How go about fishing deeper faster moving water?

[youngtroutbum]

I’m struggling to get my flies down in the strike zone on some of the deeper faster moving hole (3.5-4.5ft) w/ pretty good current moving through most of them. I’m still pretty new to fly so any tips and tricks help.

 

[wildtrout2]

I’m struggling to get my flies down in the strike zone on some of the deeper faster moving hole (3.5-4.5ft) w/ pretty good current moving through most of them. I’m still pretty new to fly so any tips and tricks help.

I try to avoid those conditions at all cost. 😉

 

[Swattie87]

Use heavily weighted flies. Perdigons, big tungsten Stoneflies, etc. And add split shot if that’s not enough.

One thing that helped me a lot when learning to nymph water like that was learning to read the water. You don’t want to lead your flies down through the heaviest current, you want them in the slightly slower water just next to the main current tongue. You’ll often hear this referred to as a “seam”. That’s what you’re looking for. Not only is this where the fish are more likely to be, but it will also give your flies more time to slow down and get deep.

And if you’re using a bobber, ditch it for this application.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Yo, troutbum. Are you sure there's fish down there right now? If the water is high (and cold) they may push to the edges where you won't need as much weight to get down.

You can use split shot, you can use heavy tungsten flies that have zero bulk, like a perdigon, you can also drop shot smalller bugs with split shot as the anchor. You can use lighter tippet (and lose more bugs too), and you can start your drifts waay up yonder.... All in all, ask yourself if it's worth it!

 

[dudemanspecial]

Good answers above.

Tom Rosenbauer taught me that trout like to feed in water that is 2-4 foot deep, moving at about one foot per second with uniform current. Yes, there are exceptions, but I really try to concentrate on this when nymphing, it's better to cover more water like this than to spend time rigging up a massive amount of weight to fish water that doesn't hold feeding fish.

 

[jifigz]

Split shot. If you're going to use an indicator, make short casts and keep the leader high off the water. Or ditch the indicator and tightline it through. I'd still use the split shot. It can be hard to know how deep you are without a built in sighter. If you have one, great. If not, you can use your indicator high up on your leader as a depth gauge, but keep it out of the water and still nymph with a tight line. This only works on big water where you can get right beside and over top of the drift with the rod. Another suggestion is to put a heavy streamer in there. Tightline it, or sneak above the riffle and feed it down into the current from above.

Good luck. Oh, and Swattie is right. Look for the seams, but sometimes, fish will be right in the heavy stuff, too, especially rainbows.

 

[tomgamber]

Mend upstream, weighted flies. Also "Lead heads"

 

[dudemanspecial]

What were you trying that was not working? Weighted flies? How much split shot? What was your leader setup?

 

[Swattie87]

Some really good ideas in this thread.

 

[CRB]

Good answers above.

Tom Rosenbauer taught me that trout like to feed in water that is 2-4 foot deep, moving at about one foot per second with uniform current. Yes, there are exceptions, but I really try to concentrate on this when nymphing, it's better to cover more water like this than to spend time rigging up a massive amount of weight to fish water that doesn't hold feeding fish.

I would stack my shot separate them up your leader using the right angle indicator technique
Or use an intermediate line with a sink tip and swing your flys through these areas
Those are both techniques I use for salmon/steelhead fishing

 

[JeffP]

Good answers above.

Tom Rosenbauer taught me that trout like to feed in water that is 2-4 foot deep, moving at about one foot per second with uniform current. Yes, there are exceptions, but I really try to concentrate on this when nymphing, it's better to cover more water like this than to spend time rigging up a massive amount of weight to fish water that doesn't hold feeding fish.

I'm always surprised how I can't catch a trout in these places that look like trout heaven.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I'm always surprised how I can't catch a trout in these places that look like trout heaven.

Yep, and then you catch one while your fly is dangling in the ankle deep water behind you while you are rooting through your flybox.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Another technique you can do is abandon your approach all together. In deep, heavy current a trout might not move much for a small offering like a size 12 - 16 nymph and you will need to get it right in front of them. If they are sitting on the bottom, it can be difficult to dead drift a nymph to them.

One thing I found that helps is changing your approach of getting your fly to them and rather get them to come to your fly.

Try using a larger nymph like a golden stone. The larger nymph may make it worth it for them to spend the energy to get it. Better yet dead drift and twitch a big bugger. Done right, a trout will move several feet to grab it. That way even if you aren't deep enough for the nymph strike zone, it does not matter. They may come up in the column to take your offering.

 

[MaxDog 2.0]

Heavily weighted flies and tuck cast.