32 Irishangler

Game Fishing

Name: Andrew RyanOccupation: Instructs atClonavav Fly FishingCentre and runs courseson all aspects of fly fishingLocation: Clonavav FlyFishing Centre, Nire Valley,Ballymacarby, Clonme, CoWaterfordTelephone: 00 353 (0)52 36141E-mail:andrew@flyfishingireland.com Web:www.flyfishingireland.com

TroutingAndrew Ryan continues his series with alook at how you can fish a nymph directlyunderneath a dry fly, a tactic that wasdeveloped in New Zealand.

RiverPart Three – Fishing New Zealand Style

Angler File

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Irishangler 33

The Suir is considered to be one of the finestdry-fly rivers in Europe, but like manyrivers there are not always hatches and

rising fish. Because of this I have experimentedwith techniques, modifying a few different tacticsin order to catch fish myself – but moreimportantly to ensure that my clients catch fish,even when the fishing is slow.

In this series of articles so far, I have illustratedthese techniques, which were developed for use onmy local rivers. They have been tried and testedwhile I have guided my clients on the rivers Suir,Nire and Tar. These three rivers are challenging tothe angler, as the trout are selective due to theabundance of insect life.

Many newcomers find dry fly fishing a littledifficult at first, as it requires a high level ofcasting skill. On the other hand, upstream nymphfishing can be a bit tedious during low waterconditions and difficult if the wind is gusting.

All of the techniques I have written about in the

last three issues of Irish Angler work well, but eachhas its own set of favourable conditions.

Dry fly, for instance, works best when fish arerising freely, especially during summer evenings.However, upstream nymphing works best in high-water conditions or during early spring. It can bevery frustrating to fish the upstream nymph in thelow water of summer and along weedy sections ofriver, as you will constantly be hooking on thebottom and weed beds.

A useful combination of two differenttechniques is to use a dry fly with a nymphdropper. Fishing guides in New Zealand firstdeveloped this technique. They used it to helpcatch the very large and easily-spooked wild troutof the South Island.

It is well suited to some Irish rivers, especiallyduring the summer months when water levels arelow and there is more plant growth on the riverbed.With this combination of techniques, you don’tsnag the bottom as often. Also, you are fishing at

Rod: Ideally, use a 9ft,5-wt blankLine: Use a WFfloating lineLeader: Your leaderneeds to be nine feetlong. Ideally it shouldbe a knotless, taperedmono leader goingdown to 3lb breakingstrainDropper: Under thedry fly, use 18 inchesof 3lb fluorocarbon ormonoFloatant: Use DryShake to dry out thedry fly when it becomeswaterloggedSpare leaders: You’llneed spare taperedleaders and spools oftippet in varyingstrengths from 3lb to6lbFlies: Take a selectionof dries and nymphs

The TackleYou’ll Need

Fast-flowing pools likethis are ideal for

fishing the dropper.

Fast-flowing pools likethis are ideal for

fishing the dropper.

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Irishangler

Game Fishing

34

two levels in the water; a fly fishing on the surfaceand a nymph a few inches below, thus giving youtwice the chance of hooking a fish.

Regularly, when fishing this technique, Iobserve fishing clients from high up on the bank.Often, I can also observe the reaction the fish haveto the two flies. The dry fly first grabs theirattention and they move towards it, but when theysee the trailing nymph behind it, it is suddenlymore attractive, as it means that they do not haveto move as far to reach it, or even break thesurface.

The beauty of this style of fishing is how visualit is. As the nymph is only fishing a few inchesbelow the surface, you often see the fish as itmoves to take. For about 10 to 20 per cent of thetime trout will go for the dry fly. It is all veryexciting and requires a high level of concentration.You are not just looking out for a fish to take thedry fly, but also having to watch out for theslightest twitch on the dry fly, which may signal afish taking the nymph.

The combination rig is easy to cast, as thenymph tied on to the dry fly tends to help toturnover the leader and present the fly well,especially if you have windy conditions.

The Dry FlyYour dry fly and dropper can be brokendown into six important components:

choosing the correct dry fly, choosing the correctnymph, leader set-up, reading the water, drag-freedrift and keeping in contact with the fly.

Many anglers who try this technique do not put alot of emphasis on the dry fly and they tend to use avery large, visible, buoyant fly.

I find that this does not always work so well. Itend to use a dry fly that is attractive to the fish anda pattern I often fish, without a dropper, as a dryimitation. I find that choosing the correct indicatorfly is often the difference between catching a fewfish and getting 30-plus fish in a day!

Ensuring the correct dry-fly pattern, and thereforeits attractiveness to fish, will lead the trout to yournymph or having a go at the dry fly itself.

Personally I use a Twinklehammer or an Elk HairCaddis most of the time as an indicator fly. If thewater is very slow and clear, I will choose a smallersize (size 14/16) Twinklehammer, but most of thetime I fish with a size 12.

The shape and design of the Klinkhammer/Twinklehammer lends itself well to this style offishing. This is due to the shape of the hook and thevery buoyant hackle, which will suspend the nymphon the surface film.

1A nice fish that fell

to a small nymphfished nine inches

under a dry fly.

Searching out theglides between theweed beds with anymph under a dry.

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Which Nymph?I only use one type of nymphfor the dropper, but in various

sizes – this is a Gold Head Pheasant TailNymph Flashback. This fly works well inall conditions. It has a little strip of neoncrystal on the thorax, which gives it morevisibility in coloured water. During lowwater conditions, the preferred size is forsize 18 nymphs, while for normal waterheight, a size 16 will work best. It isimportant that you do not use too large anymph as it will pull the dry fly under.

A typical set-up that I use is as follows: asize 12 dry fly with a size 16 nymph fishedunderneath. A size 14/16 dry fly with a size18 nymph tied underneath will also work.I’ll reiterate – it is essential not to use toobig a nymph, or it will not fish correctly.

Compared to normal dry fly fishing, theleader is relatively short. A long leader willlead to many tangles and trailing loops. Ifish it with a standard 9ft tapered leader,tapering to 3lb, made by RIO or Varivas.

Knotless tapered leaders have manyadvantages over knotted leaders, as they arequicker to tie on and lead to fewer tangles.

On the end of the 9ft tapered leader, I tieon the dry fly. The dropper, about 18 inchesin length, is then tied to the bend of thehook on the dry fly. For shallow sections ofwater and weeded areas, I reduce thedropper length to about 12 inches. Thesystem of tying the dropper to the bend ofthe hook reduces tangles and allows thenymph to fish directly under the dry fly.

Reading The WaterWhen trout are rising in steadynumbers, it is obvious they’re

feeding on the surface. Then I fishwith a single dry fly. Often, there are timeswhen you only see the odd sporadic riseand not enough fish rising to concentrateon a dry fly. This is an ideal time for usingthe dry fly and nymph dropper. I haveoften seen fish that were rising go for thenymph when it is cast to them, as theywere mainly feeding on nymphs and onlyrising to the occasional dry fly.

Shallow runs and weeded sections areideally suited to this technique. You arecovering the water at two levels, with twodifferent food items and therefore givingyourself twice the chance of catching fish.

The seam of the current is often one ofthe best places and I fish the nymphdropper in all the places I would fish a dryfly, except for very slow, flat water wherethe splash of the nymph hitting the surfacemay put the fish down.

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This fish took a drycaddis.

Guide To Fishing New Zealand Style

The dropper is tied onto thebend of the dry fly hook

The nymph should be a size 16 or 18 GoldHead Pheasant Tail Flashback nymph

Use a floating line; a5-wt or 6-wt is fine

A 9ft tapered monoleader is best

Klinkhammer orcaddis-style driesare best and act asindicators

3lb fluorocarbon

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36 Irishangler

Game Fishing

Drag-Free DriftEnsuring that the flies fish drag freeis essential. Drag is caused if your

fly line sits in a faster current than the fly.Then the flies are pulled along too quickly,making them look unnatural. You very rarelyget takes fishing like this!

Positioning yourself to make the castcorrectly is essential. I like to fish at 45degrees upstream, so that the fish cannot seethe fly line, but with the added advantage thatyou fish the fly with a much more natural drift.You can also mend your fly in order toeliminate drag, or throw some slack-line castsso that you will get a slightly longer drift.

The key to remaining in contact with the flyand hooking fish is to use very short drifts.This means that you only let the fly float forabout six to eight feet downstream towards youbefore recasting. The idea is to cover morewater quickly and present the flies on differentlines of drift. When fishing like this, trout willtake on the first cast into a pool.

When the dry fly moves or goes down, setthe hook! Trout will spit the hook out veryquickly, so it is essential to strike as soon asyou can.

The New Zealand style of combining a dryand a nymph is a rewarding and excitingtechnique. You are fishing flies at two levels,so there is a chance of a fish taking your dryfly and a chance they will take the nymph. It ismy number-one technique for summer days, asyou can catch fish all day long, even when fishare not rising. Try it and you will soon becomea convert. It’s one of the most exciting formsof fly fishing you can do!

Three Flies For New Zealand Style Fishing

Elk Hair CaddisHook: Tiemco 102 Y, sizes 13 to 19Thread: BlackBody: Hare’s ear dubbingBody hackle: Ginger cock hacklesRib: Silver wireUnderwing: CDC fibresOverwing: Elk hair fibresNotes: This is an excellent dry fly for NZstyle fishing as it’s so buoyant, making agreat indicator to hang a nymph under. Andit catches its share of fish, too.

Flies supplied by Donegal Fly Fishing Co

TwinklehammerHook: Any Klinkhammer-style hookThread: BlackBody: Lureflash twinklePost: Two CDC feathersHackle: Parachute – badger or grizzlehackleNotes: This is probably a better all-rounddry fly. It’s Andrew Ryan’s favourite. Thebigger you make the hackle, the morebuoyant it is. It’s best used with small,light nymphs underneath.

Gold Head PTN FlashbackHook: Sizes 16 to 18Bead: Gold beadTail: Pheasant tail and crystal hairBody: Pheasant tailRib: Gold wireThorax: Pheasant tail fibresWing case: Neon strip of crystal hairNotes: This is a classic, all-round nymphpattern that’s perfect for hangingunderneath a dry fly. The heavier it is, themore buoyant your dry fly needs to be.

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The beauty ofthe New Zealandtechnique is thatthe dry fly actsas an indicator!

The beauty of the NewZealand technique is thatthe dry fly acts as anindicator, allowing you tocatch fish like this.

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