duaneredford.com   "Fear No Water"

Feel Your Way…….

Hidy Ho Good Neighbors,

So, have you tried Euro style nymphing yet?  I know, sounds funny coming from a guy that wrote a book about the systematic approach to nymphing, but I have done a fair amount of this technique over the last couple of years.  Even have my clients working a modified euro system on pretty much every guide trip.

Now, I’m no expert on euro style, but I appear to be qualified enough to talk about it because my clients catch plenty of fish, even on the first time out, using my quirky method. I tagged my method “eurorado nymphing” because it includes Colorado nymphing methods coupled with euro-style principles. I’ve included a section in my latest book, Hidden in Plain View, that goes into greater depth on what I do.

A good stocking stuffer

Suspended nymphing under an indicator still has a place in my arsenal as it can create longer more consistent drifts, gives you the ability to work water that is more than a couple rod lengths away, and gives you the ability to see fish eats thru the indicator. However, the ability to work the upper half of a drift effectively while dialing in drift speeds is a bit tougher under an indicator. Think back to the last time you nymph fished, how many fish did you catch upstream of the halfway point of your drift?  Exactly, it’s hard to recall because it just doesn’t happen as often as the fish you catch from the middle to end of the nymph drift. That’s because that is when most anglers have the depth and speed finally perfect.

Eurorado style, on the other hand, allows you to work the upper part of the drift well. It allows you to feel working over obstructions, shelves and bars. And, you catch the majority of the fish above the middle point of your drift, because you get the bugs down quickly, and dial in depth and speed quickly after your bugs hit the water. Each method has its merits, but like I always say, the more versatile an angler you are, the more you’ll enjoy the sport.

Customize as needed

Some days Eurorado nymphing is like a vacuum, picking up fish in a river where suspended nymphing wouldn’t be able to and it’s relatively easy to rig and learn. Again, I’m no expert, but there are many videos available that can get you started. As for gear, I run a 10’6” 3 weight Master Nymph Bellator fly rod with a matching Lamson Liquid reel. This rig is balanced and light weight with incredible accuracy and fish fighting capabilities. I also employ a sighter-leader of my design and use bugs of my design.

A gaggle of Booby Traps

The sighter-leader and flies used is where I put the “rado” in this rig, because it smacks of Colorado nymphing. Most Euro-style leaders are around twenty feet (and longer) lengths, whereas my leader is around eleven feet long. It is comprised of several different sections of monofilament, fluorocarbon, and amnesia lines, with a sighter tag and tippet ring thrown in for a cause (see pic). As for my bugs, I run a weighted Booby Trap, as my anchor, and run in-line off of that. So, off the bend of the Booby Trap, I run tippet to a DP643 which is an unweighted soft hackle, and off of that bend I run a Butt Crack Baetis (unweighted) in the appropriate size and color.  I’m sure you can see the indicator nymphing influence here.

This rig has served me and my clients well over the last couple of years on the Eagle River, and it can easily be customized to your favorite water with a little thought and tinkering. I continue to learn a bit more each time my boots get wet, but I  am sold on this technique. I really enjoy the simplicity, ability to feel your way along a river bottom, and the consistency to get depths and speeds dialed in quickly on every drift.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…….Fear No Water!

Happy Holidays!