Nymphing is certainly the most productive fly fishing method. That´s why it is so popular among the Slovenian flyfishermen. Nymphs and other subsurface insects in various stadiums (such as larvae, pupae, emergers, etc.) represent more than 90 percent of the fish´s food.
With the term "nymphs", flyfishermen describe a large variety of all those aquatic invertebrates which trout find so tasty. Since they copy such a wide range of creatures, nymphs also come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. The smallest are the tiny midge larvae and pupae imitations which can be tied on hooks smaller than a size #20. At the other end of the scale are the giant stonefly and dragonfly nymphs where size #6 longshank hooks can easily be used.
Because nymphs are intended to sink, many are tied weighted, especially when using the larger patterns on deep lakes or fast rivers. The weight is required to get a water resistant pattern quickly to the fish´s feeding depth. There are many fast Alpine rivers in Slovenia, so this is particularly important as a (too) light fly is quickly dragged off by the current.
Typically, the profile of a nymph will include a tail, a slin abdomen of fur or feather fibers, a pronounced thorax, and a throat hackle to suggest legs.
I am inviting you to take a look at some patterns which are very useful at the Slovenian rivers. If you have any further questions regarding the particular pattern, please post it to our forum board.
