TACTICS RIVERS

Words & pictures Jeffrey Prest

Direct line insurance Is your river nymphing getting a little flabby? Tighten up that leader, says Fred Bainbridge – the shortest distance between man and fish is a straight line... TACTICS RIVERS

ou could say the same RECOMMENDED PATTERNS of any skill. Unless focus and self- discipline are your strong suits, it can be one thing to master it Yand another thing altogether to maintain that mastery. Bad habits creep in, corners are lazily cut and before you know it, something you once had off pat seems a little tired and ineffective. Copperhead PTN Hook Size 16 Hends BL 144 competition jig Mesmeric Thread Uni 8/0, Black Why should river nymphing be any Tail Coq de Leon different? There’s a mesmeric RIB Red wire quality to the incessant chatter of Body Black pheasant tail water tumbling over rocks and if THORAX UV tinsel medium the surroundings are pleasant, it COLLAR Peacock Shimmer dubbing can be easy to get into a counter- BEAD 3.3mm copper tungsten productive tempo as a fly angler. It happens on stillwaters, Chuck ‘em out, wait for the river too: a lot of anglers are to bring ‘em back: repeat. Until the sight of your bone-dry landing net retrieving, yet they have no reminds you that this idyllic idea sometimes that a fish tableau is missing something. On some waters, fishing some has tried their fly. methods, you might get away with it; getting lucky while getting sloppy and then driving home JARGON BUSTER precision? Missed takes that many Hot-Collar PTN believing you’ve still got it. “Czech nymphing” The ‘Euro’ anglers don’t know they’ve missed. Not river nymphing. Possibly label for tight-line nymphing “Even when I’m fishing this way, I Hook Size 18 short-shank barbless Thread Uni 8/0, tan fly-fishing's most exacting “French leader” Typically 12 to still see the occasional fish take a discipline, the task of matching fly and yet it hasn't registered, Tail Coq de Leon RIB Silver wire/small 30ft (3.5-9m) long, a French Body Natural PTN your flies’ descent rate with the leader comprises a long mono either through my line or my rod,” river’s speed means that there’s no says Fred. “I’m striking purely on COLLAR Glo-Brite floss No.5 section (your fly-line doesn’t get BEAD 2mm plain tungsten such thing as ‘there or thereabouts’. Fred beyond the tip ring with this type sight. It happens a lot in stillwaters Bainbridge Show up with less than your of fishing) a short, hi-viz sighter too: a lot of anglers are retrieving, A-game, and it will expose you. section to assist you with bite yet they have no idea sometimes Fred Bainbridge says he’s seen international and that a fish has tried their fly. Masses Leader set-up 15 times Northern detection and a tapered this happen, even at the loftier fluorocarbon leader and tippet of subtle takes are missed by the heights of match fishing, and with champion across average angler, who only spots the bank, river section, to which flies are the River Swale being low today, hard takes that you get in areas and loch-style attached. When fishing at longer leaving pockets of deep water as his where there are a lot of fish and a disciplines. range than on this occasion, best hope, he is perfectly placed to lot of competition for food. Available for this set-up allows the presentation Knotless demonstrate how you sharpen up guiding via of very small nymphs to nervous “The little subtle takes you get in tapered carp your act. Facebook fish. under-populated areas, or heavily- leader (30lb- 18in sighter - The Swale winds along the ('Freddy fished areas, on the other hand, 12lb) multi hi-viz 8lb southern edge of Richmond, in Bainbridge') where fish have become more mono North . We start at the It’s one of the few times I’ve anglers can fall prey, consciously or rod tip,” says Bainbridge. “I do that cautious about taking flies; many west end of town, just south-west Heaviest fish known him sell himself short. He subconsciously, had struck again. all in one action, in a split-second. anglers don’t even notice those.” of the ruins of Easby Abbey, where 21lb 8oz rainbow actually has several brownies as we “They were all looking to cast big “I’m instantly tracking the The stripped-down, simplistic pleasant riverside walks and fine head north-east of the bridge, all of distances upstream but their flies nymphs downstream, with the rod approach he employs to counter river views from a bridge are Favourite them succumbing to noticeably were then out of control,” he says. tip at chest height and directly over this unawareness extends to tackle reservoir 6in juxtaposed with the bouquet from close-quarters combat. ”They might get a few fish but I saw them and a couple of inches of as much as execution. He goes no Stocks a nearby sewage plant. Swale ‘Tight line nymphing’, Fred calls the loophole in what they did, and French leader and my sighter longer than three inches with Tippet and veterans fishing here probably Favourite it, and I’m glad that he uses its after a season, I worked it out.” beyond the rod tip.” droppers (“A four-inch dropper will 2.5in droppers check wind direction before they small water American label, for at least that ‘Working it out’ resulted in a No leading your nymphs here. introduce slack because of its are 4lb mono check river levels. Tanfield Lodge tells you what’s involved. The nymphing system more stripped Fred lets Nature and the current length and the river’s turbulence”) European preference for sticking down than a racing car. Anything take its course while keeping and makes sure both they and the 12in Lively the name of a country in front of that created slack had to go. everything beneath his rod tip tippet are made of stiff Hot Collar It’s an awkward descent to the the word ‘nymphing’ is all very It’s no accident that the word plumb-bob straight. Think of the fluorocarbon with no stretch. An PTN western bank but the terrain that well but if you’re like me, you may ‘cast’ was replaced by ‘pitch’ as sighter as similar to the bubble in a ancillary benefit of this is that Tippet length awaits makes it worthwhile. Some be losing track of what’s what… Fred talked me through it. Whereas spirit-level: if it’s tilted, you’ve lost stiffer line is less prone to tangles adjustable rivers can look a bit sorry for “I’m fishing under the rod tip, a cast puts the flies briefly at the that all-important perpendicular. and consequent line kinks when a according to river depth themselves in times of low water Fred continues. “We want nymphs mercy of the river, a short pitch “I want to feel the point fly just hooked trout leaps. You untangle it 12in but the Swale retains a lively flow and French leader to be vertical; keeps them within your zone of scraping the bottom, putting the quickly and can usually use same and still shows promising patches straight under the tip. We are Czech influence. brakes on a little, but I don’t want leader all day. Hot Collar between the outcrops of pale rocks, nymphing but with a French leader “As soon as I pitch flies upstream, my tippet too long for the water, PTN their calm water amid the froth and Top The day's system [see Jargon Buster panel].” I then extend my casting arm because I want to fish vertically and Telephones ripples pointing to deeper holes first brownie. He had noticed in competitions, forward, in line with where the flies sag-free, so it’s essential that tippet You’ll understand his commitment Copperhead hiding fish. he explains later, where many have just dropped and I remove all length is right for the depth of to eliminating slack if you ever PTN “Pocket water,” Fred calls them. ABOVE The low people were going wrong. The slack with other hand, leaving the water you’re fishing,” Fred adds. made a telephone from two cans “I’ll get one here.” but lovely Swale. fixation with distance to which nymphs perpendicular beneath the And the reason for all this and a piece of string when you

28 Trout Fisherman September 11 - October 8 www.troutfisherman.co.uk www.troutfisherman.co.uk September 11 - October 8 Trout Fisherman 29 TACTICS rivers were young. Radio contact, you’ll remember, only occurred when the string was taut. “The aim is to remove every bit of slack possible, even down to tippet rings,” Fred continues. “Imagine one on each end of your sighter. That’s bad, because it makes the sighter hinge. It allows sag into your set-up, as well as reducing transmission of the ‘take’ up your line and into your fingers. “Think of the take as a pulse from the fish, going up a line: that pulse is going to be diffused at the tippet Think of the take as a pulse ring. Your best join instead is a River Swale double blood knot or a very small going up a line: that pulse is going perfection loop, they transmit that to be diffused at the tippet ring. ‘pulse’ better.” (Examples of both can be found on the ‘Knots’ board method is deadly; you can sneak at the TF Pinterest page - www. into position and get right over the pinterest.co.uk/troutfisherman). top of such a lie. Factfile The overall effect of tightening up “Grayling are even more suited to the connection between angler and this type of method because they'll River Swale fish is not only to give you a let you get right on top of them. ringside seat for some close-range Trout are more skittish,” says Fred. The beats fished by Fred combat but also to put you in prime For more vulnerable areas – where are administered by Richmond & District position for getting the best of it. the water is too shallow or clear, or Angling Society. While a fish caught at longer range fish are too spooky - you will need could already be reaching top speed to have alternative plans, be it ADDRESS Richmond, by the time you set the hook, ABOVE The day's fishing streamers or deploying that WEB tight-lining done well sees your rod last fish was the French leader in a more www.richmondangling.org.uk tip already in perfect position to best. conventional fashion, to fish less EMAIL perform an immediate strike. splashy nymphs at longer range. [email protected] For tight-lining to work, you need BELOW Today though, tight-lining came OPEN March 25-September 30 rippled water or any water with Grade II listed into its own, and there was a inclusive (trout); June 16-March 14 Lownethwaite some cover. Stand at knee height certain ruthless efficiency in the inclusive (grayling) Bridge: an PRICE Day membership £7 – see and look for patches of water imposing way Fred successfully worked his ‘Membership’ page on website for around you that are darker or drop landmark to way along the river. details of where tickets can be away to the point where you can't the west of Tighten your line; tighten up your purchased. see the bottom, that’s when this Richmond. game.

30 Trout Fisherman September 11 - October 8 www.troutfisherman.co.uk