Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Recommend a fly rod for nymph fishing

Experts are recommending long rods for nymph fishing. I'm considering a 10 foot long rod for my nymph fishing, probably 4 weight, mostly to make roll casting nymph rigs easier. Anyone have a recommendation? My favorite rod at this point is my 4 weight TFO Lefty Kreh Pro II, 9 feet long. Lighter rods can't roll cast worth beans, and heavier rods are too much for small trout.

http://www.paflyfish.com/forums/Open-Forums/Gear-Talk/Euro-rods/3,49472.html

There are for sure a bunch of ways to nymph. Euro nymphing looks a lot like “tight-line” or “high stick” nymphing to me. Nothing wrong with that, as I understand those 10-footers are really designed for that. I will typically high stick nymph close or in deep narrow tails, and then use an indicator further out.

I considered your dilemma last year. I wanted a new rod for big water; the North Platte is my home river and it’s pretty big. And I mostly nymph (because that’s how you catch the most fish!).

But mid morning during a BWO hatch or at the end of the day when trout start rising for caddis, I can’t help but tie on a dry.

I ended up with a 9.5 ft Sage because I didn’t want to compromise the ability for dries. I do think a 10-foot high stick nymph setup would be pretty killer!

Another option might be an 11 foot switch rod if you will mostly be roll casting. In a 4 weight I don't think it would be too much for all day overhead casting but if it does get tiring then use it two handed. Not ideal for spey casts but it can do that too. This place carries a number of mid to high end switch & spey rods.
https://www.redsflyshop.com/

This place has a number of import rods. The blanks are very good the hard ware not so much. Good if you want to wind your own or experiment for a low price.
https://theanglersroost.com/

Have a couple 10 footers, but favor a 9.5 ft 5 weight.

I think roll casting ease is more a product of line taper and not so much rod weight. Weight forward lines don’t roll cast for beans. Double taper lines and triangle tapers work much better for roll casting. Longer rod length will help with the roll cast, mending, and high stick nymphing. I think the rod you have with an appropriate line would work just fine. A longer one would help but isn’t a must.

Thanks for all the responses, guys. I thought about "over-lining", using a line one weight higher than the rod is rated for, and two of my fly fishing gurus recommended that approach as well. I will try it next time out. However, being a gear nut and always wanting to get a new rod, I bought a 10 foot three weight Echo rod from my local fly shop. I plan on picking it up today (curbside service only here in populous New Jersey). The fly shop recommended using a 4 weight line as the rod could handle it.

Regarding the response from Farming, I will have to explore using a different line taper or perhaps a triangle line. I'm using a WFF style line. The majority of my fishing is on small to medium size rivers, but I think I will be able to use the new 10 foot rod on most of them. One river I like to fish has been closed as it borders a state park, and our commie governor closed all state parks.

I guess I'm a bit unorthodox here, but my favorite nymph rod is a 7' 4wt. and a triangle taper. I do tend to fish waters 30' across or less.

I like a TFO BVK 10 ft 4 weight for most nymphing. I have a 11 ft 5 weight switch I use for larger rivers. a 11 1/2 ft 7 weight switch for steelhead And a fiberglass 7 ft 2 weight for small streams

I like a triangle taper for larger rods and a DT for my small stream rod

I considered the TFO BVK 10 foot 4 weight before I bought the Echo 10 foot three weight yesterday. The fact that my local fly shop had the Echo rod in stock made the decision easy. They didn't have the BVK and didn't know when they would get new stock due to slow shipping at this time. The young fellow at the shop was quite knowledgeable, and had actually fished with the Echo 3 weight. That sold me.

Next time out, I'm going to try over-lining my usual rods - putting my 4 weight reel and line on my 3 weight rod and putting my 5 weight reel and line on my 4 weight rod.

I expected to want to over line my 5-weight 9.5 footer because of the extra length and I had a 6-weight line to try. It performed better with the 5-weight.

I’ve fished with an Orvis 10-foot 5-weight and it was good with the normal line also, but that was from a drift boat so a totally different casting requirement.

Either one is good with me though, I’m not trying to push you either way. And obviously you could tell me to GFY. I would want to try a line weight I already had first.

The comments about the design of the line making a difference for roll casting is good, but I think your setup is more significant. If you are using an indicator, a couple flies, and a tiny split shot you are going to be challenged to get it all out of the water for a pure roll cast anyway. Hopper dropper or just a dry is a different matter.

This year I have not used a split shot much. My usual rigs are two nymphs, sometimes the top nymph has a weight built into it. One favorite is a yarn egg pattern with a dumbbell head. That gets my rig down where the trout are without getting hung up as much as I do with a split shot. Sometimes I use an indicator.

Another rig I commonly use is a wooly bugger with a bead or a dumbbell head. I will try the rods with over-lining next week and see how they do. I also want to try the 10 foot three weight Echo rod. A man can't have too many guns, rods, knives, or other outdoor gear.

I’m sure it will all work out fine. And no matter what chasing trout with a fly is some of the most fun you can have!

A 9.5 “ 4 or 5 weight works well for me. Although I can roll cast better with a 5 weight , I prefer a 4 weight. Ross or Sage brands are hard to beat.

Depends more on where than what you're doing IMO. I fish very few larger rivers (except the Potomac a couple times a year) and the Orvis Helios 4 weight 9 foot is my go to rod for virtually all my trout fishing. I'd stick with what you have.

The wulf taper lines are good for roll casting and throwing heavily weighted nymphs with split shot

I have to investigate using different lines. All I have are WFF lines. One step at a time, however.

I will use my 8'6" three weight rod with a 4 weight line next time, as well as my 9' four weight rod with a five weight line and see how that works.

I tied some yarn eggs last night with bead heads to get them down a bit. Sometimes the trout take the yarn egg, sometimes they take the dropper. I generally use a small pheasant tail as a dropper.

We have rain again today, and possibly more tomorrow. That should get the rivers up.

The plan it to get out fishing on Tuesday. New Jersey's fish and game department has dumped most of the hatchery trout in two stockings, rather than six or so. It is rumored they will have another, final stocking at the end of May. I generally fish a no-kill river which is open 365 days a year, artificial baits only. One of my favorite rivers is closed as it borders a state park, which is closed by order of our commie governor. I probably said that already.....

For a killer egg pattern look up crystal meth or also called suck spawn ( east coast) pattern, in pink, yellow, orange blue.

I have plenty of those tied by my fishing buddy, but they're meant for salmon and steelhead, too big for stream rainbows. I have tied several egg patterns and pheasant tails for Tuesday.

The BVK 10' 4wt is my favorite rod for most of the searun dollies I fish for. It is a tremendous nymphing rod.

Just picked up an Echo 10' 7wt for drift fishing the Kenai...