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Does anyone (I'm sure there are many) use the high stick method for nymph fishing? If so, what is your favorite rod, line, and reel combination?

Joe

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All you need is to take a floating strike indicator and stick that on the line of what ever rod you regularly use and go flip it upstream and hold it up high during the drift keeping line off the water for high stick ( you said you were interested in high stick). That's it, no need to support and expensive industry over it, you get into it for about $5, maybe less. If you get into the glamorous hype then go spend a bunch of bucks, but all you need is a float and some technique. I like the torpedo shaped ones because they cast with less wind drag than the bobbers. So ya, that's it, when the bobber goes down don't forget to quickly set the hook ( I missed a bunch of fish at first, sometimes they don't hold on for very long). It's more about technique than gear.

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I agree with Dave, just technique with a strike indicator. Your existing rod will work well.

 

That being said, I did purchase a TFO Drift. The main reason was versatility. But I have only done nymphing in 9ft or 10ft configuration. I use the 11ft and 12ft configuration with the switch handle and a Scandi line.

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I have thought the reason for 'high stick' was to keep a tight line and eliminate the bobber?

The jig and bobber fishers I see have lots of slack line as a rule.

To me the smallest bobber is still a hinge and and a drag. The bit with split shot, tight line and plunging currents, potholes between rocks and reaching over seams and boulders is what I think of when the term high stick is used. Kinda easier with a longer rod. But I may have the terms wrong.

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I've used an 8'6" 5wt Sage RPL for this. I prefer my Revelation 9' 5wt. I've also used a Sage Graphite II ( basically and RP) 9 ft 6 wt that worked very well. I built an Anglers Roost IM6 moderate fast 10ft 4wt this spring that I will use for nymphing but my intent was down river nymphing ( LL salmon like to take on the swing). Meanwhile I'm having a good time in ponds with that. Good all round 4 wt really, just Mod fast action with tip flex which I like personally. All these rods work equally well for smaller streamers, dry flies, nymphs IMO. But the longer mid flex will be nice for down river nymphing. That 6 wt RP is a forgiving blank no longer made .

 

I built an 11 ft switch rod too, that's for Gray Ghosts in a certain pool with no back cast space. But there is no reason this won't work for high stick either except that for me those other two rods work very well. I just use WF line fwiw.

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I have a buddy who high sticks in certain sutuations. He uses his 9ft Sage with floating line. Since the line does not touch the water, doesn't matter.

 

The only advantage I see with a longer rod is to get over brush or out a little farther.

 

My Drift will give a longer reach but is it needed where I fish? No.

 

I think that is your answer. Do you get any benefit from it? If you think it is needed I would recommend the Drift. Lots of versatility for a relatively little money.

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I have thought the reason for 'high stick' was to keep a tight line and eliminate the bobber?

The jig and bobber fishers I see have lots of slack line as a rule.

To me the smallest bobber is still a hinge and and a drag. The bit with split shot, tight line and plunging currents, potholes between rocks and reaching over seams and boulders is what I think of when the term high stick is used. Kinda easier with a longer rod. But I may have the terms wrong.

I don't know if you have the term wrong or just the guys you see doing it are doing it wrong. There should be no line dragging on the water or the float dragging either. This is not about long casts. Up north we can't add weight to the line but you can weight the fly when you tie it, so that works.. I like the torpedo shaped float/indicators, they land lightly on the water and don't fly badly in the air.

 

I don't know , it's not my favorite way to fish anyway but it works great in a boat. It can mean fish on or no fish on sometimes.

Edit: Euro nymphing and high stick are two different things.

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It's obvious that I have misunderstood the high stick term, because in my memory of a long ago article it was a method of fishing used in fast turbulent streams of the west, long reach out and over and dipping a weighted leader & nymph into places that couldn't be cast to. I must have confused myself. Certainly a float can't function on a tight line so I am wrong in my interpretation of what high stick means. When I have time I will try to find out what they call the method I was thinking of.

@ the OP please disregard my comments, I have no idea.

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It's obvious that I have misunderstood the high stick term, because in my memory of a long ago article it was a method of fishing used in fast turbulent streams of the west, long reach out and over and dipping a weighted leader & nymph into places that couldn't be cast to. I must have confused myself. Certainly a float can't function on a tight line so I am wrong in my interpretation of what high stick means. When I have time I will try to find out what they call the method I was thinking of.

@ the OP please disregard my comments, I have no idea.

Well you can still use a float on a longer cast and put in an S mend to limit drag too. I do that but with mixed results, actually with not so great results now that I think about it !

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I'm in Dunsmuir this week, home of fly fishing legend Ted Fay and his partner Joe Kimsey. Fay didn't invent the technique or the bomber fly, but he popularized it probably in the 60's and 70's. Here's a brief discussion of the history, a good "how to" discussion of the technique and theory, and also an old video where Kimsey ties a bomber fly and shoots the sh** about the technique.

http://www.kiene.com/forums/showthread.php?21649-quot-High-Stick-quot-nymphing-in-the-1960s-and-70s

http://www.fishingtips101.com/c_fly_fishing_for_trout/high_sticking_techniques.html

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I'm in Dunsmuir this week, home of fly fishing legend Ted Fay and his partner Joe Kimsey. Fay didn't invent the technique or the bomber fly, but he popularized it probably in the 60's and 70's. Here's a brief discussion of the history, a good "how to" discussion of the technique and theory, and also an old video where Kimsey ties a bomber fly and shoots the sh** about the technique.

Hmmm. I wonder if that Bomber has any relation to the Bomber salmon fly dry.. Tied with deer hair and floats, I use them for smallies.

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So then, what is the difference between "high stick nymphing," and "Euro-nymphing," as Dave G says they are two different things?

Joe

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IMO all the nymphing terms have got so confusing these days blink.png Back in the day we called it high sticking when we would simply hold the rod up high and fish an indicator in close with a nymph keeping as much line off the water as possible. Then some years ago came about "Czech nymphing" now the term "Euro nymphing" seems to have replaced Czech nymphing.

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The method I know is apparently short line nymphing (called many things by many people) from these articles; I've never used any indicator but the fly line although these guys say some folks do. http://gbflycasters.org/Library_articles/Library_article_short_line-Harris.pdf

http://gbflycasters.org/Library_articles/Eric%20Palmer/Towendolly-Oct-2017.pdf

 

This is an up stream, swift water, freestone technique the way I learned. (back in a day)

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