Saturday, October 3, 2009

Day 27 - Euro Nymphing

Ever since I started this blog, I've wanted to talk about Euro Nymphing. It's been called Czech Nymphing, French Nymphing, and even Polish Nymphing. While each one of these styles vary slightly, the basic premise is the same; tie on a couple nymphs to your leader and drag them through a run. (OK, I overly simplified this idea, but that is the gist).

I remember that I first became aware of this style while I was working for that certain (un-named) big box retailer headquartered in St. Paul. When I was there, certain vendors would supply samples of different magazines hoping that we would purchase them. The company would end up giving them out to the employees to read. One of those magazines was an United Kingdom fly fishing publication (the name escapes me at the moment). In it, was a DVD that included Czech Nymphing and Czech Nymph fly tying instructions. If you pardon the pun, I was "hooked" on the concept.

A few months later, I got an email from the website www.thebookmailer.com. In the email, it stated that Jack Dennis was currently working on a new DVD outlining the European Nymphing techniques. I had previously purchased the video "Creating the Garrison Fly Rod" (produced by Hoagy B. Carmichael & Directed by Bill Wheatley) from them, and knew that the customer service was pretty good. So, I decided to shell out the bucks and purchase the DVD "European Nymphing with Jack Dennis & Vladi".

The video I first received came with an acknowledgement that they were in the process of adding more instructions to Disk One, and that they would send me a new disk when it was ready. Disk One was pretty rough. However, I did receive the basic idea and history of the process. I must say, it looked deadly. The video shows Vladi fishing a stream catching fish after fish after fish. While some of that could have been editing room magic, it still gave credibility to the technique.

And so that leaves me here, dreaming about the process. I've kind of hit a bit of a SNAFU though. I would appreciate it if anybody could help me with the interpreting of the North Carolina rules on fishing. I see lots of signs that say single hook only. Yet when I was out fishing the other day on the Davidson, someone said that I could have a dropper hook so long as it was tied on the bend of the first hook. That sounds odd to me. Euro nymphing requires an anchor fly to be tied further up (where the tippet connects to the leader). I was told that style is illegal. Does anybody know if this is true? The end process is still the same (fishing with two flies) how can the setup change the legal issues?

1 comment:

  1. I have used droppers without issues. I have been told that even with a dropper, its still a single hook fly with another single hook fly following it. I have never crossed paths with anyone who was told different.

    I heard that one of the newer wardens on the trophy section in Cherokee NC said it was a no, no however, when I asked warden Abbey, the elder of the four, he said it was cool.

    Its been debated but I have never seen anything from the NCWRC on this topic.

    Your correct, on the Davidson, its a favorite way to fish. I actually prefer it with a dry fly and a small # 24 midge dropper on 6x fluro. I have done the same dropped from a streamer with mixed results. I go back and fourth.

    I learned this way of fishing from a fella who took time to show me. After a whole day of fun, he introduced himself as the local circut court judge..lol

    Now before you go out and be the sacrificial lamb on this, ask a local when you get out there and see what they say. I am sure its what the rest of us has heard...sure! But do ask.

    Czech Nymphing.. Love it in the colder months when the trout are more lethargic. I usually place some small split shot on some flurocarbon with a thingamabobber float indicator. I prefer a longer rod such as my 9ft sage given it what I like to call, high stick fishing...lol

    Just my .10 worth... Regards.

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