Traditoinal nymphing leader performance and Euro gear questions

Hey Guys,
Below is some recent correspondence I had with Jason Randall about the Devin Olsen traditional nymphing leader and some Euro nymphing gear questions.    I thought I would share it since there is a little something for everyone to enjoy in his response.  Obviously, scroll down to where my email to him starts, then return to the top to read his response.

JRC

Re: Update and Guidance Please
Jason Randall <jrandallangler@gmail.com>
Wed 12/8/2021 9:07 PM
To:  Jim Craig <jimcraig@live.com>

Hey Jim,

Had a great day fishing with Eric and some of the Altar crew today. Water temps around 42, so definitely on winter feeding and behavior patterns- found pods of fish holding in safe water. They were willing to eat, tho, which was nice. Got several in the 14 inch range, and lots of smaller ones, too.

Energy efficiency in long leaders is tough with wind. Moderate wind robs the cast of energy and makes long leaders very difficult to turn over completely. You can estimate the amount of extra energy needed by noting the point where it fails (collapses). It is predictable and reliable. That means you either need to add that much energy to your casting stroke or cut those last two segments from your leader, adding the soft terminal tippet to that section. It’s amazing to me that you can predict exactly what adjustment is needed by analyzing the point of failure. For that day under those circumstances, you’ve identified the point of energy dissipation. You’ll find different circumstances and outcomes next time on the river.

The attached photo is Pierre Sempe’s indicator/ sighter material. The Sempe Spirit is two toned. The .18 mm is equivalent to 4X and is good for most micro leaders. That’s what I use. Anyone new to euronymphing in your group should start with heavier materials throughout the leader, tho. The lighter stuff is harder to cast and manage the drift for beginners.

I like the Skafars Neon wax in orange color.

I use the 10′ 2 weight Stealth. It hits the sweet spot for me offering sufficient length without the negative consequences of too much length, which are rod dampening and recovery. (too much oscillation after the hard stop)- In other words, added length comes with negative consequences. Poor recovery and dampening creates waves of slack in the leader, making line control harder at the onset of the drift. It also adds to arm fatigue. Everyone has their own sweet spot. There are no perfect rods, sacrifices and compromises are always made. Trade-offs, if you will. A lot of thought goes into rod design!
The Stealth pairs well with the BVK SD l reel. I don’t like it with the NTR reels.

Feel free to share. Best regards, Jason

On Wed, Dec 8, 2021 at 11:07 AM Jim Craig <jimcraig@live.com> wrote:

Hey Jason,
Hope all is well.  I hear you and Eric might be exploring new spots to fish in the Driftless Area this week.  Good luck.

I am getting faster at tying the 16/20 knot, but not great yet.  It will come.

My focus on reading water has definitely changed my approach as I move along the river.  I am enjoying the challenge of stopping to read the water for feeding channels and other fish-holding areas before I position myself to cast those target areas.  Already, I am seeing more fish where they “should” be the last two times I have been out.

I used the Devin Olsen Maxima Chameleon leader for Spanish long line nymphing Monday when Kenny and I fished together.  Using UV resin to smooth over the blood knots worked well.  Now we shall see if that resin can endure repeated use and not become brittle.  The leader worked well on my new 4wt Amplitude Creek Trout line.  I did seem to have a problem with the leader collapsing in the last two sections.  But, I spent most of the day casting into a moderate wind.  That might have been the problem.  I look forward to trying it again in more favorable conditions.

I am moving towards buying the TFO Stealth rod and appropriate reel to use with the Olsen competition leader.  I will order the .022 level fly line from Scientific Anglers and the 4x Pierre Sempe sighter/indicator from Tactical Fly Fisher.
·     Would you recommend the 4x size Sempe sighter as in the slide from your presentation?  I noticed from the notes I took during our discussion, you mentioned using a 5x sighter.  (Maybe I am just splitting hairs.)
·     My notes also indicate the green and the orange colored Sempe sighters were the easiest to see.  What color Skafars Neon Wax would you recommend be used against those colors?
·     Lastly the rod and reel.  I know I used your 10’ 2wt and enjoyed it, especially the tippet protection it provided for the 7x tippet.  However, I am currently using an 11’ 3wt and I am a little apprehensive about giving up the 12” in rod length with which I have grown accustom.  Would there be any disadvantages of the 10.5’ vs the 10’ Stealth rod that I should consider?  Do both the 10’ 2wt and 10.5’ 3wt offer the same tippet protection?  Also, I imagine, I might have a little harder time achieving balance with the 10.5’ rod.  That leads to my last question.
·     I believe you paired the 10’ Stealth rod with the BVKI reel.  If I went with the 10.5’ rod, should I step up to the BVKII for increased counterbalance?
Thank you for whatever advice you have time to offer.  I think a lot of guys in FATC may have the same questions.  So, with your permission, I would like to share this email and your response with them.  I you would prefer I don’t, I will be happy to honor that.

All the best,

Jim Craig