Nymphing has gotten a little tougher over the years, because the trout are a little more picky. I think that’s fair to say. And while the flies I used to find in the trees were mostly Wooley Buggers and Adams dry flies, these days, everything looks like some version of a Perdigon.

More anglers are nymphing than ever before. So trout see artificial nymphs in the drift more than ever, and they’re bound to be a little tougher to convince.

Surely, the most common advice for fooling more selective fish is to go smaller with the pattern. Often that’s a good strategy that meets the moment . . . but not always.

When we do want to fish smaller flies, how do we go about it? The fact is, larger flies drift differently. Heavier flies can get down more quickly. And getting a #18 into the strike zone really requires a different strategy.

Here’s the spoiler. There are many ways to get small, light nymphs to the trout. Bigger beadheads and lighter tippets are probably the most current and popular option, but overlooking other ways is selling yourself short. Trailing a small nymph behind something heavier is a good way, as is tagging it above. Then there’s split shot on the leader and drop shot below the flies -- all of these options work with and without indicators on the line.

My friends Austin Dando, Bill Dell and Dr. Trevor Smith join me for a fun conversation.

RESOURCES

ARTICLE: Troutbitten | Drifting Light Nymphs
ARTICLE: Troutbitten | Are Light Nymphs More Natural? Is Less Weight More Effective?

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