The old adage: If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it will change, must have been referring to May in Maine. Sportsmen trying to take advantage of the early spring fishing opportunities throughout the top half of the state are particularly frustrated with the current meteorological mess. One day you’re trolling in 60 degrees and sun, the next day cold rain and sleet, and 25 mph winds that won’t even let you launch a boat earmark the third day’s offerings. And then a day straight out of February gets misplaced and brings several inches of snow, freezing temperatures and more wind. All an ardent angler needs is a day of locusts followed 24 hours later with a tornado and the wicked week of wild weather will be completed.

Believe it or not, fishermen were actually out and about this past week, disregarding the cold, miserable conditions and catching fish. This hardy breed of outdoorsmen was actually stream fishing, and while some were casting bait rods, a good number were fly fishing. Despite the cold weather, cold water and the high, dirty brook conditions, fly casters did well as long as their feather and fur baits were tied to resemble nymphs.

Nymphing is a unique style of fly fishing neglected by many fly rodders. Perhaps because it’s a cold weather style of angling, but more probably because no one taught them the ins and outs of this unorthodox technique of presenting ugly, disheveled looking flies deep along a stream bottom. Nonetheless, nymph fishing is very productive during adverse spring water conditions when other types of flies are ignored by trout and salmon. Fly rodders looking to enjoy as much of the season as possible need to learn about and employ nymph fishing to enjoy the challenge of May stream casting.

In many waters nymphs comprise 75 percent of a trout’s daily diet. Hatching insects aren’t always present on a stream, especially in cold weather, but submerged nymphs are always present. Nymphs are actually aquatic creatures that may turn into a winged insect. Stonefly, mayfly and caddisfly are the most common species of nymphs that emerge into insects, while non-emerging aquatic nymphs include leeches, creepers, scuds and snails to name a few.

Rods and lines

Since most fly fishermen own two or three rods, it’s likely one of them will fit the bill as an adequate nymphing stick. A medium-action, middleweight rod will be needed to cast weighted flies or leaders, or to turn over and lay out a heavy line. Sometimes only 6 to 10 feet of line and leader is used to dap and bounce a fly along the bottom of a small nearby pothole, so a fairly long rod is an asset. A comfortable and effective combination would be a nine-foot, 6- or 7-weight rod. Since little backing is necessary, if any at all, to play and land most stream trout and salmon, a small reel with moderate drag will fill the bill. Select one that balances well on the rod, with a smooth drag and retrieve, and if it can be palmed to help play a feisty fish in fast water, all the better.

Proper, effective nymph fishing requires the flies to gently and slowly bounce along the stream bed, right into the fishes’ living room as it were. May streams are cold, often tea-colored, debris-filled and fairly swift, so trout won’t move far from their feeding station to strike. Fish have an amazing ability to spot natural and artificial nymphs in cloudy water, so casting must be done in a methodical search pattern to cover every portion of a likely feeding zone.

A bit of weight is required to assure the nymph rides along the stream bottom. Using a sinking tip line or a full sinking line is the simplest method, but doesn’t allow for adjustment due to a change in water speed and depth. Viable alternatives that can be altered to meet any conditions are variable size split-shot sinkers or short lengths of lead-core line that can be attached to the leader. Sinkers may be applied easily, but often damage the leader and get caught easily on underwater obstacles, whereas lead core is more bothersome to attach by loop, but casts smoother and never gets hung up.

Fly selection

Most anglers have a wide selection of dry flies, wet flies and streamers, but their current cache of nymphs is abysmal. This isn’t surprising since anglers stock up on what they depend on for success. Turn to an acquaintance or friend who knows nymph fishing, buy an illustrated book on the subject or visit a knowledgeable salesman at the local fly shop. Black, brown and olive are essential colors in regular hook sizes No. 2 to 16, and some 2X to 6X long shank patterns of mayfly, caddisfly and stonefly imitations.

Weighted flies are an advantage as they preclude the use of sinkers or lead core on the leader. By wrapping lead or copper wire on the hook shank, a fly tier can adjust the weight and sink rate of each pattern as it’s tied, and weight and balance can also be adjusted by using gold bead heads or copper eyes. Casting is easier and more precise with the weight in the fly rather than on the leader, but because the flies bounce along bottom, more get caught on rocks and roots and are lost. If your fly isn’t drifting just above the river rocks and regularly “ticking” bottom, you’re not fishing properly.

Some specific fly patterns to have on hand should include all-purpose nymphs such as the Clouser swimming nymph, gray squirrel nymph, hare’s ear (several colors and bead heads), peacock simulator, zug bug and Tellico. Mayfly nymphs like the green drake, Hendrickson, March brown, and hex are also must-haves. For larger patterns in the fly box use stoneflies, such as an albino stone, Montana stone, rubber legs, Yuk bug and Whitlock black stone.

To become a better nymph fisherman it’s important to be able to distinguish the various families of nymphs. Exact matching isn’t a must when selecting a fly, but size, color, and shape need to be close. Off-color, high water is always in favor of the angler when fishing nymphs. When you arrive at the stream, turn over some rocks and driftwood in the shallow water and inspect what is attached or hiding beneath. Match what’s crawling about with something similar from the fly box and begin casting in likely spots. With every outing the angler gets better at recognition and matching live nymphs with imitations.

Fishing tactics

During May’s high, cold water conditions, fish are less spread out, so certain stretches of water attract and hold small schools of trout. Shoreline runs along stream bends, bank undercuts, deep run-outs below heavy rips, slow runs alongside shallow riffles, and eddies formed behind rocks and obstructions all funnel natural food into these spots with the current flow, and fish lay in wait for the easy pickings. On narrow brooks it’s possible to use the long rod and only 8 to 10 feet of line and leader to drop the nymph right into the small potholes, and let the fly bounce through. This is known as dapping, whereas regular nymph casting is referred to as drifting. Despite the proximity of the angler to the holding fish, dapping is extremely effective in murky water conditions.

Drifting a nymph is accomplished by two methods. The ideal setup is to wade into a stream below the run to be fished and cast the nymph upstream. As the fly works its way back toward the caster, bouncing along bottom with the natural current flow, line is retrieved at an equal rate to prevent any unnatural drag on the nymph. This technique is particularly effective in deeper, slower moving stretches.

On wider streams where the best pools are fairly shallow and long, say 1 to 3 feet deep, cross-current casting with a longer line is the ticket to consistent action. In nymph fishing a long cast is a relative term, considering the split shot or lead-core line, and the weighted fly, so don’t envision or attempt wet or dry fly length casts. Controlled and methodical casts that completely probe a run are far more important than distance. For drift casting, an angler wades into the stream to a comfortable depth and distance from a likely pool, and then casts the nymph at a 90-degree angle to the current flow. Line is allowed to feed through the fingers so the fly gets a natural ride along the steam bed as it swings in an arc with the current and ends up directly downstream below the angler. The fisherman then takes a short step downriver and repeats the cast, drift and retrieve, continuing the process the full length of the pool.

Many nymph casters attach a small piece of colorful foam or plastic to their line just above the water level. This is a strike indicator, and it will stop, submerge or change direction when a fish takes a nymph underwater during a natural free drift. Commercially available in packets of many shapes and sizes, strike indicators are often more sensitive, and signal a strike quicker, than the angler watching and feeling the line. More accomplished nymph casters often use two flies, via a dropper line, to better explore a pool and improve the action. The duo can be two nymphs, a nymph and an emerger or even a nymph and a wet fly. Dual fly rigs definitely require a strike indicator to prevent missed fish.

Clothes and care

Spring wading is often cold and always tricky. Wear layers of clothes and always have a rain jacket along. Even if it doesn’t sleet or rain, the waterproof material will block the chilly wind. Neoprene waders help insulate legs from hours of submersion in cold water, and a pair of long johns are a wise addition. A hat or cap will prevent some heat loss as well as protecting the head from getting whacks from the weighted flies with pointy little hooks. Fingerless wool gloves or thin neoprene gloves raise the comfort level as well.

Chest waders allow access to a greater array of water and also keep more of the body warm than a set of hip boots. Be sure and wear a belt to prevent the waders from filling up should you lose footing and take a dunk. Heavily treaded soles are a must to aid footing on uneven stream beds, and felt soles are even better to prevent slipping and sliding on mossy, rolling rocks.

Nymphing is an unusual style of fishing, but one that any fly caster can master and enjoy. Trout feast on nymphs all year, but anglers will find this method of fishing particularly productive during the spring. Practice, persistence and patience are the bywords of the nymph caster, and other than bait fishing, nymphing will produce the largest fish and most consistent action this month. Try this style of fishing and add a few days to your fly fishing season.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached at graves@polarisumpi.maine.edu