European & Czech Nymph Casting

Casts are short and controlled, usually you are only casting up to the length of the rod and fishing the nymphs just below the tip of the rod. This is where a longer rod comes into play. You can do Czech nymphing with any rod, but a purpose built 10* or 11 foot rod for a 2 or 3 weight is a big help in the reach needed to drift the flies into the best spots. You’ll notice the lighter line weights are really different  compared to your standard 9 ½ foot 5 or 6 weight rods that are perfect for indicator rigs. The lighter line weight rods offer a lot more sensitivity and feel needed for this style of fishing. This simply means you will be a more effective Euro Nympher with a long, light rod.

Once you cast the flies upstream you hold the rod over the line, specifically aiming your tip top on the rod just a few inches downstream of where the line penetrates the water, and you gently pull the line through a controlled drift  where you will be totally connected to the flies in the current. Hooking fish is sometimes electric because the line is tight and in touch with the nymphs so much more than slack line, dead drift techniques. There is no better connection to the trout than by correctly fishing with the Czech method! Other times hooking a fish is a 6th Sense and you just aren’t sure why you set the hook…. but you did and it worked! Every day is different and every fish is different.

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