Tuesday Tip: How to Detect Strikes When Nymph Fishing

For the next few months, as hatches become few and far between, most anglers will be fishing with subsurface nymphs or streamers. When you can’t see your fly, detecting strikes can be the difference between success and failure. Trout can reject a fly incredibly fast, so you’ve got to know when to set the hook. In this week’s selection from the Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center, I discuss various ways to detect strikes, as well as how to properly use a strike indicator.

As a bonus, there’s a great underwater shot of a trout eating a nymph imitation and getting hooked.

As a general rule, the distance between indicator and fly should be 1.5 times the water depth. photo courtesy Tom Rosenbauer