# mad river nymphing



## gahannafly (Aug 11, 2012)

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to nymph on the mad river with success?


----------



## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

This time of the year they'll be holding in the deeper holes. cast across the holes and let them drift down, stripping as it comes in. Mend your line to keep your drift natural.


----------



## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

after guiding folks for many years on the Mad, I can not over emphasize, "drag free drift". if your no good at mending then walk straight upstream and cast up, strip as it comes back towards you, yes, deeper slow pools are best, look for at least 3 ft of water with dark green water, bettter yet if its around an undercut or woody debris. also the longer you can cast, the more time your flies will be in the fish zone. 

Good luck, 
Salmonid


----------



## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

This is excellent advice to give us salmonid. I am going to come up from Cincy this week. What are some decent access points. Feel free to PM that info to me if you don't want to post it on here.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Lots of public access along the Mad, Around St Rt 55, 36 and 296 as well as Downstream from Pimtown rd, all in Champaign county. Walk/wade the river banks and stay out of any fields...

Salmonid


----------



## Dogsled (Feb 4, 2009)

Salmonid, I'm not real big on alot of rules that are just 'given by other fishermen and not LAW' but you hit a spot in my heart that i've learned on the MAD. I've talked to alot of framers over the years. Never assume they know you from the guy before you. I've seen trash strewn in places that me say WTF. The vigilence they have for their property is what makes the entire run of the MAD a great fishing expreience. I know this is a little off topic of nymphing but this is prime fishing in general suburbia where the GOVT hasen't taken it under it's control (not that they wouldn't love too) and put a thousand BS ways to fine you. Appreciate this freedom and the people that allow you on their property, it's a true haven for us to enjoy.


----------



## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

#1 rule......Drag free Drift......#2 rule DRAG FREE DRIFT......I will try to explain how I do this.......when nymphing I tend to cast with a slight side arm forward cast ...about 45 degrees to the water surface.....this lets me throw a belly up stream....meaning my line will be the farest away from me then my indicator and then my fly(s).....I use a yarn indicator because it will tell you what is going on under the water better than anything else....I will try to explain......if you cast as I described as soon as your rig hitts the water and the nymphs start to sink the yarn should be pointing up stream.....then as the whole mess starts its drift the indicator will either stay pointing up stream or stand straight up......as long as the yarn stays pointing up stream or straight up and has a stuttering motion your nymphs are on the bottom and are drag free.....if the yarn points down stream your nymphs are above it and you have drag ...which = no fishy for you......I tend to watch the bubbles or foam and my indicator......and I try to keep the indicator just a tad slower than the foam...because the surface current where your indicator is riding is faster than the bottom current where your nymphs are........I hope this all makes sense.....I stuggled for a few yrs till a older fella showed my how to use a indicator and nymph fish ..now I have no trouble with it at all.....If you would like I could meet you on the mad someday and show you what I speak of....P.M. me if you want some help.....as far as flys go the river will tell you what to fish.....right now you may not find alot of nymphs just naturally drifting but they do get washed into the drift and they get ate.....so get yourself a piece of window screen and staple it to some 3/4 wood dowels about 2-3 ft long....all step into the river.....face down stream with the screen on the bottom infront of you and scuff you feet as you walk a few feet.....then shift thru the screen and use flys that are as close to that size as possible.....right now a Pheasant tail from 20-16 should work as well as a caddis larva..in the 16 range maybe even a 14 ...your flys can be a tad off in size ...but your drift must be drag free.......fish deeper ripples and the edges of the main current thru the pools.....any deeper water around any structure will have a fish in it......with the water temp in the high 30's and low 40's as it is now the fish will be alittle slow ..if fishing slower water go down in fly size and if fishing faster water up a size cant hurt........these are things that work for me......hope this helps.....

tight lines
Keith


----------



## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

I just remebered something ....Salmonid made a good point about fishing straight up stream.....I find this works better or easier in the pools....Make as long of a cast as you can control ..but on your forward cast just as the cast starts to unroll and land on the water ...pull your rod back alittle this will speed up the unroll of the leader and if done correctly will actually make the leader swing back under the fly line ....now all you need to do is have your rod low to the water point straight up the line and strip line back in as fast as the whole mess is drifting back at you......there is actually a name for this cast but I cant remeber it...this method does work and I use it when I need to but mostly I do my version of a hook cast ..............K


----------



## gahannafly (Aug 11, 2012)

Can't really tell if my pm sent-did you get it flymaker?


----------

