Although I've been a hard core fly fisher for decades, I'm not a very well rounded one. I was bit by the steelhead bug early on and never learned some basic trout fishing techniques, like nymphing in moving water. I've known for years that nymphing can be productive for steelhead, especially summer runs and in pocket water, but I never devoted the time to understand how to do it well. A large part of my resistance is that I don't care for casting weighted flies or split shot on my leader. In the past 10 years or so, I've heard that the technique is equally applicible to winter steelheading.

If you use nymphing techniques for steelheading, I'd like your advice and hear about your experience. How long of casts are practicable? How long a leader? How much weight? Casting tips to make the weight less distracting or objectionable? What kind of strike indicator, if any? Does nymphing lend itself to a two-handed rod? (I saw a couple guys doing it, and they had single handed rods in the boat for nymphing and two handers for the wet fly swing.)

I make no value judgements about the acceptability of nymphing, strike indicators - or bobbers, etc.

I'm interested in trying another method for some smaller winter run rivers that don't have much holding water that is suitable to the wet fly swing. The holding water tends to be narrow, relatively deep slots running with the thread of the river. Spinning with a bobber and jig works well in that application, so I've been thinking that a nymphing technique might also serve there.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.