French nymphing?

**CM_Stewart** · 04-11-2008, 02:13 PM

There has been excellent discussion here of Polish and Czech nymphing, and in those threads there has been a description of Spanish nymphing. French nymphing gets mentioned in the overall discussion of "European nymphing techniques" but I've never seen a discription of what it is. In a nutshell, what is French nymphing and how does it differ from Polish, Czech and Spanish?

**AaronJasper** · 04-11-2008, 02:27 PM

CM did you get the response to the other post? Loren is doing a class for TPO. I am sure this can be shown and explained there. I would venture to say that style of fishing is very similar and possibly some sort of combination of three that we have been discussing. However, I am sure Loren can add more insight. The only way to really understand this is to see it. Its hard to explain it on here as Loren has stated before.

**LorenWilliams** · 04-11-2008, 04:59 PM

The French like to use a very long leader, small nymphs, and an upstream-short lined-approach. Again, these are custom fitted to their home waters and the techniques, once you learn them, a reflect the conditions they fish. That said, we all us ewhat each other bring to the table.

At the clinic I will try to explain as many nymphing techniques as I am knowledgeable about and the conditions warrant showing.

Fascist Killer · 04-11-2008, 04:59 PM

None of the others make you use your tongue.... ZING! Boy, I'm one funny guy. Isn't that why you need all those pink condoms?

**CM_Stewart** · 04-11-2008, 06:48 PM

Aaron, I did see the response to the other post, but unfortunately I will not be able to take the clinic. I can't tell you how much I wish I could, but it just isn't going to be possible. I'm going to have to learn as much as I can from reading the forum, asking questions and good ol' trial and error. Just reading the excellent discussion here has given me enough to get started. I'm sure you've heard this before, but this IS the best forum on the net.

**Clema74** · 02-18-2010, 08:33 AM

ok
I think now I understand now what you call french nymphing.

Loren is right, I think our rivers and conditions are quite differents from in the USA.
Waters are generaly clear. The fishing we love is sight fishing (in dry or nymph). You try to see the fish, approch him very carefuly and try to catch it seeing his reactions. (we call it : nymphe à vue).
of course you are closed from the fish, so you rarely have to cast very long.

Second things. It seems that our trout population isn't so high as in your rivers. So a fish can be caught several time in a few month. That means he turns educated.
At the end of the season it's usual to fish with 8°° tippet or less. and nymph size 20 or 22 or 24.
That's because we don't have any other choice. In the summer, if you present a 16 size nymph with a 14°° leader, you'll catch absolutely nothing.
That's the same for the leader. you must get a high discretion one. Personnaly I use a 5 m long leader, with 2 m tippet. That's not so long. Very long tippet helps for a nice and gentle presentation.
The fishes a tough and they don't accept any clue of a leader, or "strange fly".

we usually don't like when the water is colored and high.
I say we, it's just a generality. Some french love fishing is those conditions. especially guys from mountain. they use to fish fast and powerfull streams.
Sometime you can't fish seeing fishes. So we fish nymph with or without indicator. (usually without)
We call it nymphe au fil

One of the most used technique is fishing under the rod (pêcher sous la canne) just in front of your feet. With a heavy nymph, without indicator. You lead your nymph on the bottom of the water, trying to feel the strikes.

sometimes a little bit farer: 5 or 6 m of fly line out. Watching carefully to your leader in order to see the strikes.
But it's a way of fishing we don't like so much.

Seeing a big trout moving to take your nymph at 3 or 4 meters from you is a great emotion!

I hope those explanations help.