Bookshelf: Euro Nymphing: Tips, Tactics, and Techniques by Josh Miller

Euro nymphing is a wildly popular and still growing niche in the fly-fishing world. Much has already been written about it. There have been Youtube videos, magazine articles, several books, hundreds of podcasts . . . so why do you need to study Euro Nymphing: Tips, Tactics, and Techniques? The answer is simple: Josh Miller—a former competitive angler and a guide—does everything just a little bit different. And the most effective fly fishers know it’s those subtle nuances that make the difference between catching a lot of fish and just having a nice day.

For instance, as Miller points out in his introduction (and throughout the book) many Euro anglers depend on feel and sensitivity in the rod and the rod hand to detect strikes, while Miller depends more on his sight and visual clues in the environment. The book reveals his tricks and techniques to see what others miss and hook more fish.

In 2023 he was the coach of the USA Fly Fishing Youth Team that won a gold medal at the world championships. Early in their journey, he was asked by a team member how to catch 50 trout in a day. His response: “You have to first see 50 bites before you can catch 50 trout.”

Miller also has innovative ways to slow and control the drift speed of the flies and get those strikes. His emphasis is to make the flies move as slowly as possible along the bottom to give the fish a longer opportunity to see and eat the fly. After all, the water close to the bottom is moving very slowly,  and the current speed you see at the surface is often not relevant.

The emphasis on presentation also affects the flies Miller ties and employs. He is a signature tier for Orvis and Fulling Mill, and his book shows off the patterns that are effective for him. They are very simple, and his fly box is neatly organized based on the size and weight of the flies and the size of the bead rather than by any match-the-hatch mentality. For him, it’s all about getting the flies to the fish at the right depth and the right speed.

Miller is a thoughtful angler who has honed his craft over the years by watching and learning from other anglers. Little in this book is unique to him, but assembled together it makes for a complete fish-catching system for A-type personalities who enjoy seeing results on the water.

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