Euro Nymphing: Where and How to Float the Sighter

[@theheronknowsprimewater1035]

I really like how you mention the weight of the flies you're using and the range you're fishing at.

[@monlunyee4019]

thanks for the video - no one else has shared information about this application. thanks for making euro nymphing more complete for those of us trying to figure it out.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks for watching. Happy fishing.

[@miggru1952]

What a tutorial! Never thought in such details for a sighter management !! Great! 🙏👍

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Oholisfliesandfishing]

Excellent and well explained as always. Your vids are always pleasure to watch. Cheers

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@JD-ss9mh]

I actually experimented with this on some tough tail water and did surprisingly well. Great stuff. Thanks for the learning’s! The ease at which you catch fish keeps pushing me to be better and try harder.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

It’s often on the tough water that it works best. Happy fishing.

[@rcvflyfisher]

Great, as always! Really clear description complemented by super demonstration on the water! Thanks, Devin!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@edhughes1891]

An excellent tutorial on this technique! Thank you for these tutorials ! I'm also reading your book, and love it. You sure picked a great spot to show this style works.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Happy fishing

[@everest001]

I really appreciate your films. They are without doubt some of the most informative and useful tutorials available. Keep up the excellent work. Great products from the shop too.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks for the feedback Andy! Happy fishing

[@oscarbarreiro4266]

Wonderfully explanated. A big thanks for sharing you knowledge¡

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks for watching

[@philipvankampen3394]

Something I've been doing the last couple of years is putting on a couple midge sized dot indicators above my tippet ring, spaced apart by 4 - 6 inches. When it gets windy or if I need to float the sighter I can drop one or both of these into the water for an anchor/pivot. It also allows me to easily mend if I am fishing across stream with some soft hackles or swimmers.

[@patches152]

Got a link to what you're talking about here? Ive been struggling with wind and this would be helpful

[@turninflat]

really detailed, and precise instruction. impressive. thanks much.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks for watching.

[@Analyse_US]

Thanks, it's a technique I will integrate into my next trip out on the Whanganui river in NZ!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

It should work well there. I used it on nearby rivers when I was on the North Island.

[@richardferrara86]

You make this look so easy haha. Great video as always Devin!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks Rich

[@alexargyros7186]

Thank you, Devin. I love this video and learned a lot from it.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad it helped.

[@garyweglarz]

Really helpful video Devin, thanks for that one.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@tonysobina8390]

This is excellant on when and where to use the floated sighter. I've been confused on that aspect, and knowing when and where to switch up techniques will greatly help! I think of the better thoughts on this is knowing to constantly adjust, like when you discussed lighter tippets, smaller flys, longer or shorter tippet length. Interesting that you talked about some of the sighter coming off the water , particularly at the end of the drift, that there is nothing wrong with that..Also wanted to ask for a better interpretation of what you meant when you talked about a 'downshift at the end of the drift.' Excellant video, Devin! Thank You!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

The downshift is explained in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJfWmX-XabOMnJo

[@jp410]

Thanks for the informative talk at the beginning. Dense and to-the-point. A question, though -- on the first couple fish you catch, you seem well close-enough to tightline that area effectively. Are you choosing to float the sighter there just for demonstration purposes, or would you indeed choose to float rather than tight-line at that close of a range? Thank you.

[@louied6065]

Cool to see different techniques. Log salmon cracked me up. In Jersey we call it a stickerel. 👍

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

That's a good one! No one would get that out West since we don't have pickerel.

[@mikeycot]

"Limb Brim" or "Tree-Pounder" in TN.

[@gscotty311]

‘Diabaetis’ is an awesome baetis fly name lol. Gonna have to learn to tie it. Great tutorial! Thanks for ALL your efforts teaching us whether it’s YT, books or your dvd series. I have all three. Any plans on a fourth? I’ll buy…just sayin’!

[@bluejacket645]

Excellent video Devin. When switching leaders from your micro leader to one more suited for floating the sighter, do you switch by tying onto a micro loop on your fly line or do you have an extra spool?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I often take two rods so I can switch back and forth repeatedly. If I only have one rod, I use rigging foams to store the leader I'm not using and then I swap them by connecting to a micro loop.

[@suzanneconstantini6306]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thank you Devin!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

@@suzanneconstantini6306 Hope it helps.

[@michaelzobrist8846]

Great video. First time watcher. I would like to have seen how you tied your nymphs to your tippet. Was it a tippet ring two nymph set up? Or a suspended two nymph rig. Thanks Mike from Depew NY

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Michael, I make a dropper tag from the waste end of a surgeon's knot. You can see me tie it at about 53 seconds in on this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmHbioGYas-MhpY I'm not sure what you are asking about it being a tippet ring two nymph set up or a suspended two nymph rig.

[@garrickcole1]

Hi mate Ref line and cast management in your video - what exactly are you doing with the downstream circular twirls before tuck casting upstream - untangling coils or getting line out to water load fwd cast?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I'm guessing I was cleaning the algae from my flies. You can see a video I did on it here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWbEZ6mXeZ5mh68

[@MrHalberry]

Many thanks for this video. Any reason not to just add an airlock indicator just below the tippet ring, especially in deep, still runs or pools? Takes about 5 seconds to put on an off, the weight of the indicator helps to sling the flies out an extra 10-15', and no grease!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

As I said in the video, in deep stagnant water an indicator or dry fly is more appropriate.

[@invisibles5822]

Great video Devin! Quick question, what is your go to brand for sighter material you use to build these leaders?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

As long as it's 0.012" or 0.013" it isn't critical. I use the Cortland Indicator mono or Sempe Spirit that we sell in the shop the most. The white Cortland is my favorite for clear water.

[@Kab_On_The_Fly]

What box do you have on the top of your chest pack and how did you get it on there?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

It's a C and F chest patch that is attached with velcro.

[@highstickflyfishing7168]

Would you use this technique in deep slow moving pools with trout suspended on high pressured tail waters?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

That's one of the places I use it a lot. It is exceptional for the back shallower half of pools. once you get to the deeper upper end you can add an indicator or an indicator dry fly to suspend the flies for a longer time at a deeper depth.

[@highstickflyfishing7168]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 yeah, I was fishing cheeseman canyon here in CO. And fish were just running from the dry dropper it seemed like. I’ll give this a try. Thank you.

[@Lukasz_Fishing_Ireland]

Love it 😊

[@worange6208]

Great video! Questions; usually how long are your drifts? Also does the weight dictate how long your drifts will be?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

They are as long as I want to cast upstream until the leader gets close to being vertical under the rod tip. If you have more weight on than you can float for much distance, then your drift will be truncated when your sighter sinks.

[@worange6208]

Thanks!

[@spikeconley]

I guess the reason I don't use this is that whenever the conditions seem right for it, I use a dry/dropper instead. What advantage does floating the sighter have over a dry/dropper?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I’m still sorting through this myself but the floated sighter does provide more depth flexibility, quicker strike detection at times, and a subtly different drift. As I said in the video, at certain depths and velocities the dry dropper is a better choice. The overlap of where and when to fish both depends on your rigging and your personal abilities.

[@sgrahammd]

Do you ever use a coiled or "slinky" sighter when you are floating your sighter?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I stopped using them around 2012. They rip off the water with a lot of noise and if you happen to cross currents they grab more current and make your drift worse.

[@sgrahammd]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thanks, I really enjoy your videos

[@patches152]

Devin, what about using larger coils? Basically not stretching your leader when it comes off of the rigging foam? I've heard of the guys in England doing that occasionally

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

@@patches152 most coiled indicators turn into that after use anyway. I still don’t like them much but I always recommend folks to firm their own opinion.

[@termite122]

isnt this technique the perfect time to use a curly sighter with very small coils? thats my preference anyway..cortland makes a product called dab which floats a sighter way better than any paste on the market or loons high tack swax works great also and last much longer then paste..tite lines

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you like the coils. I don’t like the way they rip off the water and they accelerate drag if you fish them across currents since they dig into the water perpendicular instead of parallel to the rest of the leader. I’ve also tried dab. It does stick to the leader better but I haven’t found it to be as buoyant.

[@fenrirunshackled4319]

When you euro nymph so hard you accidentally invent indicator nymphing

[@Rhsummers1941]

Just use an indicator. All this other stuff is cutting’ into my fishing time

[@TroutbumofWV]

using an indicator is like huntiing deer over bait or using a crossbow or using dogs to chase your bear