# Euro-nymphing, High sticking?



## 18inchBrown (May 1, 2016)

I have some questions? What is the difference? I watched some videos and it seems euro nymphing is done with a long rod(10') and a untapered leader(?) The goal is to get the weighted flies down,quick(?). There is an indicator or colored section of the euro nymphing leader, correct. They don't use attached indicators.
High sticking is raising you rod tip up high to keep the fly line off the water, correct. I guess you use an indicator?

A last question about indicators. Do you use indicators to one place your fly at a desired depth and two to indicate a strike if it moves? I nymph fish by trying to keep fly line off the water and to keep my line tight. I will use two flies and splitshot. I don't use an indicator. 
I feel the strike through the tight line. I have never been taught in person by anybody to flyfish. I watch some videos and what I know about hooking up with fish I learned when I was 12.
Am I missing fish because I don't use an indicator? Can you use an indicator when you use weight? You must use multiple splitshot sometimes.


----------



## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

I've learned my Mono rigging methods from Dom Swentoski in Central PA. He has a website called "troutbitten" where he details all the, well details of this system. Taught to him from Josh Daniels who learned from Joe Humphreys. Dom has like 150 articles over the past 8 years now.

The indi he uses is the colored line (amnesia for me) with an orange nylon tag tied to the amnesia. This little thing is much easier to see, than simply read the line as it passes through the water. (this was my highstick method) The indi is never meant to touch the water, only be an inch or two above. It will twitch and you will see it react better than the leader or any other indi.

If you are good at high sticking, you will understand how to fish the Mono Rig. But for casting, there are many nuances you want to pay attention to which Dom explains. Casting Mono, or Chamelion 20# line to be exact, takes a rod with more flex I think to get this rig out to even 30 feet. This is not chuck and duck, you will cast like a dry upstream. But you must get your flies to land in a small area and hit the water with force to go down right away. Then pull in all the slack to keep your indi off the water and still. This in a second or two so that, Now you are fishing.

If I can get back to Mad river, I'm happy to meet with you and show you. Or maybe even meet at Clear Fork.
LMN, I see some warmer weather early next week.

Rickerd


----------



## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)

Sounds like you are already euro-nymphing in essence by what you are currently doing. I'm going to be trying it as soon as the weather breaks. Purchased the 10'6" rod, am tying up some Perdigon nymphs, and waiting for my amnesia to arrive to finish tying up my leader. It's interesting to see all the different perspectives on leader set up.

I've watched a lot of videos, read a lot of articles, including some by Dom that Rickerd mentioned above, he's extremely knowledgeable, I'm designing my leader off of his medium light recommendation. Guy I talked to at AvidMax said you certainly can use an indicator, and split shot. If you're doing well with feeling the take, I wouldn't think you need to go to an indicator. 

In actual euro-nymphing competitions, they aren't permitted to use indicators, or split shot.


----------



## 18inchBrown (May 1, 2016)

I wanted to thank you guys for your responses. I have been watching videos by Daniels and I have been reading articles on the troutbitten site. It seems to me that it is basically nymphing with monofilament and not using your fly line. Long leaders that are made with long portions of say 20# line and a portion of 10# to colored line to a tippet ring. Then one size line to the fly. 
Let me ask this question, remember there are no dumb questions. Do you watch the colored sighters to see if they stop or what? When I nymph I always hold the line in my left hand and work to get it tight quickly. I have left hand retrieve and I move my left hand from retrieve automatically. I can feel the strike and then I set the hook.When you use an indicator (sighter) do also hold the line in your left hand. It is automatic for me to hold the line in my left hand after casting.


----------



## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)

I'm fishing much like you, by fishing 45 degrees above to 45 degrees below, once the line has moved in front of me, then I'm pretty much just holding the line by my right hand against the rod, with no need to take up line further through the drift..

As far as the sighter goes, I'm 60 and it's a big help to be able to initially pick up the line and drift. Week before last was my first try at it, when the temps got into the 40's. I went down to Mohican, and actually went five for 7, with my first fish coming on a Perdigon nymph I tied.

Sometimes, for me at least, it may be difficult to keep a tight line. The Chameleon mono I'm using still hasn't really lost it's coil, by watching the sighter, seeing it tighten up or bump, you may be able to see a take before you feel it.


----------



## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

Yes Mono nymphing is similar to High stick nymphing. Your right hand on rod, left hand on line adjusting tension to keep sighter above water 1 inch or so. Lead the flies with your line and set on any pause, twitch or little dance by the sighter. The sighter is so much more sensitive than the floating indi and when above water, no resistance means it tells you what is going on below. At first, set on every stop or bump. Until you go through a drift once and know the bottom spots. 

Bouncing bottom every couple feet is normal. You want to use flies that will bounce off bottom and not settle in to snag. A quarter ounce jighead will be too much weight. You will be surprised how little weight it takes to get down with this system. The system removes most drag from line. Cast so your flies plop down like a hopper and begin to fall at landing. Cast to get both your flies to land in same lane. I could say that again it is so important. 

I believe you want most of your Maxima Chameleon to be 30# test though. This gives you something to grab onto and get a decent momentum cast like flyline. The last 4 or 5 feet can be 20# to connect to amnesia line. Chamelion is the line with least amount of memory in mono, that is why Dom recommends it. In the cold, you might have to stretch it out but it will straighten unlike other mono that keeps its curl.

Imagine casting a 1 weight line with a 9 wt rod. This is the feeling of the cast, super fast compared to fly line.

Rickerd


----------



## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)




----------



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Something I have used lately that works really well for a sighter is this neon wax. 









Skafars Neon Euro Nymphing Sighter Wax


Skafars Neon Euro Nymphing Sighter Wax




www.flyfishfood.com





I like it because I don't have to worry about building a sighter piece of hi-vis mono into my leaders. I can just smear a little wax on the line and have a great sighter right where I need it based on the water depth. Color choice is personal preference, I always go with orange. I see orange well on the water in just about all conditions.

I like tight line nymphing (whatever you want to call it based on country of choice), but I feel like there are limitations based on the water you are fishing. I love it for freestone trout streams, especially small streams. On bigger water, like the Eastern TN tailwaters I fish a lot, I prefer to carry two rods when I fish. One set up for tight line nymphing, one for dry/dropper. I feel like the limitation to tight lining is proximity to the fish. It helps to be relatively close, and that's tough to do in slower flows and places where I feel I will spook fish trying to get too close. 

Take Clear Creek, for example. There are parts of that stream I will tight line, but most of the time I feel like I do better and catch more fish being able to cast from farther away and use an indicator. I don't prefer to fish that way, but I feel like it's more effective there for me. If I could get close enough to those fish in clear, skinny water, I'd prefer to tight line them. Casting a long mono leader setup very far is sort of a pain, also, so I usually ditch that setup for Clear Creek and fish a more typical length tapered leader.


----------

