A Little Review - Rig Up For Nymphs

Setting up your rod with a nymph rig is a bit more involved than setting up with a dry. We have found in most instances it can be more productive. Especially when there is no fish taking insects off the surface. Ninety percent of a trout's diet consists of aquatic insects beneath the surface of the water. Here's how to rig up for nymphs.




Step 1: Use a nail knot to attach a 6" to 8" section of 20 pound test monofilament to the fly line. In the other end of the monofilament, tie a perfection loop.

Step 2: In the thick end of your 7 and 1/2 foot 5x tapered leader, tie another perfection loop. Take the loop on the tapered leader and place it over the loop in the 20 pound test section. Then run the thin end of the tapered leader through the loop of the 20 pound section.

Step 3: Take a 12" section of 5x tippet and tie it into the tapered leader with a double surgeons knot. *Just above the double surgeons knot is where the split shot will be crimped on.*

Step 4: Tie in your fly with an improved clinch knot. For a two fly rig, take a 12" to 16" section of 5x tippet and tie a Duncan loop in one end, place the loop around the bend of the fly you have already tied on and cinch it down. Trim the excess. Then tie in your second fly like the first.

Step 5: To finish rigging up for nymphs, attach an adjustable strike indicator (attach using the manufacturers instructions, it's simple to do) to your tapered leader. *You attach it so that it will be 1 and a 1/2 the depth you will be fishing. If the water depth is 3 feet, attach the indicator 4 and 1/2 feet from the first fly you tied.*

Step 6: Lastly, attach the split shot just above the double surgeons knot, so the weight will not slide down to the fly. *Often times, you will need to make an educated guess at what size weight to start with. The goal here is to get the flies on the stream bed. If the split shot, or flies, repeatedly get hung up on the bottom, switch to the next smaller split shot. Conversely, if your rig repeatedly drifts down stream without getting hung up, or not hooking fish, add one size larger split shot. Remember, deeper water, bigger weights, shallow water, smaller weights.*