Pulling Nymphs

I don't remember how I learned this technique, probably by accident, but I remember that at some point I did it and it worked so I started doing it more and more. Later I learned that it's actually a method that's been around for many years and was even more popular and common before the popularization of strike indicators in fly fishing.

Indicators are great and are very easy to fish, but you miss some of the light strikes when fishing indicators. Staying in contact with nymphs and feeling strikes was THE way to nymph fish some years back and is still the most effective way to detect every strike. There are several methods of doing this, high stick nymphing, Polish and Czech nymphing, and various other European styles are great and should be studied and implemented in appropriate situations. Here's one more little trick that I like to use to stay in touch with your flies, feel more strikes, and catch a few more fish.

Start with one or preferably two or three heavy nymphs or rig unweighted or lightly weighted nymphs on droppers with a heavy string of split shot at the end of the leader. Vary the weight according to the current speed but use more weight than you ever would if you were dead drifting the flies. Cast upstream to the head of the run with a short cast for fast water or a little longer casts for slow deep water. Pull the flies toward you a little faster than the current but slow enough to keep them near the bottom. You can do this by sweeping the rod to the side, lifting the tip up as the flies approach, or in slow water or deep pools by using long steady strips or by combining rod movement and long steady strips. If you effectively keep the flies moving you will feel the strikes almost as you would when fishing streamers and setting the hook will be almost automatic.

I know indicators are great but try pulling your nymphs the next time you're out, you may surprise yourself with how many additional little strikes you'll feel and likely hook.