Introduction:

For those who have read the introductory fly fishing posts before this, thank you! Now we have come to the point where we begin addressing what everybody wants to know, how to catch fish. This post will give the basics of nymph fishing stocked water. I will mention several different nymphs in this blog, I highly encourage you to look up the flies mentioned so that you understand what they are and what I am referring to. This blog post is written with the assumption that you are using a floating fly line. Stocked trout are not loved by everyone, even hated by some. But they relieve pressure off of the wild streams and give many anglers the chance at a trophy fish, that they would not normally get. For the introductory fly fisher, I strongly recommend getting out on stocked water and practicing, before tackling wild water. Simply because the stocked fish will be easier, plentiful, and most likely have more room to cast. Now without further delay, let's get into nymphing for stocked trout. 

What Fly Should I Select?

Once you arrive at the water, that is where you will begin selecting the fly you wish to use. There are several factors when determining what fly to use, today we will be addressing what nymph you should use in different situations. As you arrive at the stream, there are questions that you should ask: Are these fish wild or stocked? How big are they? Am I trying to catch a lot of fish or a big fish? Is the water dirty or clear? How deep is the water? As you asked yourself these questions, you will then be figuring out the fly that best suits your purpose. 

For those who are targeting stocked trout with nymphs/miscellaneous flies, some of the best flies in your arsenal will be Squirmies/San Juans, Mops, Eggs, Pat’s Rubber Legs, and Girdle Bugs. These flies are very standard flies that will be effective year-round. They will be the most effective in the size 8-14 range. These flies are not necessarily matching the hatch, but they are generic flies that catch stocked trout in almost any water system year-round. 

However, the longer stocked trout are in the water, the smarter they will become. As they shift their attention from flies such as the ones mentioned, it will then be time to size down and change your approach. As they become smarter, it is advised to begin using more natural flies, with possibly some sort of color or flash to attract a trout. Examples of these include Frenchies, Rainbow Warriors, Pheasant Tails, Guides Choice Hares Ears, Midges, and Copper Johns. These flies favor a more natural appearance, compared to the previous flies. These will be best used in sizes ranging from 14-22. That is a wide range due to the nature of trout. Even though these flies can be effective in larger sizes such as 12 and 14, many times the bugs in the water will be on the smaller size. So often times sizing down to an 18-20 will be necessary. 

One final note that experienced fly fishers will have noticed, I did not include anything about matching the hatch. For stocked trout, the hatch is oftentimes not necessary because generic patterns WILL catch fish. I will be dedicating a post soon about matching the hatch and its benefits, but that is not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to show the introductory fly fisher ways to simply catch fish. As the posts continue, the topics will become more advanced and the true intricacies of fly fishing will be examined. 

What Does the Water Look Like?

This question has to do with the depth, clarity, and how fast the water is moving. When the water is low and clear, the fish will many times be warier of what they eating. That is not because they aren't hungry, it's because they are able to get a better look at the fly. With those factors, the water will also typically be moving slower and that is giving more time to examine what is in front of them. This can be beneficial if you are fishing exactly what the trout wants, but detrimental if you are not fishing what the trout considers food.

Low/Clear- For this type of water, smaller, brighter flies with flash are recommended. With this type of water, many fish will become skittish of larger flies in the water and not always be interested in the darkest fly in your box. This is the time to throw smaller flies with some color/brightness to them. Flies such as Frenchies, Rainbow Warriors, and Guide's Choice Hare's Ears are ideal here because they are smaller, more natural presentations, but they also have a small amount of flash to grab a trout's attention from a distance. Also remember, when the water is clear/low, it is easier to snag the bottom of the water. For low water, it is recommended to fish flies that are not as heavy. A heavy fly during this time will create too much weight and will leave you constantly hitting rocks and losing flies.

High/Dirty- For this type of water, the size of the fly is not as important. Since the trout's visibility will not be great, they may a difficult time finding something such as a midge. In these instances, I highly recommend using a fly that will have movement and life. For example, flies such as Girdle Bugs and Pat's Rubber Legs are tied with legs on them. These legs will create natural movement in the water and make it easier for a trout to notice. In dirtier water, this is key.

In addition to natural movement, darker colors tend to produce better in darker water. For example, even though pink may be more effective in clear water, black will be more effective in dirty water. The dark tone is able to cut through the water easier and thus, making it easier for a trout to spot. In dirty water, I recommend using flies with dark tones such as black, brown, olive, and red. 

What’s a Strike Indicator and Where do I Put it? 

Now that you have a basic idea of what to throw in stocked water and when to throw it, the next thing to examine is a strike indicator. What is it? In basic terms, a strike indicator is the fly fisher’s equivalent of a bobber. Strike indicators are in essence, smaller, more sensitive bobbers. There are many on the market, but “Air Locks” and “Thingamabobbers” are two of the standards in the strike indicator world and will be able to hold up quite heavy nymphs. These essentially look like a bobber however and have been known to spook more skittish trout. For those who would prefer a more subtle approach, New Zealand strike indicators are worth looking at and there is a small company called “Ghostech Strike Indicators” which designs indicators to appear as bubbles on top of the water. For anglers fishing for wild trout or trout in more pressured water, these two are highly recommended. 

Now, that you know what one is, where should you place it? The placement of your strike indicator depends on how deep the water you are fishing is. For example, if you are fishing water that is typically only a few feet deep, it is not ideal to place your indicator right at your fly line. Likewise, if you are fishing deep holes, placing the indicator close to the nymph will be limiting the depth you can fish. Some of this will take practice and trial and error to determine where you prefer the indicator to be at. I personally will place my indicator quite high so that I am fishing deep. This will cause me to snag on the bottom in shallower water, but when nymphing, I make a special point to be deep. I personally want my nymphs to almost always be deep enough to hit the bottom. I think of how deep is the deepest hole I will be fishing that day, and then I think how much depth I need to fish that hole effectively, without messing me up for the rest of the day. As I said, this will vary from person to person and water to water. As a ballpark estimate, the indicator should be approximately 4-5 feet above your first fly. 

The final step in using an indicator is setting the hook. If you see the indicator go under or give an unnatural movement such as heading upstream, give it a set! Remember, just because the indicator doesn't go all the way down, doesn't mean there isn't a fish. Sometimes all you will see is a slight twitch, bump, or small movement indicating that a fish is on. If you set the hook on a rock, who cares? Setting the hook is free right? 

In an attempt to keep this post at a reasonable length, I haven't discussed the drift. The drift is arguably the most important aspect of fly fishing and deserves its own post. It will be discussed in the following post, "Achieving the Drift."