Micronymphs

Diminutive, but Deadly Morsels!

by

Loren Williams

If competitive fly-fishing has done one thing for me, it's that it has opened a window into the sport with a view of what is happening beyond our borders. Unfortunately, when we focus on the sport of fly-fishing in our country, the lens invariable gets smudged with egomania and marketing. Being an individual who makes an income off the sport myself, I feel qualified to make such a bold statement. IN the realm of competition fly-fishing there exists an ever-evolving, always exciting sport. There are folks who are constantly pressing themselves to develop new styles, rigging, tying materials and improved technology. It upsets me that the American public seems to be last on the list when receiving these advances. What I teach is that our role as an angler is to trick a fish with our offering, to recognize the take, and to react to the take in time. After-all, that is the essence of angling. Beyond that, the sky's the limit!

One of the newer concepts that I have become intrigued with involves "micronymphs." Now, I must insist that what I am about to discuss differs a great deal from simply using midge larva imitations or severely downsized Rocky Mountain nymphs. I am going to discuss developing flies that serve a very specific function for the competitive angler, or any angler who wishes to conquer new water with sophisticated techniques that are central to the art of fishing the fly...not the split shot! I will be discussing fly patterns designed to fish across a number of depths and speeds, represent small food items that fish currently see, yet wrapped in a package that is unique, if not downright alluring, complete with angler confidence!

A Brief History...

Once (really "if") an angler decides to fly fish without using accessory weight on his leader, he very quickly realizes there are a tremendous number of variables to overcome. Pretty much any hydraulic, climactic, or behavioral factor will effect the size, color, and weight of the fly or flies you need to use. Add to the mix the number of flies you are fishing and how you are fishing them and the issue becomes even more complex, but more fun all at the same time. With time and experience you begin to appreciate the productivity of it all, for once you start fishing your flies and stop fishing the split shot the world of fly-fishing really opens up.

Now, we've probably all heard of "Czech Nymphing (CZN)," "Polish Nymphs," or "rolled nymphs," if even by happenstance. These techniques are the precursors of nearly all methods devoted to fishing weighted nymphs. Directed largely at grayling in eastern Europe and up into Scandinavia, these techniques are still as rock-solid as they were in the late 1980's when they appeared on the World Fly-Fishing Championship scene. The Polish just plain upset the apple cart when they showed-up with rather rudimentary equipment. However, using an unbeatable technique of pulling a cast of heavy nymphs through fast water the Poles hooked ridiculous numbers of trout and grayling. Up until then, the game was played largely with wet flies and dry flies and those deep fast water fish were rather safe.

From there the Czech Republic teams have adjusted the skills and flies to suit other water types as have the French, Italians, and Spanish. But nearly every nymphing leader or skill is built around the concept of fishing a weighted fly.

Enter the Micro Nymph...

Basking in the effectiveness of European short line nymphing techniques, advanced anglers such as Jiri Klima from the Czech Republic team also realized that the flies these skills were developed around did not always work. This was especially true for waters with more predominant mayfly populations. Many eastern Europe and Scandinavian rivers have suffered severely from pollution that wiped out most of the sensitive mayfly populations leaving mainly hearty caddisflies to serve as fish fodder. Likewise, grayling, which are built to hoover from the stream bottom, have become the predominant sport fish since they are so qualified to take advantage of such a food source. However, in places across the world where mayflies and trout prosper, Czech and Polish "nymphs" are not always the best imitation. While the backbone of the skills work well, adaptations need to be made in effort to advance towards consistent success.

Micros are becoming the "Czech Nymph" for trout anglers. Simple nymph patterns that are tied to address very specific water types, current speeds, and fish preferences-yet incorporating the materials and features that bring confidence to the angler.They first appeared on the scene in the 1990's by Klima. He investigated weighting options and developed a drop weighted straight shank hook. At the time the drop shaped lead addition, which could be colored, allowed for small yet heavy flies and reduced vise time by eliminating the need for bead placement. Also, since the lead could be painted it eliminated the need for jungle cock hot spots that were commonly used. Since then, the boundaries have been nudged repeatedly. Exposed painted lead was outlawed for competition, so Tungsten beads and wire have resumed their role as have hot spot materials.

Micronymphs are small (#14 and smaller) "nymphs" designed to prod the shallows and depths imitating anything, or nothing at all. Remember the basis of fishing; to trick a fish into eating your offering? No one said we must imitate anything, all we really must do is fool the fish. It's far better then, to present a fly that just looks edible and contains enough triggers to get a fish to respond to it. Once that happens, the savvy angler will be using a technique that allows him to recognize the take immediately and to respond in like. Micronymphs fit the bill nicely as target flies, the flies in the cast that we fully expect the fish to take.

Now, perhaps you are asking how these wee morsels go beyond what we may already be using? Well, most of us have been trained to "match the hatch." So if we feel the fish are feeding on midges, we toss midges. Maybe it's baetis time, so we tie on a tiny brown nymph. We are trying to imitate what the fish are eating. But what if we are forced to fish during inopportune times when the fish are not feeding per se? What if the fish have been pounded with midge larvae or tiny PT nymphs? Do we concede or do we persist? Furthermore, is it a best practice to blend in with all of the other natural nymphs or may it be a better game plan to separate your fly a bit? True, there is a hazy, gray line that separates micros from scaled-down versions of more standard commercial patterns. I like to think of true micros as patterns tied to address specific conditions. While small commercial nymphs will work, often they contain features that are often undesirable. Yet with some artistic license, most any simple nymph can become an effective micro!

There are some truly great anglers who have taught me that you can indeed make fish take your fly. But, what this involves is climbing way outside the box you've drawn around fly-fishing. Forget about entomology. Toss out imitation. We need to get tricky. We need to find the places where difficult fish reside. We need to discover ways of showing them our flies Finally, we need to create flies that get to the fish and that the fish will take reactively or otherwise. This is good stuff!

Why they Work...

Micronymphs are the pallet where the angler can get artistic. We've discussed the importance of trickery when dealing with difficult fish, and we've touched on the fact that there exists a number of skills and techniques that have evolved to enable us to get our fly to the fish, recognize the take and react accordingly. The gap therefore lies at the end of the tippet-and the gap is larger than you may believe.

Micronymphs are merely weighted nymphs tied with slim bodies in sizes appropriate to match the small profiles of the creatures trout normally eat. Micros are slim so they do not resist sinking. Utilizing the new weighting technologies and demonstrating any number of proven, confidence-building triggers these flies will get deep if need be and catch fish when it matters.

Commonalities among micros include:

No longer are we doomed to tossing an enormous stonefly nymph when fishing the deepest of runs like everyone else! It is amazing really how heavy of a fly can be built on such small hooks, and these wee, skinny, suggestive tidbits can indeed get deep quickly!

Looking at the factors against us; current speed, water depth, weather conditions, etc...it stands to reason that we must be able to sculpt our fly to suit the conditions. Up front, if we cannot get the fly to the fish chances are good the fish will let it pass. It is always a good idea to make your offering as easy as possible for the fish to eat, so it had better be at the right depth and speed. Next, it is always best to make your pattern as easy as possible for the fish to see. Underwater, there is all matter of debris, carrion, foliage and actual life forms drifting by. Trying to blend in is not always best! But, there will be a point where if you stand too far apart you will get equally ignored. Edible but different is what you are shooting for. Bits of color and traces of flash built into a very pleasing form seem to make the best flies. Add in suggestions of life-like movement and shimmer and you've got a slammer!

You see, micronymphs are evolutions. Typically, they are nothing more than the same fly modified and modified again. With each success comes confidence, with each failure is borne creation. Soon, you find that it is as much fun tying something to fool fish as it is fooling the fish. Before long you have an arsenal which is almost alive since it changes so much. You can easily compare the micro nymph to the Czech nymph in that both styles of fly are nothing more than the same fly in different clothes. They all work-somewhere and for someone. They are hard to name, most just go by color and number ("olive #2," for example). Since these will likely never be flies that attract serious commercial interest, catchy names are not called-for. More so, individual anglers will have their own lineup of patterns, creations born of experimentation. Names are unimportant.

The evolutions are driven by changing conditions and changing venues. Pressured trout often reside in the overlooked water (skinniest or deepest, tight to the bank or mid river), simply because those places usually get ignored. One needs correctly weighted flies to fish the water effectively. Likewise, different bottom coloration or water clarity dictates different body colors. An arsenal of simple micros is perhaps the best tool and angler has to address fishing high-variable sections of water. By fishing multiple flies one can rather quickly discover the most valuable features and the angler can quickly zoom in on success. Size and weight issues are quick to decipher, and experience becomes an ally as you'll quickly read the water and quite accurately pick a combination of flies that will fish at the right level without getting hung-up.

Yes, micronymphs are versatile little creatures. Deadly morsels!

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