Euro rigs

A tight-line mono rig for euro nymphing with a 5X point. It runs 288" of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon (.017"), 24" of 12 lb Maxima HV, a 12" red sighter section and 12" of Umpqua Sighter (.009") with a backing barrel marker, then a 4 mm tippet ring. Below the ring, 14" of RIO Two Tone, 36" of 4X and 20" of 5X fluorocarbon lead to a #16 tungsten Pheasant Tail. No indicator or split shot: the fly carries the weight.

A tight-line mono rig that fishes a dry and a nymph together. It runs 288" of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon (.017"), 24" of 12 lb Maxima HV, a 12" red sighter section and 12" of Umpqua Sighter (.009") carrying a backing barrel marker, then a 4 mm tippet ring. A 6" tag of 3X mono off the ring holds a #12 Stimulator; below the ring, 14" of RIO Two Tone, 24" of 4X and 24" of 5X fluorocarbon lead to a #16 tungsten Pheasant Tail.

A long thin mono rig for euro nymphing: 312" of .012" Maxima Chameleon, a 24" sighter of 12" of Umpqua Sighter and 12" of RIO Two Tone Indicator (both .009"), and 48" of 5X fluorocarbon tippet to a tungsten bead nymph. Triple surgeon's knots join the sections. At 384" overall the thin butt does the work a fly line would, with far less sag.

A simple euro nymphing leader that attaches to a standard fly line: 18" of 30 lb Stren (.022") and 18" of 20 lb Stren (.017") as a butt, 48" of 10 lb P-Line fluorocarbon, a 15" Amnesia sighter, and 36" of 3X P-Line fluorocarbon (.008") to a tungsten bead nymph. Three 4 mm heavy tippet rings join the lower sections, so the sighter and tippet are easy to replace. It is 135" overall and carries no indicator or split shot: the fly is the weight.

A thin mono rig for tight-line nymphing on freestone and tailwater rivers: 288 inches of .008 Maxima Chameleon, a 24 inch RIO two-tone sighter (3X, .008), and 36 inches of 5X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig nymph. There is no indicator and no split shot: the weighted fly takes it down and the sighter shows the take.

A mono rig that switches between streamers and nymphs without rebuilding the leader. It runs 288 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon, 24 inches of 12 lb Maxima HV, then a sighter of 12 inches of red mono (Amnesia or Sufix Neon Fire) and 12 inches of Umpqua Sighter with a backing barrel marker. A 4 mm tippet ring holds 14 inches of RIO Two Tone and 36 inches of 3X fluorocarbon to the fly.

A tight-line mono rig sized for rivers. It runs 300 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon, a 24 inch step of 10 lb Chameleon, 12 inches each of 0X and 1X fluorocarbon, then a 14 inch sighter of Cortland bi-color indicator mono. A 4 mm tippet ring below the sighter holds 36 inches of 5X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig nymph.

A 20-foot euro nymphing leader that fishes tight-line with mono, not fly line, outside the rod tip. It runs from 160" of 20 lb (.017") Maxima Chameleon into 18" of 15 lb (.015") Chameleon, 8" of 0X (.011") Seaguar Gold Label, a 24" .010" sighter and 30" of 4X (.007") fluorocarbon tippet. A size 14 tungsten jig nymph carries the weight.

A thin mono euro nymphing rig: 144" of .012" Maxima Chameleon as a butt, 36" of Sunset Amnesia as a transition, and an 18" Cortland sighter, all 10 lb and joined with blood knots. A 2 mm tippet ring below the sighter holds 36" of 5X fluorocarbon tippet to a tungsten jig nymph. The thin butt sags less than a fly line and casts weighted flies with little effort, so contact with the fly stays direct.

A mono rig for fine, tight-line nymphing in clear water. A 72 inch RIO Powerflex butt runs to a 4 mm tippet ring, then 216 inches of .011 Sunset Amnesia and a 36 inch Cortland bi-color sighter to a second 4 mm ring. Below it, 72 inches of 6X RIO Fluoroflex Strong carries a small tungsten nymph. There is no indicator and no shot: the fly carries the weight.

A mono rig built to fish a weighted streamer on a tight line: 288 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon, 24 inches of 12 lb Maxima HV, 12 inches of 12 lb red sighter mono and 12 inches of 2X Gold Label with a Backing Barrel marker, to a 4 mm tippet ring. Below the ring are 36 and 24 inch pieces of 2X fluorocarbon to a size 8 tungsten jig streamer.

A mono rig set up to fish a dry fly: 288 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon, 24 inches of 12 lb Maxima HV, 12 inches of 12 lb red sighter mono and 12 inches of 2X Gold Label with a Backing Barrel marker, to a 4 mm tippet ring. Below the ring a short dry-fly taper runs 10 inches of 2X, 6 inches of 3X and 20 inches of 4X to the fly. It lets a nymph angler fish a dry without changing to a fly line leader.

A micro-thin mono rig for tight-line nymphing: 312 inches of .008 Maxima Chameleon, a 20 inch RIO two-tone sighter, and 48 inches of 5X fluorocarbon tippet to a tungsten jig nymph. The thin butt sags less than heavier mono, so a light fly stays in contact farther from the rod tip. The weighted fly does the work, with no indicator and no split shot.

A tight-line mono rig for small streams with a long, three-color sighter. It runs 480 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon as the casting line, a 24 inch step of 12 lb Maxima Clear, then 12 inches of neon red Suffix and 12 inches of neon green Amnesia, a 4 mm tippet ring, and 12 inches of Cortland bi-color. A 2 mm tippet ring below the bi-color holds 36 inches of 5X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig nymph.

A mono rig for small streams that fishes nymphs tight-line and small streamers on one leader. It runs 480 inches of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon as the casting line, a 24 inch step of 12 lb Maxima Clear, then a two-color sighter of 12 inches of neon red Suffix and 12 inches of neon green Amnesia. A 2 mm tippet ring below the sighter holds 36 inches of 4X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig nymph.

A 32-foot tight-line nymphing leader for 3-5 wt rods. It runs 288" of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon at .017", steps through Maxima HV and Sunset Amnesia at .013" and Seaguar Gold Label at .011", then a 1X sighter and 36" of 4X fluorocarbon to a tungsten bead perdigon. The thin butt hangs off the rod tip without sag, so the drift stays direct from rod to fly.

A long mono rig for tight-line euro nymphing. A 144" butt of 20 lb Maxima Chameleon (.017") is blood-knotted to a 36" Sunset Amnesia sighter (12 lb), then an 18" transition of 12 lb Cortland mono (.013"). That runs to a 2 mm tippet ring, then 48" of 5X fluorocarbon (.006") to a #16 tungsten bead Perdigon. The thin mono butt lets you hold the line off the water and watch the sighter for strikes, and the weighted fly gets itself down without shot or an indicator.

Pascal Cognard's 18-foot euro nymphing leader: a long, even taper from 18 inches of .018 mono through .016, .014, .012 and 1X to a 20 inch 3X sighter of Cortland bi-color indicator mono, an 8 inch step of 5X and 79 inches of 6X. It turns over a weighted nymph on a 3-5 wt rod and keeps the fly in direct contact, with no indicator and no split shot. There's also a 7X variation; see the questions below.

A 13.5-foot euro nymphing leader that loops to the fly line. It steps down evenly through 42" each of .016", .014" and .012" mono into an 18" 3X (.008") sighter and 18" of 5X (.006") tippet. The even taper turns over a weighted nymph softly, and the fine tippet lets a small tungsten fly sink fast.

A 13-foot euro nymphing leader that loops to the fly line and fishes small, weighted nymphs on a tight line. It runs from 74" of .016" butt into 33" of .014" Sufix Elite, a 12" .011" transition, a 16" 3X (.008") sighter and 22" of 5X (.006") tippet. The fine tippet lets a size 16 tungsten nymph sink fast and drift naturally.

A 26-foot mono nymphing leader for big trout in runs and pockets, fished tight-line with no indicator. A long .014" butt steps through .012" to a 1X sighter, then 36" of 3X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig stonefly. The heavy fly does the sinking and the sighter shows the take, so the drift stays direct from rod tip to fly.

A simple 25-foot euro nymphing leader: 211" of level .012" mono, a 42" 1X (.010") sighter and 42" of 5X (.006") fluorocarbon tippet. The thin level butt sags less than a heavy taper, so the line stays straight to a size 16 tungsten-bead nymph and small takes show on the sighter.

A 54-foot tight-line mono rig for fishing weighted streamers and jigs to steelhead and big trout. It runs 564 inches of 20 lb Sunset Amnesia, 18 inches of 15 lb and 18 inches of 12 lb Maxima, a 4 mm heavy tippet ring, a 12 inch Cortland bi-color sighter and 36 inches of 0X fluorocarbon tippet. The thin mono replaces the fly line through the guides, so the fly sinks fast and you stay in direct contact with it.

A thin, light mono rig for tight-line nymphing small streams: 480 inches of .009 Maxima Chameleon, 24 inches of white Cortland indicator mono, then an 18 inch Cortland bi-color sighter. A 2 mm tippet ring below the sighter holds 36 inches of 5X fluorocarbon to a tungsten jig nymph. The thin butt sags very little, so small, light flies stay in contact.