. When a fish hits the fly, the slinky react by extending.

I think the most confusing part about this nymphing technique is the leader set up.
First leader section connecting to the fly line should be from 18 to 20 ft. I like to use 35 lb maxima because it’s stiff enough to cast and turn over the flies.
Second section is the slinky indicator —which is a 2 ft coil up 25 lbs hi-vis mono--just like the one you see in the picture behind the fly rod. Here is a vid on how to make one...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1LNZqJDftY&feature=related
Third section is the tippet and flies. Length of the tippet depends on the depth of water. Basically the first fly is tie on to the blood knot tag end. And 18 inch from that dropper is the anchor fly.
A vid on FNT...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNCueZp7ya4
Give it a shot…
Ming

[fly addict]

Ming,

Would you please tell us about French nymphing? Polish, Czech I understand, but I must have skipped class during the French nymphing lesson . Don't have a clue about it, but if you can catch as nice as the one you pictured, I am have my note book ready.

Pete

Pete, I will try my best to explain French nymphing. French Nymphing is a nymphing technique that requires a long leader, indicator --the slinky, and then tippet. The technique only requires the fly fisher to cast the long leader and not the fly line. FNT is very effective for spooky fish and subtle takes that sometime indicators can not detect. So during French nymphing, the fly fisher is more in contact with the flies. More contact with the flies means more noticeable takes and hookups. To keep contact with the flies it is best to extend and elevate the arm and rod at a completion of a cast and never letting the long leader touch the water. Maintain line tension by leading the rod just like CZECH nymphing and keeping the slinky indicator just above the surface. When a fish hits the fly, the slinky react by extending.

I think the most confusing part about this nymphing technique is the leader set up.
First leader section connecting to the fly line should be from 18 to 20 ft. I like to use 35 lb maxima because it’s stiff enough to cast and turn over the flies.
Second section is the slinky indicator —which is a 2 ft coil up 25 lbs hi-vis mono--just like the one you see in the picture behind the fly rod. Here is a vid on how to make one...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1LNZqJDftY&feature=related
Third section is the tippet and flies. Length of the tippet depends on the depth of water. Basically the first fly is tie on to the blood knot tag end. And 18 inch from that dropper is the anchor fly.
A vid on FNT...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNCueZp7ya4
Give it a shot…
Ming

Ming,
Glad you were able to use the French technique and catch a few fish. It opens up water that standard indicator nymphing would not work well due to the depth and speed of the water. Other ways of fishing this type of water are swinging wet flies down and across or Jon’s favorite, streamers. By working up- stream you have less chance of spooking your target.
I might add a few more things about French nymphing.
1 a long rod is a BIG plus, a 10’ or even an 11’ helps keep the line off the water and manage the cast with the long leader.
2 Use small flies, 18 and 20s with small beads. Things like zebra midges that will sink fast and are not hard to cast. A modified roll cast works well for me.
3 it is best used on riffle type water, which is 2 feet or less. The meadow’s section of the miracle mile on the E Walker is a great place to use this technique.
Mark

[briansII]

Those French sure are an inventive lot.

When I see the word, "indicator", I immediately have a allergic reaction. I don't like to fish em. That's just me. It's a personal thing. Now this "indicator" is not at all what I visualize as a indicator. Kinda cool rigging......I might try it.

Ming. Are you a Papa yet?

briansII

[planettrout]

The current issue of FLY TYER Magazine ( Winter 2010) features an article by Aaron Jasper on Euro Nymphing, (pgs. 40-46) Spanish, French, Polish and Czech...along with some interesting patterns...the indicator is actually a "sighter", using amnesia or other mono tied into the leader...not the traditional "bobber" type...

Aaron runs this site which has a lot more info on the subject...and YES...I belong:

http://troutpredator.info/forum/

There are some guys over there who know a thing or two...like Davy Wotton and Lance Egan among others...


PT/TB

[Rockstar Fisherman]

Nice fish as always Ming! I like the French nymphing technique, I used it when I was fishing in the Czech Republic this past summer. It really opens up a lot of opportunities when nymphing that you just don't have with the standard technique that we're all used to. Thanks for posting this, it reminds that I need to pick up one of them for this winter. May be overkill for the waters I fish but I do like using it.

[Justin]

Nice Fish Ming!!

Justin

[Ming Moua]

@ Mark, thanks for adding on more info because I didn't cover much.

@ Brian, it's a different way to nymph give a try. Being a PAPA can be any day now.

@ MIKe, great technique glad you enjoyed it while you were fishing in ZEE's Hood.

Ming

[WanderingBlues]

I expected something racier with a title like "French Nymphing" Still a good read though!