Video Post-Tight Line Nymphing with a Mono Rig

What is a Mono Rig?

Recently, I have put away my Euro Nymphing rod and started using my more versatile 9 foot 4 weight rod with a mono rig set up. The mono rig is a long leader system that allows you to keep your floating fly line on the reel. Since the heavy fly line isn’t in your guides, there isn’t anything to create drag on your flies. But with the floating line still on the reel, I can quickly snip off the mono rig leader and add a dry fly leader if I want to change over. This is a really versatile way to fish, especially this time of year. I did end up changing over at one point in the day to fish a dry dropper. When that got slow, I switched back to the mono rig and started tight line nymphing again.

Mono Rig Formula

To the loop of my floating fly line I added the following:

24 feet of 20lb Maxima Chameleon (Long Level Leader)

2 feet of 12lb Amnesia (Transition Piece)

2 feet of RIO 2-Tone Indicator Tippet (Sighter) to which I add a tippet ring

4 feet of Trout Hunter Fluorocarbon (Tippet)

I used a blood knot to connect the Maxima with the Amnesia. I used a tippet ring to attach the sighter and another one to add the fluorocarbon.

Video 1

In this clip, the trout took the nymph toward the end of the drift. I was just about to lift my rod tip for my next cast when I noticed a twitch in the sighter. Therefore I didn’t need a forceful hook set here because I was already at the end of the drift. I simply lifted the rod tip, and the trout was there.

Video 2

In this clip, I was in clearer water. So I changed over to 6X fluorocarbon tippet. I don’t normally like using 6X because I want to get fish in quickly, but the stream I was fishing was not known for its large trout. I had also switched to some lighter flies. So the 6X helped them get down faster. Effective nymphing is really all about making adjustments.

Final Thoughts

Summer is now in full force. Water levels are dropping, which can make having to fish at a distance more of a reality. I also know terrestrials are going to be starting soon. So I want to be ready for anything. I may keep my Euro Nymphing rod away until the fall and winter when I know that I’ll likely be fishing sub surface exclusively. This time of year, anything goes, and I want to be ready to make adjustments.

Thanks for reading! Spend more time on the water!

Have a great day!

Jeff Smecker

*Make sure to leave a comment below!