Czech Nymphing

Czech Nymphing Fly Fishing

This style was introduced in the UK during 1990 World Fly Fishing Championships. The Czech team beat the UK International teams at the Welsh River Dee using czech nymphing techniques. The Czech team caught grayling in numbers from places that were thought impossibly fast or deep previously all due to the nymphing techniques and as a result sent shockwaves throughout the world of fly fishing. This nymphing technique is today considered an essential part of every grayling anglers armoury.

Firstly, let's take a look at the czech nymph flies, the Czech nymphing fly has many, many variations, but all are based upon one simple design, utilising a heavily-leaded hook. They  are intended to be fished very deep, in fast water, weight & a slim profile are important.

Czech Nymphing Tactics

For Czech nymphing the water is going to be fast, normally considered unfishable using flies, You need to get your flies as near to the bottom as possible. Do not fish with more than about 3-4' of flyline outside the tip ring. Sometimes this is  difficult to do, as the fly fisherman's natural tendency is to shoot a bit of line. This is extremely short range fishing, fish are is going to be close to your rod! Grayling indeed will be attracted by the feet moving deutritus from the bottom of the river. You must not cast conventionally with this technique, there is not enough line and the chzech nymphing flies are far too heavy - indeed it is the flies that provide the casting weight. Use a flicking action to throw the nymphs upstream at an angle of about 30 degrees. Done correctly, the 'flick cast' will extend the leader so that the Czech nymph flies lie in a straight line upstream. The flies immediately start to sink rapidly as the current brings the flies back down towards you. To stay in touch with the flies, don't retrieve any line, just track round with the rod, raising & lowering the tip as appropriate.

Watch your indicator very closely! Any hesitation, draw, stutter, check - strike it immediately. Because of the fast speed of the water grayling and trout will have little chance to closely examine the fly and hit quickly and this is one of the features and benefits of the Czech nymphing technique. Fan cast the water ahead of you and, if no action, take a pace or two upstream & repeat. The Czech nymphing technique is fast technique fly fishing, each  cast is fished out in 5-10 seconds and you're straight into the next one, a lightweight rod helps the weary arms a 9' 6" or 10" #4 or #5 is ideal for nymphing. Often it is often useful to let the flies come down below you and allow them to fish for a few moments as they come round the bend and onto 'the dangle'. Keep the rod tip above the indicator & steadily 'lean' downstream, dropping the tip as you do so. This can be a particularly effective tactic when nymphing, taking one or two more fish out of water that has already been worked. Obviously, with the Czech nymphing technique you do not need to restrict yourself to Czech nymphs. The key is to use heavily-weighted flies, so goldheads, weighted caddis will do just as well. 'Matching the hatch' is not a priority with this fishing! Czech nymphing is an active searching method and, as such,  technique is more important than specific pattern.