upside down nymphs?

**AuSableTrophyhunter** · 01-13-2011, 11:42 AM

Last couple of years I have read authors claiming that if you wrap lead on a nymph or wet fly in the conventional manner, the nymph will flip upside down in the water. Thus, your elaborate flashback or dorsal shading or emerger bud wings etc will be unnaturally upside down. Yes, there are knots that may keep your fly right side up but I would imagine if the weighting story is true, lighter tippets might allow torquing anyway.
I dont know if these writer's contentions are true since the standard weighting and tying of nymphs work. But if true, perhaps they would work better even if the were "right side up" in the water. I generally but not always tie my nymphs in the round.
Has anyone tested conventionally wrapped, weighted nymphs and or beadheads to verify whether the nymph turns upside down?

**tim_y** · 01-13-2011, 01:03 PM

There was an article in one of the major fly fishing mags (I can't recall which one) recently that touched on this one. They suggested laying a strip of lead on the underside of the hook so that it would help keep the fly on an even keel. I haven't gone as far as testing my flies in the bathtub, but would be interested in the results. That being said, if you look at the majority of fly tying tutorials out there, I've never seen anyone take measures to prevent the fly from turning. I've watched almost all of Aaron's, and he doesn't do anything to affect the fly, and they seem to work just fine for him

**dooberhoopa** · 01-13-2011, 02:08 PM

Yea i saw that article. You lay the lead on the bottom and then secure it by wrapping the lead back over top of it. Im thinking that on the czech nymph this wouldn't be as much of a problem because of the tight line technique, where under an indicator the fly can do pretty much whatever it pleases. I've seen some stones tied "in the round" that look real promising because they look the same no matter which way the fish sees it.

**Esopus Guy** · 01-13-2011, 05:03 PM

Just use straight eyes instead of the down turned. The hook point/bend should act as a keel to keep your offering right side up. This was not touched upon by the author at all.

Freestyle Nymphs by
Bob Reynolds
Fly Fisherman Magazine feb-march 2011

**frankm205** · 01-13-2011, 05:15 PM

Yea but don't nymphs turn and tumble in the current? I don't think they are always floating right side up are they?

**littlej81** · 01-13-2011, 05:20 PM

Presentation, presentation, presentation... Don't worry about which way the nymph rides.

**pk31** · 01-13-2011, 09:07 PM

I agree with littlej, its all about presentation... it was an interesting article, i did a test with a a two bit hooker to see which way it floated and it was upside down but whatever it still caught fish and im not worrying about it.

**IdahoFly** · 01-13-2011, 10:09 PM

Ha ha i should make some micro tungsten barbell eyes, then you could just tie em on the way you wanted the fly to sit, that solved the similar streamer problems for sure.

**Davyfly** · 01-14-2011, 08:59 PM

Ausable.

Ok, many years ago we did some research on this subject which included being underwater myself and also we used underwater cameras.

There are essentially only 3 ways a nymph can be fished.
1. With a bobber indicator.
2. As with EU techniques
3. Or totally free drift, which very few anglers use.

In the case of indicator fishing the influence of downstream drift is caused by the fly line on the surface pulling the fly which will be upstream, downstream. or in other cases he force of water between the fly and indicator, which creates a belly in the leader system.

Surface water speed is generally faster than at the bed of the river.
Either with wound lead or a bead head odds are that the fly will fish hook upernost.
Tippet will not stop twist the force of water pressure is greater.

There is a very simple way to check out what happens. If you have a large fish tank, tie your fly to some tippet and drop it in the tank at the laft side, now move the fly to the right, watch it turn hook side up.

Ok so you have made a elaborate abdomen and thorax to your fly, this is what the fish will likely see first.

In the case of EU or free line nymph fish there may be a difference if there is sufficient free movement to the fly caused by the natural hydrolics of water movment.
Same for when you cast a indicator rig before the system tightens up.

At the end of the day do l think it makes any difference to the trout, l doubt it as if you watch any underwater sequences of how natural bugs are moved along they are twisted and turned up and down again due to how the lower levels of water hydrolics work.

My friend Dave Whitlock has always been a advocate of using a Duncan loop system that would allow for some free movment at the knot position, he leaves a small open loop.
I would not argue with Daves theory, but l do not know how it could be proved, which is beside the point at the end of the day.

Davy