Czech, French and European fly fishing nymphing techniques

1
Czech, French or European Nymphing Techniques of
Fly Fishing

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2
The Fundamentals of Fly Fishing French, European
or Czech Nymphing Techniques

• The French, European or Czech nymphing craze
  owes its origin to competition fly fishing and
  over time it has emerged as a popular and
  effective fishing method in Europe. Some more
  traditional fly fishermen have their individual
  preferences and admire the splendor and heritage
  of classic dry fly fishing and therefore might
  look down upon the Czech style of nymph-fishing.
  Nevertheless, this fishing method has proved to
  be highly effective and indispensable for todays
  fly fisherman who focuses more on the catch
  count. The French, European or Czech fly fishing
  technique is destined to provide more fish to
  hand for those who have mastered it, especially
  when fishing pressured waters.

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3
Overview

• European, French or Czech fly fishing is an
  angling technique that uses heavy Czech nymphs.
  This method is based on short, repetitive casts,
  dead drifts and a deeper fly presentation. The
  leader hangs under the tip of the fly rod held by
  the fisherman in his outstretched arm, while the
  fly is guided through the run. That's why it's
  often called high stick nymphing or contact
  nymphing. The typical fly rig includes three
  nymph flies of different weights. The method uses
  Czech nymphs, known as Bobes. The nymphs are tied
  on gammarus hooks and are made to imitate fresh
  water shrimps or caseless larvae of sedge
  flies. 
• Fish to Target Grayling, brown and rainbow trout
  respond well to a Czech nymph. But the method can
  be applied to roach, chub, barbell, and dace. 
• Fly Patterns There is no method to determine the
  most effective fly pattern. Commonly, three
  different fly patterns with different color
  combinations are put on the leader and the
  effectiveness of each pattern is tested. A
  natural pattern is used as the first dropper
  while the second dropper needs to have a wilder
  color combination. Larger fly patterns typically
  attract larger fish. Imitative patterns attract
  brown trout while natural patterns and colorful
  flies are perfect choices for grayling and
  rainbow trout.

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4
History of European Nymphing

• Czech fly fishing is a Euro nymphing technique
  that includes Polish, French, and Spanish
  modifications as well. Czech nymphing originated
  in Poland during the 1984 international fly
  fishing competition. The Polish anglers fished
  short due to the unavailability of fly fishing
  lines so they relied on thick nylon monofilament.
  They used flies that resembled Sedges Hydropsyche
  and Rhyacophila. Czech competitors learned the
  technique used by the local anglers very quickly
  and applied it during the next years World
  Championship held on the river San. With this new
  technique, Poland secured the first position
  while the Czechs finished right behind. It was in
  1986 that Slavoj Svoboda won the world
  championship and brought home the first gold
  medal for the Czech team, employing the
  newly-named Czech nymphing technique.

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5
French Nymphing Techniques

• Czech fly fishing is primarily a short-distance
  fishing technique that involves catching fish
  almost under the tip of the rod without making
  use of the fly fishing line. After casting
  upstream, you should allow the flies to sink to
  the bottom. Use the tip of the fishing rod to
  follow the fly's movement downstream, making sure
  to keep your flies at the current's pace. The
  flies should be of appropriate weights so that
  they can sink to the desired depth relative to
  the current. Overweight flies are undesirable
  because it will become difficult to lead them
  naturally through the run. The success of this
  method depends on maintaining permanent contact
  with the flies at all times. Subtle upstream or
  peripheral movement of the leader may indicate a
  strike. You might also feel a tap or hesitation
  in your drift. It's time to set the hook in an
  upward motion. If nothing nothing comes tight to
  your hook set, the good news is you can quickly
  cast your short leader and flies back into the
  run for another drift. As you become better
  skilled to casting shorter distances and managing
  your drifts better, your catch rate will greatly
  increase. Focus more on fishing the faster and
  deeper water, making each cast and drift count.
  Leader length relates to the waters depth and
  your fly rod's length. If you're just getting
  started, fish a shorter leader for better line
  control and more natural drifts. Maintaining
  contact with heavier flies is easy, but the
  lighter ones exhibit natural movements in the
  water and require a bit more practice.

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6
European Nymphing Equipment

• Leland's List
• Sage ESN (European Style Nymphing) Fly Rod Series
• Loop Opti Peak 11ft 4wt Fly Rod, 4110-4
• Red Truck Diesel 10ft 7wt, 7100-4
• Although you can employ the Czech, Euro or
  French nymphing technique with a common 9 foot 5
  weight fly rod, a longer rod is better suited for
  optimal drift control. Today, most dedicated Euro
  nymph fly rods are 10 to 11 feet in length.
  Recently, many fishermen have started to use
  lighter rods, like 2, 3, and 4 weights in longer
  lengths. European, Czech or French nymphing
  involves frequent casting and requires you to
  keep your arm outstretched for long durations and
  hence, using lighter rods will be the most
  convenient option for you. Although there are
  some dedicated Czech, French or European nymphing
  leaders available today, most Czech nymphers use
  a shorter (7.5 foot) tapered leader with varying
  tippet ratings. Just remember the fly rod length
  should always be greater than the leader length.
  For added strike detection, some Czech nymphers
  us a very small indicator or coloring on the
  leader. These colored leader sections magnify any
  subtle movements (possibly a strike) of the
  leader during a drift. European nymph-fishing is
  effective year round. However, if you fish
  streams with high waters during Spring runoff,
  make sure to give Czech nymphing a try. We're
  pretty sure you'll be impressed with the
  fish-catching results.

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