If you’re used to casting dry flies, casting nymphing rigs or heavily weighted flies can be more challenging and take some time to get used to. Six tips to make casting heavy nymphing rigs or flies easier are described below.
ONE – slow down your casts. Weighted nymphing rigs or flies are less responsive to your fly line than dry flies because they are heavier, causing them to not move as in synch with your fly line. Since they are heavier and less responsive than dry flies, they often fly in the air at a level below your fly line and take a little bit longer to extend straight outwards in front of you and behind you. To correct this tendency, wait an extra second for your flies to extend outwards on both your forward and backward casts.
TWO- let the current raise your nymphs from the bottom at the end of your drift before you cast. Unlike with dry flies that float on the water’s surface, your nymphs or nymphing rigs are sinking below the water’s surface because they are weighted. There’s a lot of resistance between your fly line and the water when you try to cast while your flies are still below the water’s surface. To correct this, let your flies drift completely downstream of your standing position before you cast; the current will apply pressure to your fly line and will lift your rig off the bottom to the surface.
THREE – cast shorter distances. Heavier flies will drop faster than lighter flies and you just can’t cast heavily weighted rigs and flies as far as dry flies.
FOUR – do not make as many false casts. Because your fly line and heavy flies are not as in synch with each other when casting, there is just more of an opportunity for things to go wrong each false cast. You can avoid this by not making as many false casts. I almost never false cast when nymphing, but if you need to, try not to false cast more than once. Plus, when you don’t false cast as much it means your flies are spending less time in the air and more time in the water able to catch fish!
FIVE – strip in fly line before you cast. It’s much easier to cast less fly line than more fly line so just before you’re ready to cast, use the hand that is not holding the rod to make a big strip of line in. If you’re right handed for example, grab your fly line right before the first rod guide and pull it all the way down to your waist. This will strip in about three feet of fly line, as well as load up your fly line to cast.
SIX – I prefer to use a roll cast when nymphing but sometimes I need to cast too far and the roll cast doesn’t cut it and you need to cast behind you first before you cast forward. After your flies drift downstream of your position, cast them behind you and let them hit the water’s surface for a split second, then cast upstream of your position.
More information on trout nymphing can be found in my guide book SIMPLE NYMPHING FOR TROUT IN RIVERS & STREAMS.
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