Trolling with Nymphs

[Gray Ghost]

At ice out last year I ran into a guy who was trolling with nymphs. He had two spinning rods set up with mono. He also had a fat 18" brown to show for it. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with this type of trolling. It is worth noting that the pond was still 3/4 frozen, and he was trolling along the edge of the ice with his canoe. Has anyone ever tried this? -GG

[Scuff]

I have never trolled near ice out but I have always had luck dropping worms or a lure onto the ice edge and pulling it in to the water. Seems the trout are there looking for easy food.

[Hugh]

Sure I troll with nymphs all the time Jig a weighted ones to, have lots of fun. Hugh

[marzrw]

Was at Lixard pond a few years ago and a guy was trolling in the same manner (2 rod setup), but using night crawlers. He had two gorgeous, fat brookies 16-18" on a stringer. They were so engorged due to feeding that large stoneflies were climbing out of their mouths. I bet woolly buggers would work too. Actually I know they would, ask WB he caught some nice fish last year trolling with his fly rod. That's why he was wondering about lead core line because he is starting to do pretty good with just his regular fly line.

[wildbrookies]

And if I recall correctly that guy that was trolling w/the 2 rod set-up began using the large black dobsons as bait .He showed us a jar full of them that crawled out of those over`sized fat brookies. So, to get back to the thread, I think it could be well worth the effort to try something in the nymph category .Either black or brown.Large or small.It depends on what is in that body of water.I may try a smaller weighted black woolly bugger this year.Had some nice trout grab it last year.

WB

[serotonin]

While trolling last October, my friend Igor and I decided to try a soft-hackled nymph on one rod, and a weighted bugger on the other. The soft-hackle near the surface out-fished the deeper bugger 3:0, and accounted for some nice plump rainbows averaging 16". Interestingly, the first take was while crossing some wind-chop sideways to the current and paddling fast (we weren't trying for a hook-up, just trying to cross over to some calmer water). The hit was vicious. The other strikes occured near the tongue of the current.

Shortly after, while taking in the beauty of this bowl of water nestled in a ring of orange hills, I asked Igor to look up; "Yeah Steve, it sure is beautiful. Yep... it's nice to have this whole place to ourselves. Now don't bother me, I'm fishing". "No Igor, there's a strange grey light falling on us"...

Just then, a deep roll of thunder. Fifteen seconds later, the sun is gone and it's raining. We are smack in the middle of a large pond. "Let's head directly to camp". "What's the rush, Steve...? It's only a little rain". Then the lightning-crack boxes our ears. The poles go down and the white caps go up. The canoe is metal. Igor is an electrician. Now it starts to hail marbles. Steve is a sculptor. We can't turn around so we paddle furiously directly into it. Paddling as hard as we can, it seems that we are standing still or going backwards. Can barely keep our eyes open. The hail hitting the metal vessel is deafening. The lightning cracks are louder. We can't hear each other, but we know we have to try for the nearest shore, sideways across the whitecaps. The on-going lightning is a big incentive. The waves begin crashing into the side of the canoe, and over it. Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! "Hey Boris, when is it your turn to paddle"? "Any mile now, Natasha... any mile".

We ditch the canoe on the shore, and Igor is looking pretty white. My face is bruised by marbles. Our hands are frozen. Forty minutes later, Igor is calmly fishing on a placid pond. He sits in the canoe, and the sun is shining on him.

So to make this long story short, ...yeah, trolling nymphs works pretty good.


PS> Casting from shore that night, a worm took a 12" 'bow, and a large streamer took a 21" brown. The entire rainbow could fit inside the belly of that brown. I'll dig up the pictures...

[wildbrookies]

Sero-,
That is another great story!!!!Man, you can tell a story.I could actually put myself into that occurrance.You wonder during the ordeal if you will ever survive a situation like the one you were in.I love the humorous aspect.The comparison of you and your buddy and Boris and Natasha(Is that Bullwinkle?)Anything can happen out there in God`s country.Great memories!! Dig up those pics if you can.

WB

[marzrw]

Sero,
I was surprised WB didn't reply with a similar experience we had a few years ago on another ADK pond. Weather was beautiful, a few trout rising, early afternoon, felt confident,was sure I would catch my first pond trout on a fly.....then the sky fell in. We high tailed it to the camp.Rained for an hour or two. A beautiful evening started and the trout rose again. Just as another trout hit the sky fell in again and again we high tailed it to camp. Unfortunately we didn't see daylight again. Rained so hard we thought the tent would wash away. We were in somewhat of a higher elevation with mountains all around. The thunder was so loud (never having been in combat personally other than watching Saving Pvt Ryan and Band of Brothers), it sounded like a battlefield. It was frightening but awesome all at once. We couldn't cook our venison dinner and stopped partaking of spirits in case conditions worsened. I always sleep, WB doesn't sleep much. Other than WB's feet getting wet, we escaped any damage other than pride for not catching anything. We awoke to a clear sky, but practically blow down conditions. Paddled thru whitecaps to our pull out and were happy we had a chance to get out in the woods for a couple of days. Always said we'd go back for those trout... Maybe someday.

[wildbrookies]

That trip was unforgettable.But, I was afraid to mention it because it was almost identical to Sero`s,the only thing differant was our lack of bringing a trout to hand.With all those trout rising and slurping something that we were`nt familiar with yet and we could`nt get one trout to take one of many dryflies.Turned out after getting home we researched the occurrance and decided they were feeding on chironomids as they were shucking their little casing.The trout were slurping them as they struggled just under the surface.
That trip seems like a million years ago now.(was probably 10 years or so.)Now, we would`ve used a small wetfly with no hackle or stripped down a fly to look like a chironomid and fish in just below the surface.Whatta education that trip was.
If only I could`ve slept through the bombings!!!Nice light show over the pond.No fireworks can beat that.Awesome!!!

WB


WB

[serotonin]

Good stuff, you guys!

Now i know two more people to tap for information regarding chironomids and pond fishing in general. What was that you said...? 'ten million years ago' ...? That's the kind of well-seasoned, experienced gentlemen i'm looking to learn from.

BTW, the very next day after that canoe episode, was when we went over the ridge to another pond and crossed paths w/that big Cat.

Oh... sorry GG; in my limited experience, trolling nymphs works good!

[serotonin]

Sero-,
I could actually put myself into that occurrance.
WB

Now i know Why.

[wildbrookies]

Gray Ghost, I`m sorry to have traveled way off on your original question.I`d like to say,yes ,but never caught a trout or got a take while there was still ice on a pond or lake.Marzrw and I tried 13th as the ice was sinking out in the middle.We trolled around the edges to no avail.Maybe we were`nt doing something right or some ponds/lakes are good at that time and some are`nt.But,why do we keep picking the wrong ones? Good luck and let us know how you do.Tightlines.....WB

WB

[marzrw]

Well, uh, don't know how much useful info we have, well seasoned maybe, especially WB, but knowledgeable on chironmids, not so much, other than I forgot that that was what we found that the trout were feeding on, and that Wb could probably tie some these days (why he didn't take it up years ago, I don't know, would have saved me a lot of money, just kidding WB) Our problem is we sometimes find out stuff, but then never get back to trying it out. Damn kids, houses, jobs, families, (just kidding in case any family members other than WB read this). Oh, to be a John Gierach or Sero. Maybe in my next life.
Actually my wife is really pretty good about me going fishing as she likes the outdoors and fishing too and knows there are a lot worse things I could be getting into. And she knows how bad we have it that I wouldn't even lie to say I was out fishing and went somewhere else to do something else. She knows I'm actually out fishing.
Back to trolling with a nymph, we never got around to trying that much either, but always wish we had. I seem to vaguely recall using a bugger and nymph combo just like stream fishing and think we've caught some trout.
Also, we seem to have this black cloud (or should I say rain cloud) that seems to like to always pop out on most of our canoe journeys to put a damper on things.
There's no doubt in anyone's mind, fish like worms and minnows. But when trout are keying in on something like chironomids or stoneflies, they won't touch a worm. So yes Gray Ghost I would try some nymphs and let us know how you did.

[Hugh]

Chironomids,now theres a critter that can make a flyfisher cry,they come in a variety of colors with(in my experience) gray with a purple rib,tan with a light brown rib,black with a white head size 18-20 for the black 14-16 for the rest predominating in most Adk. water,trolling is kind of a misnomer as the presentation is dip your paddle ride it out let your fly sink take another swipe of the paddle catch a trout,or you can sight fish to cruising trout which if your like me you ll scare many more than you ll catch. Hugh

[Gray Ghost]

Setup

Thanks everyone. I'm still a little confused as to how I'll set up to troll nymphs. I don't know if I should use a light rod with mono and nymph, which is what i have seen people do. If I do this, I'm not sure how much line to put out. Any suggestions on how to setup? I plan on hitting a pond this afternoon.