Smoky Mountain Guide Service

Polish And Czech Nymphing Techniques

There have been numerous articles and stories written in Flyfishing magazines as well as pages placed on a number of different websites about the "newly found methods of nymph fishing". The Polish method was the first and the Czech method was next. Along with these articles, were shown some of the fly patterns that seemed to be popular in the areas that these techniques were being practiced in. I have read and reread most of these stories and I have pretty much come to the same conclusion about both techniques. I first want to compliment the people who established these nymphing standards. They are sound and will catch many fish. I also want to encourage the people who read them and are interested in bettering your day on the water to try some of what you have read. The main conclusion that I have come to is, that these methods are almost identical to the nymphing techniques that developed here in the Appalachian area more than 50 years ago. There are some differences in presentation methods on larger water and some differences in the way that flies are tied onto the leader; but overall, I feel that the Advanced Nymphing Classes that I have been practicing for years, and now teach on the stream, are so similar in the way that they are done, that they would be just as effective in Europe as they would in the United States. Let me say again, that all three methods are very similar and very effective on most mountain streams. I do invite you to try one of our Advanced Nymphing Classes and see if you fishing abilities do not show dramatic improvement in one day on the water.

We also want to invite any of you that have liked the looks of the Czech Nymph patterns to look at our selection that we are offering, as a new pattern for 2006. We hope you enjoy all of our updates and thanks for visiting our website.

Hugh

Blackbird Czech Nymph 002.jpg (51270 bytes)

Czech Nymph 001

Czech Nymph 003

Czech Nymph 005

Blackbird Czech Nymph 002

High Sticking

Lets talk about it!   Is it in your flyfishing portfolio? Do you really know what it is? Do you know how to use it readily while you are on the stream?

"High Stickin" is a method that has been around for many years in East Tennessee. When I was a young boy growing up, I saw it used in many different ways on the Pigeon River as well as on trout streams. Some of my first recollections of it being used on a mountain stream, was to see an ole timer with a cane pole and a section of fishing line wrapped around the pole numerous times.   This line was usually followed by cat gut leader, and on the end of it was tied a Yallarhammer fly. Long before I came onto the scene, it had been figured out how to take a long cane pole and hold it out over heavy sections of current, so as to get the fly on the other side to calmer water that the fish might be holding in.

This method has moved on through the flyfishing circles to the more common practice of using an 8-9 foot fly rod and casting across a hole where several runs from the hole just above, can grab a fly line and create drag almost immediately. This is where the practice of lifting or raising the rod and line just enough to keep the fly line out of the current has proven time and time again to give a drag free drift. It may require some mending and adjusting of the height that the rod is held to finesse the fly through a complete run. As a person becomes more proficient at this method, he will learn to slip from one technique to another, allowing the type of water to dictate just what method is required at any given time. The one thing that is constant, is that getting the fly line up and off of the water will lessen drag, giving the fish much longer to see the fly passing through its lie. Try to attempt this highly successful method of retrieve at every opportunity that you have on the water. This practice can only be learned to its fullest potential by watching someone who has perfected it throughout the years. At every occasion that offers itself, be sure to take some time and watch a person who has mastered this technique. The end result will be to manipulate the line and rod to the degree that you will allow the current to bring the fly through a hole at a more constant flow that will not be affected so much by the drag that is created by current catching the fly line.

There are a number of other techniques that high stickin offers. One is to be able to hold a rod up and over a large rock without being seen by the fish that are in the hole just above you. Another, is to be able to dance a fly, such as a caddis pattern so as to make it have the skittering movement that the real insect may exhibit.

Try all of these methods and add to them as you become more familiar with the method of "high stickin."

Hugh

flyfisherman1@charter.net

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Getting The Right Start

As I go through the season of guiding and fishing with new clients, there is a constant theme that seems to replay itself that I would like to address in this article. Many of the clients that I have had the opportunity to spend time with on the water have had at least a little experience with a fly rod, and they are anxious to show their skills or what they have learned up to the present time. Many love to show how they can cast to some distance, and I know it makes them feel good to lay a fly out 40 to 50 feet. In almost every case, it is very apparent that they have picked up some bad habits or not too professional skills. If these habits have been used for a few months or a year or two, it is very hard to break them and get the individual back on the right track with just one outing on the stream. It is for this reason that I want to encourage as many of you as possible to try to get in on a class where you can be taught correctly on how to tie knots, prepare leaders, and learn to work a flyrod in a proper manner to present a fly in a delicate and precise way. One also needs to learn the value of reading water to know how present the fly and where to learn the location of where trout are going to be waiting for food.

These are just a few of the many areas that a person who is new to flyfishing can advance in and become a more skillful person on the stream. It can save you many hours of almost wasted time trying to learn all of these things by yourself. The cost is actually minimal compared to just crawling along for months while you watch others doing all of the things that you wish you could. I encourage many of you to schedule a flycasting class that is combined with a follow-up of flyfishing under the guidance of a professional.

Please put your money and your time to its best use and just see the difference that this professional guidance can make.

Hugh

Hugh@ flyfisherman1@charter.net Carolyn @ beeboflyfishingguide@hotmail.com

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Dry Flies	Nymphs and Emergers	Nymphs and Emergers - Page 2	Wet Flies/Soft Hackle Flies	Tailwater Trout Flies
Realistic Flies	Tailwaters Hatch Charts	Smoky Mountain Hatch Charts	Fly Tying Tutorials	Flycasting Lessons

Dry Flies	Nymphs and Emergers	Nymphs and Emergers - Page 2	Wet Flies/Soft Hackle Flies	Tailwater Trout Flies
Realistic Flies	Tailwaters Hatch Charts	Smoky Mountain Hatch Charts	Fly Tying Tutorials	Flycasting Lessons