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Nymph Psycho
Had a chance to revisit the "Hogpen" the other day with my Fflogger friends Nate Matthews, an editor from Field & Stream, and Tim Romano, the photo/blog man. Frankly, the day was really hot and bright, so the fishing wasn't, except for a few sporadic hopper eats and a very sporty interlude of throwing tiny ant patterns at some rainbows laid-up in the same riffle.
The fish finally turned on an hour before sunset, and while Nate and I stayed the course with dry flies ... master Tim tied on a nymph rig and proceeded to hammer fish in a downstream carnage spectacle that smacked of Sherman's "March to the Sea."
Which would have been fine, except it left me feeling soiled ... violated. Maybe it's a generation thing, but I was taught that when heads are popping, it's "go dry or go home." Maybe it's that Colorado-bred nymph-o-mania issue. No doubt, Tim put the smackdown on the trout with at least a 10-1 ratio advantage on us. And yeah ... I know all about dry fly snobs, and have heard the arguments that nymph fishing is actually a more technical and challenging way to chase trout; it's 3-D fishing after all.
But I'm not buying it. I'm not going to sell my soul, and become another "bobber geek." Well, at least not unless I really, truly must. Am I wrong here?
What do you expect from a photographer?? Keep true and stay on top!!
Posted by: Paul Zabel | August 29, 2007 at 05:13 PM
Dry flies are just more fun. Nymphing catches fish but makes that boring.
Posted by: NobodySpecial | August 29, 2007 at 05:58 PM
Since when is catching fish boring?
Posted by: Levi Banks | August 30, 2007 at 08:28 AM
I guess Kirk will have stop using CFFS and Tim in the same sentence.
Posted by: | August 30, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Poor poor Timmy... He is just like a kid in a candy store - wanting more very much like his love life... Take a hint from us married guides Timmy boy - stay on top. When you are in the river with clients on a long stretch it is always nice to just toss a dry/dropper and try to fool a trout with your presentation instead of hoping for him to latch into your drifting nymphs. The feeling and sensation of having a trout crash the surface after your imitation ranks right up there with some of the best things in the world.
Posted by: Anthony Bartkowski - FFlogger | September 04, 2007 at 09:06 PM