A couple of weeks ago, a couple of us from the Denver shop were enjoying a day on the South Platte with Umpqua's own Alec Gerbec and Russ Miller. During our day in Cheesman Canyon, we got to talking about a good introductory rig for someone who looking to dip their toes into the world of modern Euro Nymphing. Both Russ and Alec agreed the "Utility" Leader is the perfect starting point. Why? The "Utility" Leader is light in hand yet still turns over a variety of flies due to its unique design and taper. It's versatile enough to effectively fish one run with a selection of small, heavy Euro-style nymphs and quickly switch up to a dry-dropper rig on the upstream tailout as you work your way upstream.

Euro Nymphing has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. Why? Well...people like catching more fish and Euro Nymphing is, frankly, quite effective at putting fish in the net. Modern European Nymphing was born out of the world of competitive fly fishing and mixes a variety of styles from a variety of locales developed over the past couple of decades. This technique gives the angler the ability to maximize the amount of water you effectively fish your flies through. This is extremely applicable to the challenges presented by our popular, but productive Front Range fisheries.

Enjoy this quick explanation of how to build your Euro Nymphing Utility Leader with Umpqua's Alec Gerbec. Looking to dive headfirst into the world of Euro Nymphing? Swing by the shop or give us a shout at 303-733-1434!