Once again, Brian Schmidt from Umpqua Feather Merchants serves up a classic from the bench. How many of you are into the Euro nymph thing? I'm just starting to groove with it, and it's pretty wicked. Even if you're wed to high sticking, this one belongs in the box... Deeter

Vladi Trzebunia of Poland and the Polish Flyfishing team designed this pattern to win the World Fly Fishing Championships in 1989. That year, with this fly and the newly created method of fishing known today as Polish nymphing, Vladi caught more fish by himself than the next three ranked teams combined. If that doesn’t speak for the fly and this technique, then I don’t know what does. From that day on, the Polish nymphing technique (later altered by the Czech team and now known throughout the flyfishing world as Czech nymphing) has ruled the waters during most flyfishing competitions.

You might be asking yourself “what is the difference between Polish and Czech nymphing?” Well, the Czechs simply modified Vladi’s technique. Polish Nymphing consists of two or three moderately weighted flies; the body of the fly is woven tightly to give it very little resistance as it sinks. The flies are pulled through the water slightly faster than the speed of the current on a tight line. Czech Nymphing uses the same number of flies, but they are heavily weighted. The flies are in contact with the angler via a tight line, but are rolled across the bottom of the river bed. Though it’s not the most enjoyable way to spend an afternoon on the water, it is the most effective way of putting numbers up in a competition (or just for fun) and has become the method of choice for serious competitors.

Umpqua Feather Merchants offered Vladi the opportunity to make his flies available to the public in 2008, and he jumped at the idea right away. This is nothing more then a woven grub by the looks of it; with two tones and tungsten bead to give it a faster sink rate, the fly rotates in the water giving the fish a look at the two tones flashing before them and entices strikes from even the most stubborn trout. You need to give this fly a try, even if you are not into the whole Czech or Polish nymphing approach. The fly is also fun to tie, and you’ll be surprised at the number of combinations of colors and sizes that you’ll be successful with. You can use this weave on just about any kind of bug you tie, not just a caddis or grub. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to get going:

Hook: TMC 2457
Thread: Uni White 6/0
Eyes: N/A
Tail:N/A
Legs: N/A
Body: (Top) Uni Stretch Shrimp
Body: (Bottom) Uni Floss White
Rib: Small Copper Wire
Collar: Arizona Synthetic Hares Ear
Bead: Tungsten Gold Bead to match Hook Size

By Brian Schmidt