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pros and cons of nymphing with a fly rod?

12K views 156 replies 48 participants last post by  Justin Biedber 
#1 ·
I've been a spinning rod guy in the past and I just started indicator fishing with a switch rod. What are the pros and cons of each discipline? For example how is nymphing with a fly rod more effective than using spinning gear and vise versa? (for this debate lets just say that I am offering a similar presentation with each.) Thanks
 
#3 ·
You may or may not get an answer to your question, however the comments will certainly be pretentious.

My take, nymphing is the same as spin fishing with a bobber. Using a fly rod is more technical as you must manage your line and be able to cast. With a higher degree of technicality, many fly fishers find greater satisfaction. Additional satisfaction may be found in tying your own flies vs buying a jig off the shelf.

Personally, I fish all different methods and find satisfaction in all. Right now, I find the most satisfaction with fly fishing...however some will say nymphing isn't fly fishing.

Sooo, use the method that yields the greatest satisfaction. Results will always vary.
 
#4 ·
What are your target fish? Are you in stillwater only? boat or bank?

You are asking for alot, without giving much?

It may also be tough to get fly guys to answer questions about using spinning gear for fly fishing.
 
#6 ·
I'm targeting steelhead from the bank on medium to smaller sized rivers. I'm mostly using thingamabobbers and maybe a split shot or two.

I'm really just curious and just trying to wrap my head around a new discipline. Adrian thank you for your response!
 
#9 ·
It really comes down to what you like to do to enjoy YOUR fishing experience. If you have decent quality gear, and have a clue about fishing, you can get both far enough away from your feet and into the holding water.
You are going to get subjective answers, objectively the intentions of the gear are the same.... (they both get the job done).
 
#10 ·
Not to add fuel to the fire.....
My first time indicator fishing in the river, i thought this isn't as easy as i pictured.
I also was thinking i could cast these weighted flies and splitshot alot easier with my spinning reel and mending the braided line would be easy too, then i can just reel the line in and not strip it back to me in a basket and/or hang it in the water while i work it back out into the drift. I could just reel it in, and let it fly, mend and repeat.
Spinning is a much simpler method, but i tend to like the challenge of using my fly gear for many different attempts at catching.
 
#11 ·
Bottomline, if you want to be more efficient use gear. It eliminates lots of variables that fly fishing presents.

I moved quickly from spinning, to bait casting and finally to fly fishing. I recently bought a 2-hander. I set goals, last summer it was salmon on a fly rod, this winter it was steelhead on a fly rod and next it is steelhead on a 2-hander.

Each situation is best served with a specific tool. However, many things in life are more satisfying when they are harder. Woodworkers who refuse powertools, mountain climbers who don't use oxygen and marathon runners who want to complete the Ironman.

If you are fishing medium to small rivers, a 13' 8wt spey isn't the right tool. However some people will tell you the only, most respected way to catch steelhead is on the swing with a 2-hander. But wait, others will say sinking lines are BS and the only pure way is catching steelhead on a dry fly.

To directly answer your question, I personally wouldn't call nymphing more effective. You WILL miss opportunities to hook a fish while messing with your line. That is until you get it dialed in.

I won't catch as many fish with my 2-hander, but I will be much more satisfied with the fish I catch. I am guessing that is why you picked up a switch rod.
 
#15 ·
As I said, comments will be pretentious. On a recent fishing trip with accomplished and skilled fly fisherman I was horrified when I learned one of them couldn't cast a baitcaster. I mean, who the hell doesn't know how to use a baitcaster yet regards themselves as a good fisherman?

Needless to say, I'm not calling anyone out for being pretentious cause sure as shit, I am!
 
#21 ·
Quite frankly, if you want to drift fish...a 9-10.5' gear rod (or a centerpin outfit) is hard to beat. I'm not sure there are any true advantages to the fly rod in this scenario. Personally, I enjoy the "feel" of the fly rod more, and I enjoy fighting fish with the fly rod; I think that's generally what it amounts to for most people. The mass of the fly line gives me a certain "comfort" I don't get with a bunch of hydrofloat out the rod tip. A lot of the guys steelhead fishing these days come from an extensive trout background...there are definite advantages to nymph fishing for trout that you can't get using other tools...that doesn't quite translate over to steelhead fishing, but old habits die hard.

At the end of the day, use whatever works for you and makes you happy.
 
#22 ·
As someone who has used gear and extensively indicator fished for steelhead, I will say that effectiveness ultimately depends on the river system you are fishing. For small to medium rivers where you can cast most of the way across or work about every seem, then I honestly believe that nymphing with an indicator is truly an effective technique and I've done better with it than I did with gear. I also find that I tend to catch more fish than guys with gear who essentially do the same thing I'm doing. In fact I've gone as far as to set gear guys up with the same flies and then drifted behind them and I've caught more fish. I use heavily weighted flies and I rarely use split shot, so maybe that has something to do with it. When the gear guys are set up the same way, they can not cast the same flies without adding weight. They are also not able to mend their line the same way I am able to, so I'm not sure if they achieve the same drift. I've set gear people up for both steelhead and trout in rivers and the fly rod has always worked better. Now is it possible that the gear guys simply were not that good? Absolutely just as I've done the same for other fly guys and they also haven't caught anything.

Hope this helps, if not, feel free to ask more specific questions, and I'll see what I can come up with.
 
#23 ·
One of the pro's is that some people on the river will weep, softly to themselves, every time you hook a fish..

One of the con's is that some of the people on the river will openly hate you for not wanting to validate their fishing method..

One of the con's is that you don't feel the bite..

One of the pro's is that you get a visual queue..

One of the pro's is that you can fish deep slot water more efficiently..

One of the con's is that you can't cover the wider holding water as easily..
 
#27 ·
One of the pro's is that you can fish deep slot water more efficiently..

One of the con's is that you can't cover the wider holding water as easily..
This. The size and the kind of water are definitely factors for how effective or efficient nymphing is. Haters gonna hate, but it has its place. As does swinging.
 
#24 ·
I once put my garcia mitchell 300 spin reel on my berkely glass fly rod and threw a royal coachman with a pautzke red fire ball egg all on 8 # mono. Eh gawds! the fly fishing gods rewarded me with a 18" red band from the williamson river, or. ;) Adapt, overcome, improvise....do what Sgt. Gunny Highway would do.

.....as long as its legal.
 
#25 ·
The amount of effort and emotion people put into this subject will never cease to amaze me.
 
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