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Czech Nymphing is an effective way of nymphing. Use it and you will catch
fish. Now I know I said earlier that I wasn’t even sure what Czech Nymphing was
until I watched the Oliver Edwards tape and “you will catch fish” is a pretty
definite statement but………. it’s a case of I didn’t know what it was called but
I’ve been doing it for awhile. So have you if you’ve ever use a drifted a worm
down a stream. Streams where you can’t cast and so you give your worm a lot of
slack and let it tumble. That’s a good start in learning to Czech Nymph or for
learning nymphing in general.
Another technique that is very close is drifting an
egg pattern or two. Fishing egg patterns I use a shorter leader and more fly
line but still work close. I call it “short lining” and after I work the close
water, which often brings me fish, I transition from the “short line” technique
to “High Sticking”
with a shorter leader than normal to accommodate the shallow water.
The leader construction for Czech Nymphing warrants another mention. It is all
one size and the smaller the better. Oliver Edwards recommends something around
3.5 lbs. test. That would be 6X in Orvis Superstrong and that is lighter than I
use with egg patterns or in most any nymphing situations using size 12 and 14
flies. I might put on a smaller nymph as a dropper and use 5X but 6X - only if I
have to. I suspect the reason for the 6X is that it simply allows your fly to
sink faster. It may be stealth but I don’t think so. Remember Czech nymphing is
a broken water method and so the need for stealth is minimized.
A couple of points in closing:
I mentioned that Tip-Flex rods break tippets. I should qualify that by saying,
as always, that statement isn’t hard and fast. Few things in fly fishing are and
that’s part of the fun. It is true in this type of fishing though because you
don’t let the fish run. Not if you can help it, and if you aren’t going to let a
fish run you had better have a
full-flex rod or strong tippet. The gradual
increase in resistance transferred to the fish as
full-flex rod bends absorbs a
fierce head shake or a hard lunge and quickly tires a fish. Liken it to
stretching a rubber band; the longer the stretch the stronger the resistance –
that’s what makes a softer rod better for this application.
I also commented that a strike indicator isn’t used. And, well, they aren’t or
at least not the strike indicators that you normally see. When Czech Nymphing
what is used is more of a bright spot on the line. I’m reminded of the hollowed
out floating fly line sleeve that was popular when strike indicators first
became popular. But today it seems the bigger the strike indicator the better.
And finally, take to heart that comparison of Czech Nymphing and worming. Last
night I showed the techniques section of the tape to our tying class and Ed
Salmon turned to the guy behind him and said “just like worming” so, it isn’t
just me. I have a picture on the wall here at the shop of two kids on the river
bank one holding a branch in the water and the other watching.
I’ve had this
picture for years and have moved it from place to place and won’t part with it
because it is a good reminder of the type of gear I started with. A branch, some
line tied to the end of the branch, a hook and a worm. Little did I know I was
learning to Czech Nymph.