It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 06:35


1, 2  Next New Topic Add Reply
Author Message
Post 21 Jan 2022, 18:33 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 1218
Location: Branson, Missouri
I have been turned on to Euro nymphing here in the Ozarks rivers by a good pal and became curious.

What might the board recommend for rods - from what is available currently, or ideally in vintage stock ?
He has told me something in a 10ft or 11ft...which stumps dead me right there.
Not sure how glass works out past 9ft ..10ft.
Blanks would be great too.
Thanks kindly all.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=69285&hilit=euro+nymph
post # 3,4,8 - glass doesn't perform as well in long situations... that is disheartening off the bat...
Though it does appear some are doing it with newer makers glass builds.


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Jan 2022, 20:17 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
ugh...

I didn't even like a 10' IM6 3wt...

Part of what you need is that super fast recovery with a sensitive tip....super fast recovery and glass don't exactly match.

fwiw, I ended up with a popular brand 10'6" euro-specific rod and am really glad I went that direction for those times where I utilize the method.


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Jan 2022, 16:26 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 04/04/13
Posts: 197
Location: Central Maryland
Euro nymphing is a niche for which I reluctantly concede that graphite is better suited.

That has a lot to do with why I don't Euro nymph.


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 14:12 • #4 
Sport
Joined: 04/10/17
Posts: 44
Location: US-CO
Yeah, I agree...a straight up fiberglass 10+ ft rod would be unwieldy and makes my shoulder sore just thinking about trying to fishing it any extended period of time.

I've always thought that some sort of hybrid blank might work...thinking lower 1/2 or 3/4 graphite with a fiberglass tip section. I'd don't think recovery with fiberglass would be as much of an issue now with some of the new glass tech out there.


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 14:19 • #5 
Guide
Joined: 07/17/05
Posts: 114
Location: Chester County, PA
Yo Mike - I have a (smaller, conventional dry fly length) French hybrid stick that I got at Somerset that's bamboo butt and graphite tip. It's kind of interesting and a sweet caster. As you would expect, the tip gives a quicker response than wood or glass. So would a Euro length S glass butt and graphite tip do the job?

tl
les


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 15:59 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 04/04/13
Posts: 197
Location: Central Maryland
Quote:
French hybrid stick that I got at Somerset that's bamboo butt and graphite tip.


Pezon et Michel?


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 16:38 • #7 
Sport
Joined: 04/10/17
Posts: 44
Location: US-CO
lestrout wrote:
Yo Mike - I have a (smaller, conventional dry fly length) French hybrid stick that I got at Somerset that's bamboo butt and graphite tip. It's kind of interesting and a sweet caster. As you would expect, the tip gives a quicker response than wood or glass. So would a Euro length S glass butt and graphite tip do the job?

tl
les


Sweet! That sounds like a fun little rod. What's the ferrule connection like at the transition between bamboo and graphite?

Yeah, that might make more sense to have the lighter material for the tip section further from the fulcrum. I've thought about reaching out to one of the U.S. blank rollers and picking their brains.


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 16:55 • #8 
Sport
Joined: 05/14/18
Posts: 75
Location: FT Irwin CA
James Green makes a 10’ glass rod. I just got a 5wt blank from him 6 months ago. That may work for what you are trying to do.

My plan for it is more Stillwater stuff.


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 18:56 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 1218
Location: Branson, Missouri
Funny... that is what I said to my pal... James Green.
I have one of his blanks now... an 10.75ft 7wt 3pc... or somewhere thereabouts..


Top
  
Quote
Post 23 Jan 2022, 21:09 • #10 
Sport
Joined: 05/14/18
Posts: 75
Location: FT Irwin CA
Nice! I can’t wait for Dusty to get done with the 10’ 5wt, really looking forward to fishing it!!


Top
  
Quote
Post 24 Jan 2022, 07:48 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/24/11
Posts: 1144
Location: Belgium
You want a custom blank with a stiff butt and mid and soft tip. I don't think you really want to go over 8'6" in glass - at least not for euro nymphing. Using carbon brings advantages: more length, greater reach, lighter weight. However even an 8' rod is suitable for euronymphing in small pocket water - and here glass is a viable option.


Top
  
Quote
Post 24 Jan 2022, 08:42 • #12 
Guide
Joined: 12/16/15
Posts: 135
Location: MSP
Going full Euro takes graphite. There are a lot of good blanks out there at any price you want - GetBent has a couple decent ones for ~40 bucks or you can go Sage ESN for 400.

But that said, to the point above, Euro fishing started with normal fly gear and as the tactic was refined so was the gear. Just like any other aspect of this sport, really. Of my current glass I would use something with a nimble tip and quick mid and call it good - SFL, FastGlass, etc.


Top
  
Quote
Post 24 Jan 2022, 13:06 • #13 
Guide
Joined: 09/05/17
Posts: 305
Location: On a Stream
Yep - As others have stated. To fully appreciate Euro Nymphing or Tightline Nymphing go with a graphite rod over fiberglass.
I personally know people that swear by the Echo Shadow X for a moderate cost rod. They recommend the 11' rod if strictly nymphing, 10.5' rod if you will occasionally switch to dries if a hatch pops up.
Speaking for myself I use a Tenkara or Keiryu rod when Tightline Nymphing.


Top
  
Quote
Post 24 Jan 2022, 15:55 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
I have the 3wt Echo Shadow II, and have caught some nice fish on it. I just use a DT3F with a 9' tapered leader, to keep things simple, and so I can toss dries when I want to. I really only do the euro-nymphing thing in the winter and early spring on rivers, before the high country creeks and lakes start to open up.

I have been experimenting with other line setups. The mono rig is a bit challenging because you have to find a reel that won't let the mono slip in between the rim of the reel. I think I will give it a try with an enclosed-rim reel next, like the LL Bean Pocket Water (now called the Double L Standard).

I can emphatically say that the Echo Shadow Click is one of the worst reel choices; the clicker is plastic and fragile, and despite what you might think for a reel made for euro-nymphing does not play well with a mono rig.

Hopefully not too much of a digression, but has anyone tried the Redington Tilt ? Talk about a silly-looking reel ...


Top
  
Quote
Post 24 Jan 2022, 17:14 • #15 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
"The mono rig is a bit challenging because you have to find a reel that won't let the mono slip in between the rim of the reel. I think I will give it a try with an enclosed-rim reel next"

I keep hearing that, but I have just as many issues with my fully enclosed reels (I have the Danielsson Original) and without (older Lamson--my primary 'euro-reel'), which is very very rarely. I'm also using 8lb Chameleon, which is far thinner than what most folks use.

sorry about the drift...


Top
  
Quote
Post 24 Jan 2022, 19:11 • #16 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 1218
Location: Branson, Missouri
Thanks kindly for the replies... my buddies head is a spinning I am sure...


Top
  
Quote
Post 25 Jan 2022, 06:29 • #17 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/25/07
Posts: 547
Location: US-PA
I have used a Larry Kenney 8’8” 5 wght, for nymphing , way before ever heard of Euro Nymph style.. Honestly, never found the weight an issue,.


Top
  
Quote
Post 25 Jan 2022, 20:27 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
I am in the graphite camp for these rods. I don't have a lot of experience with rods, mostly just a Mystic M-Series 10'3" 3-weight. I am still learning, but when I do fish it like it a lot. It's a fast-action rod, but since it's a long 3-weight, the fish-on feel reminds me a lot of glass. I rig with a Euro-specific line and a very long leader around 20'.

Though, I'm still a dry fly angler at heart, so glass wins out if there will be bugs on top.


Top
  
Quote
Post 25 Jan 2022, 22:00 • #19 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/06/17
Posts: 2498
Location: South of Joplin
Some day I'd like to spend a day with a skilled Euronympher. I'd like to see it done correctly, because when I read about it, I'm missing something important.
When I read about it it sounds so much like American nymphing a' la Fay and Towendolly or even Humphreys that I can't see the need for specialty equipment unless in a contest where Rules require it. I did a lot of American nymphing ~1980ish with a 9' Cortland 'glass rod and used Humphreys version of the mono rig for a year or three. Maybe it has to do with the size of the water fished, I've always been on small fast streams.


Last edited by Trev on 27 Jan 2022, 14:47, edited 1 time in total.

Top
  
Quote
Post 26 Jan 2022, 13:13 • #20 
Sport
Joined: 11/13/20
Posts: 33
Location: Southern VT
I recently succumbed to peer pressure and found a custom build 10’ 2wt graphite nymphing rod. Maybe it was a moment of weakness after a weekend watching two friends haul fish after fish out of the Neversink Gorge and I had only one (a beautiful brown, but still!). The season turned before I could try the new technique out. Previously I had tried with a 9’ east branch graphite but was a lot less experienced back then. My other thought is a 9’6” Phillipson EF 5wt that is only 3 1/2 ounces. I have lawn cast it for false casting, “roll” casting, and distance but have not fished it yet. Seems like the tip is sensitive enough, at least based on what I’ve read and watched in videos. Like many of us, top water is my preference, but if I have to watch my friends catching while I’m fishing, I’d like the option of switching from one to the other.


Top
  
Quote
Post 26 Jan 2022, 15:38 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 09/05/17
Posts: 305
Location: On a Stream
The longer the rod the better. I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a 16' Keiryu rod which only weighs a little over 5ozs. I think it will be a hoot to fish, and the looks I will get on the river will be priceless. Run it with 15' of 3x flouro for the level line and 4' of 5x tippet. Can't get more sensitive than that, and I can effectively cover more water then with an 11' Euro rod. The amount of line out past the tip is limited by the length of the rod in order to keep a tight line with the nymphs.


Top
  
Quote
Post 27 Jan 2022, 04:01 • #22 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/24/11
Posts: 1144
Location: Belgium
The idea behind euronymphing rods is to allow you to stay in touch as long as possible with the flies so as to feel takes. There are plenty of situations when you can predict where the taking zone will be and and force contact with the fly by minimally raising the tip or otherwise adding tension - in these situations any rod including glass will do. Small fast streams with obvious taking zones lend themselves to using this technique. However a proper euronymphing rod opens up a lot more possibilities by giving you more time in contact with the flies especially through longer uniform runs where there may not be a clear taking zone. On streams with any decent amount of fishing pressure there will be a disproportionate number of fish outside the most obvious taking zones so once again advantage to the specialized euronympher.

The downside is that this kind of fishing isn't particularly satisfying to many of us. The idea behind flyfishing for trout is to hunt/stalk fish or a the very least hunt/stalk holding water. This provides us with a target to hit. The neuroscientists tell us that hitting targets releases dopamine and we like that. There's something to that because hooking a fish on the hang while walking upstream is fun but hardly as satisfying as dropping a fly six to nine feet upstream of a feeding fish using a curved cast so as to avoid lining it. The perfect cast and drift or swing is satisfying in itself and the result is amplified further when the fish takes.


Top
  
Quote
Post 27 Jan 2022, 08:34 • #23 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
"The downside is that this kind of fishing isn't particularly satisfying to many of us."

For me, that's really what it boils down to.

That said, during those times I do it, I like a purpose built tool for it (sure, I could use a wrench to nail in a nail, but a hammer works far better).

That (that) said, I'm sure that most of us have been doing some form of tight-line nymphing for years with whatever rod we have (I know I have), but then again, see above.

All of that said, I like catching fish on a fly rod. The method is highly effective at catching fish on a fly rod.


Last edited by clarkman23 on 05 Feb 2022, 11:39, edited 1 time in total.

Top
  
Quote
Nymphing
Post 28 Jan 2022, 06:32 • #24 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 1218
Location: Branson, Missouri
Being a top water guy - I am out on this topic altogether myself.
To be honest - I haven't even tried it yet. So who knows.
But we all have our thing... fish and let fish...


Top
  
Quote
Post 01 Feb 2022, 18:58 • #25 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/09/05
Posts: 2524
Location: US-CO
Since my small streams in the high country shut down for the winter, I have looked into Euro-nymphing in the larger waters on the Animas River and the San Juan River in NM to our south. I pretty much learned that an 8 1/2 ft fiberglass rod is not suited to this kind of fishing. Fishing a tight line, bumping the bottom, and staying in direct contact with the fly so even the most subtle take of a sluggish winter trout can be felt or seen on the sighter, is not something a long, heavy, fiberglass rod does well. Rod length and tip action is critical to cast a mono leader, and the sensitivity of the rod to detect strikes is essential. An alternative is certainly to use a normal flyrod with an indicator of some sort, but I wanted to learn to fish without one. I hold the opinion that Euro-nymphing is more effective than fishing nymphs under an indicator in winter waters.

So, to enable me to spend time on the river and do some fishing in the off-season, I have resorted to my 12 ft tenkara rod with a Euro-nymph mono leader, sighter, and tippet. There is a good chance I may lose a nice fish since the tenkara system does not allow a fish to run without snapping the tippet...but that is a risk I have to take. I still have a way to go to perfect the technique but am confident I will be able to figure this out.

I agree with opinions above stating that this is a role best suited to long and light graphite rods, and even that it is not my favorite kind of fishing. But it does give me some time on the water instead of waiting for the snowmelt to end in July.

One key point to those who may try this...most effective casting is completely different due to the nature of both the line and the rod. Following a downstream drift, the fly is pulled from the water in a circular cast behind your head to be plopped down where you want it to go upstream. This circular casting style, instead of our instinctive fore/aft is important because the mono-leader/tippet set-up will not load the rod, nor allow you to form a loop in the cast. This was an important learning point for me.

Again...not my favorite kind of fishing, but with access to the high country streams shut down and frozen in for most of the year, it will have to do. :-)

Also as Cappy points out "The amount of line out past the tip is limited by the length of the rod in order to keep a tight line with the nymphs." And I would add: The amount of line past the tip is also limited by being able to reach a hooked fish with your net. Yes, I learned this the hard way and ended up hand-lining a few nice rainbows in close enough for me to net them.


Top
  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

1, 2  Next New Topic Add Reply



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
Google
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group