Euro Nymphing – a fly-fishing technique that is well-known all around the world. A technique that is becoming increasingly popular in the fly-fishing industry, but one that is hard to perfect. It is fairly easy to learn and understand the basics but becomes more difficult when it comes to small flies, thin leaders, and the right presentation.
Euro Nymphing is where you use the speed and depths of the water to control how you run your fly through the water. What I mean by that is, you want to begin your run at the top of where you want to fish, going across the river, and letting it run all the way through. As you are doing this, you want to get a feel of how deep the water is and how fast the water is moving. This will help you get an understanding of where the fish might be and the presentation you want to approach them with.
You also want to make sure you keep a tight line by keeping a finger on it and keep your pole straight. Doing this allows for more control over the line and you are ready to set the hook when you catch a fish. This technique also allows you to easily change depths when fishing instead of always changing the indicator placement.
For my setup, I have a 10ft 3wt pole, and nymph running line. I then attach either fluorocarbon or chameleon leaders onto the nymph line. Then finish off with my fly of choice. When choosing a fly for Euro Nymphing, there are so many to choose from. The best fly to choose from my experience is using a fly tied on a jig hook. This is because when a fly is on a jig hook, it sits a little sideways in the water. Rather than the fly hanging straight down as it would when tied on a nymph hook. Also, when fishing a jig fly when Euro Nymphing, you can literally “jig” the nymph. Jigging the fly makes it more appealing to the fish you are trying to catch.
Although Euro Nymphing is an easy technique to learn, you want to remember these tips to perfecting it:
- Always keep you line tight! If your line is loose, you will not be able to set the hook on the fish.
- Let your fly run all the way through a run of water, from start to finish. You never know where the fish is going to sit!
- Keep changing depths until you find the depth the fish are at. This is easy when you are Euro Nymphing
- Have fun and catch lots of fish!
I learned the Euro Nymphing technique just over a year ago. It has become my go-to technique, especially for small rivers and creeks. It allows me to get into the small spaces and get around tough areas such as rocks and banks. This technique has been very successful to me and I will continue to use it wherever I go. Feeling the tug at the end of your line when running it through a run of water is an amazing feeling! Try the Euro Nymphing technique next time you go fishing!
