Some days smallmouth bass don’t seem to be interested in feeding on minnows and you can’t catch them on streamers. Other days they are not interested in any natural foods on the surface and you strike out with surface bugs. Next step…nymphing.
If you drift a realistic nymph in front of the bass, it may be more than he can resist. He takes it solidly. After all, he has been feeding on natural nymphs all of his life. This includes hellgrammites, dragonfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs, white fly mayfly nymphs, brown drake mayfly nymphs and many others.
The late Charlie Brooks of West Yellowstone, taught me to fish nymphs on the Madison River. So lets look at three of the methods he taught me for nymph fishing. I’ll use some slightly different terms since these are more applicable to smallmouth than some of the terms we use on western trout.
Upstream Dead Drift Method
The upstream dead drift method is very effective from 100 feet downstream of the riffles all the way up to the riffle. I start 100 feet below the riffle and wade and fish my way upstream using 20 to 30 feet long casts straight upstream or up and across stream up to 30 degrees.
Since the strike in dead drift nymphing is detected by seeing it I use my Bright Butt 9ft 2X Leader with an Indicator in the butt of the leader and second one 6 feet above the nymph.
Upon presentation upstream, I allow my nymph (such as my Skunk Roadkill size 6) to sink deeply, then remove all of the slack in the line and leader all the way to the top indicator with my line hand. As the current pushes the nymph downstream, I maintain a tight line on the nymph by stripping it smoothly. This allows me to quickly see the strike on the Indicator and set the hook.
Swing Nymphing Technique
The Swing Nymphing Technique is effective in deep pools and runs which are over 6 feet deep. Here I set myself up on the side of the area I plan to fish. The first cast is up and across stream 20 feet long at a 45 degree angle and the nymph is allowed to sink on a slack line. When the nymph is close to the stream bottom, I remove the slack line with my line hand and swing the fly rod downstream. Keeping a tight line from my line hand down to the nymph. This enables me to feel the strike and set the hook. Successive casts are two feet longer until I’ve covered all of the water out to 30 feet. Then I wade downstream pausing at 10 feet intervals to repeat this method.
Across Stream Nymphing Technique
The across stream nymph swimming method is effective in many areas. Casting dragonfly nymphs and damselfly nymphs in against the aquatic grassbeds and stripping them out with short spurts brings many solid strikes. The White Fly Nymph and the Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle Nymph, Brown are great in the deep pools when stripped along the streambottom with a slow swimming action.