Euro Nymphing Shallow Pocketwater

Shallow pocket water is passed up by many anglers. The truth is that this type of water holds a lot of trout spring through fall and it is one of my favorite types of water to fish. In this video I Euro nymph through a section of shallow pocket water. I show you the flies and the locations where I caught trout. Hopefully it will help you look for similar locations that will produce fish for you the next time you fish shallow pocket water.

[@brianholaway]

Thank you Devin. I found the use of the overhead camera very helpful, as I could watch you navigate the water. The retrospective shots, indicating the location of the recently-caught fish were very revealing. My reaction was "Really? There was a fish holding in that spot?" This expanded my concept of what a "pocket" can look like.

[@rcm228]

Thanks for all that video work out there on the river! So valuable to watch you think your way through a section of river, bead sizes, etc

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you found it useful.

[@rappellingtex]

Thanks Devin! Really like the "Fish Location" graphics, that helps!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you found them helpful.

[@donaldgroscost1839]

Thank you for your generosity. I would like to see the sighter more in the shots like the beginning of this video on shallow pocketwater. I also benefit from highlighted areas breaking down the water like you do in your book. I highly recommend the book to all. After you read it you will continually come back to it for reference. Love how you break down the process and explain what you are doing.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Donald, I'm certainly glad you like the book. The sighter is incredibly difficult to pick up on camera so there's a reason we don't show it much.

[@alexargyros7186]

Excellent, and valuable, video. Thank you, Devin.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks Alex. Glad you liked it.

[@shad3128]

Awesome video, one of the reasons i like euro nymphing because it makes fishing water like this possible whereas with other rigs its a headache and you have to walk on by.

[@MrRobbo505]

Just what I needed to see today. Thanks, Devin! I'll be using this advice this weekend. :-)

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Have fun on the water Rob!

[@caselaw5498]

Thanks for this video. I bet you get tired of hearing it but you really helped clear up some confusion I had about reading water. Many thanks for this!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad it helped

[@blackhawkbushcraft]

This is great! 👍 Thanks for sharing.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@chrishayes7966]

Awesome advice!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@chautamtv]

I found your video great. The scenery is so beautiful. Wish I could go there once. Thank you so I found your video great. The scenery is so bea. I like too. Good like toooooo likeeeeee toooo …!!.!!!!!!!.!!!!!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@richardvanvoris3496]

I totally agree with Donald 's comment below. I want to look at the specific pockets and I don't care so much about the long shots

[@skippy7896]

Here in the Appalachian mountains we have some good pocket water but they are covered with overhanging trees that are just 5-6' off of the water making them very difficult to euro nymph. I would really like to see a video of how to fish this type of water. Everyone making quality, informative videos like yourself always seems to be fishing water with no overhanging canopy.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

The challenge is getting film equipment into rivers like that. All you can do is shoot from behind which makes for a boring video. Since you can't put cameras on the bank, you end up spooking fish if you try to get a side or head on angle most of the time. However, if you get good at water load and bow and arrow casts, there isn't any reason you can't Euro nymph rivers with a canopy.

[@rileymurphy8329]

I’ve only done dry dropper on the shallow New Mexico streams that I fish during summer break since I couldn’t do this. Thanks dude!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@erickress7099]

That Brownie at the start of video did a nice double twisting backflip off that rock. Probably has the Simon Biles "twisties" after the head smack on the rock tho. Deserves a medal for sure.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Haha! Brown trout vault!

[@leemowers9395]

thanks for the demo.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@ephemera3609]

Thanks Devin for all your efforts, would you please make a video about depth/tippet adjustment. Your help is always appreciated.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

We'll add that to the list.

[@kristian.sacco.]

Thanks again for this style of video. I appreciated the last one and I also enjoyed this one. Thought id leave a couple of thoughts on the video style if youre interested: - the overhead shots where you highlight the zone youre talking about is very useful, is appreciate if you were able to add that more often -i dont mind background music, but something more mellow would be a bit nicer and less distracting

[@jacobbeers1136]

My favorite type of water to fish!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Certainly one of my favorites as well.

[@prestongizzi2210]

I love your videos and have learned so much. Just not crazy about the camera angles. And the distance the camera is from you. In this vid

[@dsknudsen]

Agreed. Good advice but can’t see anything.

[@briancramer6250]

Same. Great content, though!

[@everest001]

I really enjoy and appreciate your films and I always learn a lot from them. Can I just say, however, that I don't think they need the music track fidgetting away in the background. Just an opinion, because, as I say, I think the films themselves are excellent.

[@AlfieinMontana]

Great video. Just what I was looking for. I wanted to know how long you stay in one spot and how often you change flies. Awesome. Thanks ‼️

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gldead3741]

When is the next video coming out ? I purchased all your other videos and I can’t wait to see what else you can teach me! Thank you

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I've been out of the country but I'll be working on more soon.

[@karlknepley]

Very helpful video, thx! Quick question - do you prefer inverting beads over slotted beads? Do inverting beads provide better hook ups due to a larger gap? Keep up the great work & videos!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Inverting beads are heavier at the same diameter than slotted beads because less of the bead is cut away to slide them over the hook. So I fish both slotted and inverting beads to provide finer increments of weight. I haven't noticed a difference in hook up between beads though.

[@alanbaldry5973]

Another great video. Like someone else asked it would be good to know the rod used, in particular was it a 2 or 3 weight? Thanks

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

3 weight

[@alanbaldry5973]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 So do you ever use a 2 weight? This looked perfect water for a 2 weight and the micro thin leader/tippet. Thanks.

[@chriscrumbley9219]

Hey Devin. Great video! also, just finished up modern nymphing as well as modern nymphing elevated and they are great too! Had a question which kind of relates to this video. In those two movies y’all gave your leader lengths including tippet lengths. Question is, when you head out with your standard tippet length for the day and you encounter these shallower pools are you changing out to shorter length tippet or just holding the sighter higher up off the water to accommodate for the shallower water? Also, love the online store, just ordered 3 shipments this weekend, looking forward to all the reasonably priced gear I’m getting!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Hi Chris, These days I am applying another wax sighter onto the tippet when I need to have shorter tippet to target shallower water. The wax can then be wiped off to have more tippet available again. You can find more information in our Adaptive Fly Fishing video or this video which has a leader clip from it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYXGe5aGgt51oc0

[@chriscrumbley9219]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thanks, sounds good. I started watching that video but as you said in the video I am using the the one from modem nymphing since I am new to casting. I’ll watch it though and check out the adaptive fly fishing video too. Keep the good stuff coming!

[@scottnock5241]

Great tips Devin can’t wait to implement. What rod are you using?? Thanks

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

10' 9" 3 weight T and T Contact II

[@RealTomCurtis]

I prefer closer video angles. Pretty difficult to see what you were actually doing. But thanks for taking the time you put in to teach the rest of us.

[@richyf194]

Excellent video for someone like myself who is very new to EN. What sort of length leader would you generally fish in water like that?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Here are a couple of videos for the leaders I tend to fish. However, as an angler newer to Euro nymphing, you may want to fish a thicker version to help with your casting until you are comfortable going thinner. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aanPfZWkq9OmnMUsi=V9BLtqrVntEbUKCg kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYXGe5aGgt51oc0si=HdwVIf_tKWcTEusk

[@spencerrowe1480]

Are these small pockets fishable with dry - dropper or does the nymph not have time to get down typically? Thanks for the vids!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I fish dry droppers in this type of water quite a bit when fish are willing to eat the dry. The main issue with dry droppers is that you don't get strike detection on the dropper until it has sunk far enough to get tension. In shallow pocket water, your rig often drifts out of the pocket before this can happen so a straight nymph rig is usually more effective.

[@WildBlueDiscovery]

Great advice regarding ticking bottom to much!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad it was helpful!

[@drbtrava]

question: if you are fishing with very small nonweighted flies, can you put a small split shot at the end of the line?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

No reason you can’t. However, a drop shot rig is generally better in less complicated water where you don’t have small seams you need to fit your rigs into. In pocket water, the weight and fly will often end end up in different speeds of current and your drift will suffer. You’ll also have a better connection to your fly, and better strike detection, if it is the only weight on your rig.

[@gregorysmith2046]

Hi Could give me more information on your set up? I fish the same water in UK

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Here's a previous video we did on the micro leader I was fishing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYXGe5aGgt51oc0

[@paulzamora8888]

Hey I’d love to do an interview with you for our TU chapter’s magazine “Angler’s Edge” I’m thinking something like 10 tips to catch more fish this fall… what do ya think?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Send our shop and email and we can set something up.

[@markriggins372]

Curious about the weight and length rod you are using on this smaller river.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I was using a 10' 9" 3 weight T and T Contact II.

[@markriggins372]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Is that pretty much what you fish with all time?

[@franciscojaviergonzalez3570]

Hi Devin, What rod and reel do you use? Thanks

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I was using a 10' 9" 3 weight T and T Contact II. I believe I was fishing a Galvan GEN for the reel in the video.

[@franciscojaviergonzalez3570]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thanks

[@boxersfate]

As always, your narration and informational content is excellent. The new video technique, however, leaves a little to be desired. The overhead shots are useful for showing stream hydrology and the usual angler's eye views show what I may see. The fixed across on downstream views just show 'a guy' moving around in a stream casting and occasionally catching. Useful perspective is lacking. An overhead shot width diagramming may have conveyed more information.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

If you want to hire a full camera crew to help us get different perspectives without spooking fish we would certainly welcome it. Until then, Connor and I are trying to experiment with ways to show what I want to come across. I agree this one didn't come out how I want either so we'll be trying something different in the next one.

[@Soloriderpowder]

How hard is it for you to catch a fish

[@axelg4263]

Which size of rod have you used for this river?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

It's been a while since we filmed it but I normally fished the 10'9" 3 weight or 10' 3 weight T and T Contact II when fishing that river.

[@axelg4263]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 OK thanks!

[@phoult37]

So many guys pass up on this type of water

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

One more reason I like it so much.

[@brooktroutangler5917]

who are the 11 dolts that voted this thumbs down?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

If there’s anything I’ve learned making KZbin videos, it’s that it’s impossible to make everyone happy even when you’re giving them free information. 😊 Thanks for watching and liking though!