Setting Up Your Nymph Rig (Plain & Simple)

By Tim Burke

How, when, and why to fish indicators in nymph fishing situations is a hotly debated topic in fly fishing. Without going into the social, political, and religious ramifications, pros and cons, and what the latest magazine guru says about how nymph fisherman are the undoing of fly fishing, let's cut to the chase: Indicators work!

Indicators are a great tool to aid anglers in detecting strikes while fishing in the invisible world of the sub-surface – and they allow you to catch more fish (period). One of the most frequent questions we receive is from anglers who want to know how to set up their nymph rigs and how to fish them. The following will address some of the most common problems people face when setting up and fishing nymph rigs.

"Where Do I Put My Indicator On The Leader?"

Typically you should put your indicator on the butt section of the leader so that it’s at a point that is 2 times the depth of the water you are fishing. In shallow water this distance may be decreased as needed as well as in situations where you may want to suspend a nymph just beneath the surface. If you want to simplify your life, in most fishing situations placing the indicator about 18 inches down the leader butt from the fly line will usually get you fishing.

"How Do I Cast With An Indicator On My Leader?"

Answer, very poorly! Because of the added weight of the indicator, and usually split shot and/or weighted fly, those beautiful "River Runs Through It" casts are out. First, remember to slow down a bit and let the line uncurl in the back cast until you feel the slight jerk of the line stopping. 

Then proceed with the cast forward. You will find that this opens the loop up a bit, but that's ok because the added weight should make the cast lay out. Also try to limit your casting distance. Successful nymph fishing is usually about getting into proper position and not about a distance casting contest. Just remember to slow down and don't rush the cast or you will end up with a real tangled mess.

"How Should I Fish The Flies?"

If you are swinging flies through the water (old wet fly style) you are relying on feeling the strike and don't really need an indicator. When you are trying to dead drift a nymph (how most anglers present to fish) you must mend line when you see your indicator drag – just like dry fly fishing.

When you mend your line you take out the slack and can't feel the take, thus the indicator. Typically, casts are made up stream or across stream (just like dry fly fishing) and you must mend line either up or down stream depending on the current and its effect on your fly. Get in the habit of really paying attention to drag and mending constantly as well as following the indicators drift with the rod tip.

"Should I Use Split Shot, And If So How Do I Rig It?"

If you’re fishing just beneath the surface or in extremely shallow water chances are you won't need shot. But that leaves the other 98% of the time! This is one of the biggest mistakes that we see anglers make when nymph fishing - not getting their flies deep enough.

Even if you use bead head flies I can assure you that most of the time you are not deep enough - except in really shallow water of course. I’ve taken anglers who were pretty good fishermen, and time and again simply added a split shot to their nymph rig, and suddenly their strikes increased dramatically.

Remember, nymphs spend the majority of their time on or near the stream bottom and fish are accustom to see this behavior - so get those flies deep. How to rig them? Simply place a split shot or two (if the flows are really fast) about  12 to 18 inches from the fly and that's it. Needless to say this makes casting stink, but while it ain't pretty it really works best.

"What Type Of Indicators Work Best?"

This is where it gets tricky because now we're in to the area of personal favorites…so I'll give you my take on the issue. I typically use monstrously large poly yarn indicators for most of my nymph fishing. These items are easy on and easy off if you need to change set ups - unlike the stick on varieties.

On small streams I still use the same type of indicator but simply smaller in size. I have come to prefer these indicators because they are the most sensitive to strikes that I have found (not that I have tried nearly all of them over the years) and they are easy to take on and off.

The down side is that they are a real bear to cast due to their high wind resistance, but I feel that their sensitivity more than makes up for the ugly casting shortcoming. But, by all means try the other types of indicators on the market and choose for yourself.

If you have further questions about setting up your nymph rig, get in touch with us here at the Trout Lie.