Nymph your way to success on windy spring days
Springtime weather is rarely consistent, but if there’s one element you can always count on as the seasons transition, it’s wind. The dreaded “W” can really limit your options on the water, especially if you’re already dealing with high, fast rivers impacted by rain and runoff. But there are ways to work around a windy day, and it pays to know them. Many of us drive two or three hours to fish for trout this time of year. We take days off work and schedule weeks in advance. Plans can’t always be shifted just because the conditions aren’t friendly.
What we can do instead is possess the right gear and knowledge for the job at hand. One of my favorite trout fishing tools on a windy spring afternoon is my euro nymph set-up. If you’re relatively new to euro nymphing, you might not think of this delicate, tactile presentation as being particularly wind-friendly. After all, detecting a take requires you to watch a thin section of colorful leader material for any unnatural movements. A gust of wind at the wrong time can make that tough.
But outfitted with the right leader and flies, the euro nymphing outfit becomes a deadly weapon against windy days. First off, most euro nymphing rods are outfitted with a light tip section that won’t catch much wind when you’re casting or managing line. Second, euro-specific lines are far thinner than traditional floating fly lines and also encounter less wind resistance. Finally, no indicator or line on the water indicates no conflict between the wind and current directions.
Still, most euro nymph leader recipes call for fairly bulky material. They typically start with 10-12 feet of 20-25lb Maxima Chameleon down to 2-5 feet of 12-15lb Amnesia or Chameleon, then 18 inches of 0-1x sighted leader. A tippet ring is attached, then 4-6 feet of 4-5x tippet. Quite simply, this is a much heavier-duty set-up than resident trout require. Consequently, it catches a lot of wind in addition to its fair share of fish.
On a windy day, you can size down the entire rig and employ what is commonly referred to as a micro-thin leader. It starts with 10-15 feet of 8-10lb Maxima, which attaches directly to three feet of Rio’s two-tone black-and-white indicator tippet. That is then attached to 18-24 inches of tri-colored sighter material and finished with a tippet ring. Attach 4-6 feet of 5x tippet below the tippet ring, just like you would a traditional euro leader. Reduced surface area gives the wind less to grab.
While this thinner leader catches less wind, it is also considerably more sensitive. That’s great for detecting strikes, but this lighter leader will tend to dance a bit in the breeze if you also use light flies. To really get the most out of your micro-thin leader setup, you’ll want to go heavy — think thin-profile, fast sinking flies with 4.6mm tungsten bead heads in fast water, or 3.2-3.8mm in slower water. On the Lower Deschutes, for example, don’t be afraid to double up on the 4.6mm beads for both your anchor and tag fly.
Fishing flies this heavy will require you to really utilize the reach of your rod and arm, and to wade a bit deeper to get to fish. Your rod should be nearly parallel to the water, any angle and your heavy flies will simply sink back toward you, which doesn’t make for a natural presentation. You should be fishing essentially right below the tip of your rod. Move your feet instead of trying to utilize more line. As a general rule for any fly fishing technique, shorter casts are an angler’s best friend on windy days. Euro nymphing is no exception!
About Joseph Beare
Joseph Beare is a guide for Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters and a regular contributor to the NWFFO blog and newsletter. A former sports reporter, Joseph has been telling stories about outdoor and athletic endeavors for more than 20 years. As a guide, he specializes in unique trout trips, including local year-round water in winter, alpine expeditions on Mount Hood in summer and spring, and searun cutthroat floats in the fall. You can find him on Instagram @pdxflycollective.