Drop shot nymphing is one of the most effective and deadly way to nymph fish today. Learn how it's done, the leaders to use, the techniques, strategies and how to cast it all.
Thanks for sharing your leader setup. I’ll be giving it a try next time out. One thing I noticed that may seem picky is what is done with the scrap line that is trimmed and cut off. I hope you and your viewers don’t leave the pieces they cut on the ground or in the river. Please make an effort to not leave trash behind.
There are quite a few things in fly fishing that folks get riled on. Some rivers even make rules on what wading boots you ware, how many hooks you can use, barbless, and of course lead shot. For the most part I get it, understand it and comply. There are lots of alternatives to lead on the market today. I suggest you shop around, try all of it, and find what works for you. Most work ok for me. I smash them on the leader hard as opposed to tying a knot at the end. I have used putty before with good results. As far as I know there are no rivers or streams being contaminated by fishermen using lead. Bird life certainty has hence steel shot. I can agree lead shot does not bode well in our waters that my great grandchildren will be fishing. A very good comment. One that has me thinking and that could be good thing thanks.
Just to be clear, this DS rig uses 6# Trilene 100% Fluro spinning line. A lot of these rigs use spinning line because the trout don't see the mainline, which in this case is 1X or 10 thou. That is a lot lighter than most would want for the leader butt, and a lot heavier than they would want for the flies, but using fluro makes it work, and all you need is one spool that does it all. Great simple rig for bass in rivers, or even some steelhead. If one wants to make it a little more tuned for trout, I would add a 13 thou high viz for the first 3 feet and the knot can just be a blood knot to the 6 pound Trilene. Then if you use, say 4X / 7 thou to loop on the flies, it is fine enough, or 5x, that you won't need to waste all the material to beef up the knot. You can also make the leader out of plain nylon, and just do the fly loops out of fluro to save some money. You should be able to use regular mono for the 2 footers if you are using loops for the flies, that way you can save on the cost of 4 feet of fluro just to make bumps in the line. But I do appreciate the efficiency of making this system with just one spool of mono, however he has a lot more on his lanyard...
Yes you can do any of the mentioned. Unlike some nymphing styles, there are no rules in DS. I find myself trying new ways to do it now and again. As long as the lead is at the end of the leader it’s DS.
Really enjoyed both videos on drop shot nymphing! Follow up questions: when changing flies, why not snip off the fly and retie new fly on the tag (instead of 4" it will now be 3 or 2.5")? Do you use the same leader formula regardless of the depth of water being fished (for instance 1' deep in a riffle but 5' deep in a pool)? In heavily fished places and/or tailwaters do you use thinner tags (ie 6X instead of 6LB)? Thanks!!
The great thing about DS is there are no rules. What I have attempted is to give you a baseline or guide to build on. I have found over the years this works for me. That said I’ve changed it a little since I made this video 6 years ago. As long as the weight is at the end then it’s DS. I do use the same formula as shown. In deep water rivers like we have in Idaho and Montana I can raise it lower the height of my flies by raising or lowering my rod tip. Today I rarely if ever use smaller diameter than 5X. There is a video I did recently on the 6 Steps to perfecting DS. Go to my channel for that. There is also a video on how I make those 4” tags. I’ll be doing more videos in the future on DS so stay tuned. This old fish hobo is Trying to pass on 8 decades of FF before I kick the bucket for those willing to listen.
I like what i'm learning from your videos. I havent caught on yet....Are you using this drop shot rig with a floating fly line or what are you using for your main line?
Well, this is a good question on your part. No part of Drop Shotting should be mis-understood. I use a 10 ft. 6 wt. rod; with that I use an inexpensive weight forward 6 wt. floating line. WF6F. If you have any other questions, you can contact me via the beginning of every video is my contact from my website. Here I can give you a more Indepth answers.
I recommend you watch Drop Shot Nymphing Vol 1 on my TH-cam channel. (Northwest School of Fly Fishing) for complete demonstration on your question. There are many different ways to make a drop shot leader. You don't buy a leader you make it. it is not tapperd. I use about 7 or 8 feet of 8 or 10 lb regular Stren fluorocarbon fishing line as the main leader. at one end I tie a Perfection loop. From there I go about 36 inches down from the loop and tie my first triple surgeons knot, 10 to 12 inches down from that knot I tie in and other SK and again another 12 in. for the final knot. From the final knot I will go another 12 inches and put on my lead. I will then trim any excess fluorocarbon line 3 inches down from where I would put on my lead. That is the leader. For the flies I use 4X Tippet or 6lb Fluorocarbon. Tie on the fly first then a perfection loop at 4 inches. to add the fly to the leader just do a loop to fly connection and slide it down to the knot.
What do you do if your fishing in a crowded area and there's not enough room to let your fly drift all the way down stream to create the line tension, any other options?
That's a good question and I hope I never run into a situation like that. Ethically I would call that Low Holing or High Holing. Someone us trying to move you off the water. However, there are waters where this type of fishing is typical. In this situation the river will dictate how it is I'm going to cast. is it shallow enough for me to move forward into the river. Is the river to swift to do so? And so on. By moving forward into the river, I can shorten my cast. I would venture to say most modern forms of nymphing have a similar cast and would have a similar problem. There is a river in Eastern Oregon where this type of crowding will actually cause a fight on the river. Less, at least a verbal confrontation. I would say this type of fishing is becoming the norm on this river. Basic fly fishing ethics dictate, if someone is fishing a section of river, fish somewhere else or ask the angler permission. Of course, I'm talking about Old School Fly Fishing here and many of our youth today find that below them.
Any recommendation of Rod wt and length? Still new to the fly fishing game and been working with a 9’ 5wt between indicator nymphing and dry fly fishing. Looking for another set up to get more into nymphing. Thanks for the informative series.
I get this question a lot. It's a suggestive question, meaning other guys will tell you just the opposite and be right. However, for an old hobo who has been DS for years I've tried all the rods. What I have found is the 10ft 6wt rod works the best. The cast is made at the top section of your rod. That extra 12 inches gives you a more powerful cast and helps your reach out into the river. The 6wt is just right for the extra weight or split shot you might add. This Thursday or Friday I will be posting a new video on the do's and don'ts of the drop shot cast. Look for it. It will help you out in understanding what I'm talking about. I will be using a 10fI 6wt rod. I have found over the years that a 5wt rod is much less effective than a 6wt. I know guys who have converted from Euro to DS and try to use their Euro rods for DS. They soon convert to the 10ft 6wt. Lastly, the 10ft 6wt fly rod is the most versatile fly rod you can have in your inventory. Bass, Steelhead, lake and streamer fishing it works great. Hope this helps.
I do fish lakes and ponds. Here, I usually do not DS nymph. From a boat I'm usually using a full sink line. I use a standard 9 ft 3X fluro leader. Depending on the depth of the lake would determine the type of sinking line I would use. Type 1,2, 3, or 6. From shore I would usually be using sink tip line. These lines I would never use in a river. I seldom use a drop shot rig in lakes. However, when the conditions are right, I have used the drop shot rig with great success on lakes and ponds. I little oxymoronic answer but you know what I mean. I hope this helps.
In all forms of modern nymphing and DS is modern nymphing, you must maintain a tight line. If you maintain this then any strike will immediately be felt. A little bump Bach with the rod tip will seat the fly. The seat of the fly in the trout’s mouth will cause the TROUT to set the hook. Often times it’s just a powerful smash and a bent rod. Very much like pulling a streamer. However, you must maintain a tight line. Back in “The day” we called all nymphing “Tight Line nymphing”. Remember what makes DS so effective is your flies are are always in the trout’s grill not dragging on the bottom and the weight is always on the bottom making it easy to add or subtract weight. Success in all modern nymphing is maintaining a tight line.
When you say pull your flies slightly faster than the current.Do you mean faster than the current on the river bed.Or are you pulling slightly faster than the bubbles on the surface.Cheers
Great question. You want to move or pull your flies slightly faster than the current of the river where you are fishing. Sometimes the current is moving so fast that you can just barely keep up. The main concept is to keep your leader and line tight so you can feel the slightest take of your fly.
It can very much be. This is one of those things in fly fishing that is very debatable. Many times, the river is going so fast that you can barely keep up with it and the question is mute. The reverse can be said for slow water. But overall, my experience says yes, the current, from a general point of view, is slower on the bottom. @nichtverstehen2045
Good point. You don’t want to leave anything on the ground. When I’m filming I often toss things to the ground then pick up everything when I’m done. Anglers who leave mono on the ground don’t even think about it. It’s sad. I will be more conscious in the future. Bad optics like mono all over the bushes is not the way to. Thanks for bringing this up.
Absolutely! There are no rules in drop shot nymphing like the euro styles other than the split shot is at the end of the leader. Thanks for your insight and comment.
Absolutely correct and there are several options, tungsten wire or 1mm tungsten rod held on the line with silicone tube. There are non toxic shot options out there too .
Thank you for Vol 2. Perfect complement to the 1st segment. Very helpful!
I’m currently writing another book. This one on Drop Shot Nymphing
Thanks for sharing your leader setup. I’ll be giving it a try next time out. One thing I noticed that may seem picky is what is done with the scrap line that is trimmed and cut off. I hope you and your viewers don’t leave the pieces they cut on the ground or in the river. Please make an effort to not leave trash behind.
Right on!
Great schooling. Glad i found your page. Actually on a river in Nc Holsten w heavy release. Gonna try it. Thanks
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this, very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video with clear concepts
Thanks for sharing! Any tips on lead alternatives that works? Everything about using lead in beautiful rivers sounds wrong to me.
There are quite a few things in fly fishing that folks get riled on. Some rivers even make rules on what wading boots you ware, how many hooks you can use, barbless, and of course lead shot. For the most part I get it, understand it and comply. There are lots of alternatives to lead on the market today. I suggest you shop around, try all of it, and find what works for you. Most work ok for me. I smash them on the leader hard as opposed to tying a knot at the end. I have used putty before with good results. As far as I know there are no rivers or streams being contaminated by fishermen using lead. Bird life certainty has hence steel shot. I can agree lead shot does not bode well in our waters that my great grandchildren will be fishing. A very good comment. One that has me thinking and that could be good thing thanks.
Just to be clear, this DS rig uses 6# Trilene 100% Fluro spinning line. A lot of these rigs use spinning line because the trout don't see the mainline, which in this case is 1X or 10 thou. That is a lot lighter than most would want for the leader butt, and a lot heavier than they would want for the flies, but using fluro makes it work, and all you need is one spool that does it all. Great simple rig for bass in rivers, or even some steelhead.
If one wants to make it a little more tuned for trout, I would add a 13 thou high viz for the first 3 feet and the knot can just be a blood knot to the 6 pound Trilene. Then if you use, say 4X / 7 thou to loop on the flies, it is fine enough, or 5x, that you won't need to waste all the material to beef up the knot. You can also make the leader out of plain nylon, and just do the fly loops out of fluro to save some money. You should be able to use regular mono for the 2 footers if you are using loops for the flies, that way you can save on the cost of 4 feet of fluro just to make bumps in the line. But I do appreciate the efficiency of making this system with just one spool of mono, however he has a lot more on his lanyard...
Yes you can do any of the mentioned. Unlike some nymphing styles, there are no rules in DS. I find myself trying new ways to do it now and again. As long as the lead is at the end of the leader it’s DS.
the flat twist on lead, the kind that looks like a match book work great lays flat
Absolutely good point
Great video
Really enjoyed both videos on drop shot nymphing! Follow up questions: when changing flies, why not snip off the fly and retie new fly on the tag (instead of 4" it will now be 3 or 2.5")? Do you use the same leader formula regardless of the depth of water being fished (for instance 1' deep in a riffle but 5' deep in a pool)? In heavily fished places and/or tailwaters do you use thinner tags (ie 6X instead of 6LB)? Thanks!!
The great thing about DS is there are no rules. What I have attempted is to give you a baseline or guide to build on. I have found over the years this works for me. That said I’ve changed it a little since I made this video 6 years ago. As long as the weight is at the end then it’s DS. I do use the same formula as shown. In deep water rivers like we have in Idaho and Montana I can raise it lower the height of my flies by raising or lowering my rod tip. Today I rarely if ever use smaller diameter than 5X. There is a video I did recently on the 6 Steps to perfecting DS. Go to my channel for that. There is also a video on how I make those 4” tags. I’ll be doing more videos in the future on DS so stay tuned. This old fish hobo is Trying to pass on 8 decades of FF before I kick the bucket for those willing to listen.
Mike, thank you for a great show.I have one question we have a lot of wood in our streams here. Can we you a ĺighter 4 inch if we tear off.RJC
Yes no problem
I like what i'm learning from your videos. I havent caught on yet....Are you using this drop shot rig with a floating fly line or what are you using for your main line?
Well, this is a good question on your part. No part of Drop Shotting should be mis-understood. I use a 10 ft. 6 wt. rod; with that I use an inexpensive weight forward 6 wt. floating line. WF6F. If you have any other questions, you can contact me via the beginning of every video is my contact from my website. Here I can give you a more Indepth answers.
great scenery
Leader or tippet, or both? What length leader(level line or tapered?) from the fly line to the "tippet" with the drop shot and flies? Thanks!
I recommend you watch Drop Shot Nymphing Vol 1 on my TH-cam channel. (Northwest School of Fly Fishing) for complete demonstration on your question. There are many different ways to make a drop shot leader. You don't buy a leader you make it. it is not tapperd. I use about 7 or 8 feet of 8 or 10 lb regular Stren fluorocarbon fishing line as the main leader. at one end I tie a Perfection loop. From there I go about 36 inches down from the loop and tie my first triple surgeons knot, 10 to 12 inches down from that knot I tie in and other SK and again another 12 in. for the final knot. From the final knot I will go another 12 inches and put on my lead. I will then trim any excess fluorocarbon line 3 inches down from where I would put on my lead. That is the leader. For the flies I use 4X Tippet or 6lb Fluorocarbon. Tie on the fly first then a perfection loop at 4 inches. to add the fly to the leader just do a loop to fly connection and slide it down to the knot.
What do you do if your fishing in a crowded area and there's not enough room to let your fly drift all the way down stream to create the line tension, any other options?
That's a good question and I hope I never run into a situation like that. Ethically I would call that Low Holing or High Holing. Someone us trying to move you off the water. However, there are waters where this type of fishing is typical. In this situation the river will dictate how it is I'm going to cast. is it shallow enough for me to move forward into the river. Is the river to swift to do so? And so on. By moving forward into the river, I can shorten my cast. I would venture to say most modern forms of nymphing have a similar cast and would have a similar problem. There is a river in Eastern Oregon where this type of crowding will actually cause a fight on the river. Less, at least a verbal confrontation. I would say this type of fishing is becoming the norm on this river. Basic fly fishing ethics dictate, if someone is fishing a section of river, fish somewhere else or ask the angler permission. Of course, I'm talking about Old School Fly Fishing here and many of our youth today find that below them.
Any recommendation of Rod wt and length? Still new to the fly fishing game and been working with a 9’ 5wt between indicator nymphing and dry fly fishing. Looking for another set up to get more into nymphing. Thanks for the informative series.
I get this question a lot. It's a suggestive question, meaning other guys will tell you just the opposite and be right. However, for an old hobo who has been DS for years I've tried all the rods. What I have found is the 10ft 6wt rod works the best. The cast is made at the top section of your rod. That extra 12 inches gives you a more powerful cast and helps your reach out into the river. The 6wt is just right for the extra weight or split shot you might add. This Thursday or Friday I will be posting a new video on the do's and don'ts of the drop shot cast. Look for it. It will help you out in understanding what I'm talking about. I will be using a 10fI 6wt rod. I have found over the years that a 5wt rod is much less effective than a 6wt. I know guys who have converted from Euro to DS and try to use their Euro rods for DS. They soon convert to the 10ft 6wt. Lastly, the 10ft 6wt fly rod is the most versatile fly rod you can have in your inventory. Bass, Steelhead, lake and streamer fishing it works great. Hope this helps.
That helps a lot thank you! I appreciate all the information.
I'm in the Adirondacks where I fish ponds by canoe trolling nymphs (single nymphs). Have you tried any pond fishing like this?
I do fish lakes and ponds. Here, I usually do not DS nymph. From a boat I'm usually using a full sink line. I use a standard 9 ft 3X fluro leader. Depending on the depth of the lake would determine the type of sinking line I would use. Type 1,2, 3, or 6. From shore I would usually be using sink tip line. These lines I would never use in a river. I seldom use a drop shot rig in lakes. However, when the conditions are right, I have used the drop shot rig with great success on lakes and ponds. I little oxymoronic answer but you know what I mean. I hope this helps.
Thanks!
how do you detect the take? Is it a grab like in cast and retrieving streamers?
In all forms of modern nymphing and DS is modern nymphing, you must maintain a tight line. If you maintain this then any strike will immediately be felt. A little bump Bach with the rod tip will seat the fly. The seat of the fly in the trout’s mouth will cause the TROUT to set the hook. Often times it’s just a powerful smash and a bent rod. Very much like pulling a streamer. However, you must maintain a tight line. Back in “The day” we called all nymphing “Tight Line nymphing”. Remember what makes DS so effective is your flies are are always in the trout’s grill not dragging on the bottom and the weight is always on the bottom making it easy to add or subtract weight. Success in all modern nymphing is maintaining a tight line.
@@northwestschoolofflyfishin1543 do you ever use an indicator in your system?
If you're using flies on hooks at size 14 or bigger it's much easier to use a snapper holding the flies.
That’s the beautiful thing about DS, you do what works for you. The fish doesn’t know what a Snap Swivel is.
When you say pull your flies slightly faster than the current.Do you mean faster than the current on the river bed.Or are you pulling slightly faster than the bubbles on the surface.Cheers
Great question. You want to move or pull your flies slightly faster than the current of the river where you are fishing. Sometimes the current is moving so fast that you can just barely keep up. The main concept is to keep your leader and line tight so you can feel the slightest take of your fly.
It can very much be. This is one of those things in fly fishing that is very debatable. Many times, the river is going so fast that you can barely keep up with it and the question is mute. The reverse can be said for slow water. But overall, my experience says yes, the current, from a general point of view, is slower on the bottom. @nichtverstehen2045
Yes of course.@nichtverstehen2045
The key to the cast is you have to water load the rod.
You appear to be throwing several inches of your waste Fluorocarbon line on the ground.
Good point. You don’t want to leave anything on the ground. When I’m filming I often toss things to the ground then pick up everything when I’m done. Anglers who leave mono on the ground don’t even think about it. It’s sad. I will be more conscious in the future. Bad optics like mono all over the bushes is not the way to. Thanks for bringing this up.
Did I see you drop the cut off tippet on the river bank,,?
I like the idea of drop shot but I'm going to tie my flys in line like I have for the last 20 years.
Absolutely! There are no rules in drop shot nymphing like the euro styles other than the split shot is at the end of the leader. Thanks for your insight and comment.
Lead is toxic. We’re supposed to be conservationists first! There are non toxic alternatives to lead.
Absolutely correct and there are several options, tungsten wire or 1mm tungsten rod held on the line with silicone tube. There are non toxic shot options out there too .