When I first started euro nymphing back around 2012, information was hard to come by. George Daniel’s first book, Dynamic Nymphing, which really brought euro nymphing into the public eye, had just come out the previous year. Besides that, there were only a sparse handful of YouTube videos, blog articles, and forum posts (back when forums were still a thing) on the subject. On top of that, most of the information was fairly basic or recycled from other sources.
Over the last decade, the amount of tight line information available has exploded. As people started picking up the tactics, taking them in their own direction, and sharing them, the techniques evolved and grew. Today, if you look up “how to euro nymph,” you’ll find thousands of resources from hundreds of unique creators and instructors. The accessibility of information has made it significantly easier to pick up euro nymphing and quickly improve your skills.
There’s a lot of good information out there, but there’s also a lot of outdated or incorrect information. If you’re new to the technique, it can be hard to tell what’s useful and what’s not. This page is a collection of the resources I’ve found to be the most helpful and factual. There may be some things I’ve excluded or missed, but I only wanted to include resources I personally use and creators I currently read or watch. If someone asked me where to find the best euro nymphing information, this is what I’d tell them.
The Best Euro Nymphing Books
Books are sort of the lifeblood of our sport. Some of the best and most experienced anglers in the world have poured hundreds of hours and decades of experience into written resources to share their knowledge. I find books tend to be more complete and better thought out resources than shorter form media like YouTube videos or blog posts. If you really want to learn the nitty gritty details of euro nymphing tactics, books are one of the best ways to do it.
Dynamic Nymphing, George Daniel (2011)
Dynamic Nymphing is the book that taught me how to tight line and first got me interested in competitive fly fishing over a decade ago. At the time, it was virtually the only resource on the subject that was readily accessible in the U.S. George was well ahead of his time when he wrote this back in 2011. While competition tactics and tightline techniques have evolved significantly since then, the fundamentals he lays out still hold true. Dynamic Nymphing is still more than worth the read today, and if it’s the only book you check out on the subject, you’ll still have plenty of success on the water.
That said, it is the oldest book on this list. It’s a great read, but there are more up to date resources available on modern nymphing systems.
BUY HERE: Dynamic Nymphing
Nymph Fishing, George Daniel (2018)
Nymph Fishing is George’s second book on the subject. While Dynamic Nymphing took a lot of its inspiration from competitive fly fishing tactics, Nymph Fishing trends toward more general nymphing techniques like drop shotting and suspension tactics. It offers good comparisons between euro techniques and indicator nymphing, along with situations where one approach may be more effective than the other. It also gets into some of the more modern rigging systems and alternative casting and drift methods. Published in 2018, Nymph Fishing is more up to date, but it still doesn’t cover all of the modern micro leader techniques.
BUY HERE: Nymph Fishing
Contact Nymphing: Master Euro Nymphing, Tight Line, & The Mono Rig, David Martin (2019)
This is an excellent book on competition style tactics. I think it’s one of the best books available if you have a technical mindset and like to think about things in terms of physical principles and numbers. It contains some valuable explanations and equipment insights that you won’t find in many other resources. Some of the information can be a bit difficult to understand if you don’t already have an intermediate level of experience, but it’s a great resource for helping you move into the advanced range.
BUY HERE: Contact Nymphing
Tactical Fly Fishing: Lessons Learned From Competition for All Anglers, Devin Olsen (2019)
Tactical Fly Fishing is the culmination of Devin’s knowledge from fourteen World Championships and more than a decade of serious angling experience. It’s an excellent resource for modern nymphing tactics, full of unique concepts and a clear, analytical approach to explaining them. Some of the techniques may not reflect the very latest competition trends, as it was published back in 2019, but the concepts remain highly relevant.
Where this book really shines is in how Devin breaks down his decision making and water management across different water types, conditions, and fishing scenarios. It’s rare to see this kind of thinking laid out so clearly and accurately. He also includes real world case studies showing exactly how he applies these tactics on the water.
BUY HERE: Tactical Fly Fishing: Lessons Learned from Competition for All Anglers
Fly Fishing Evolution, George Daniel (2023)
Fly Fishing Evolution is George’s most recent book and reflects just how much both his own fishing and the sport have changed over the last decade. While his previous books focused primarily on nymphing, this one takes a broader look at modern fly fishing tactics and the lessons he has learned throughout his career. There is still plenty of valuable information for euro nymph anglers, particularly regarding modern tight line systems, rigging, and presentation concepts, but the book also explores dry flies, streamers, and overall angling strategy.
BUY HERE: Fly Fishing Evolution
Euro Nymphing: Tips, Tactics, & Techniques, Josh Miller (2024)
Josh Miller was my coach during my time on the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team and has taught me a staggering amount throughout my competitive fly fishing career. Euro Nymphing: Tips, Tactics, & Techniques is the most up to date guide available on advanced nymphing systems. Josh dives deep into cutting edge tactics and gear, focusing on the now popular micro leader setups and how to cast and fish them effectively. He also discusses the different ways he uses dry dropper systems, sharing information and applications that you won’t find in many other resources.
Tying Euro Nymphs & Other Competition Favorites, Tim Cammisa (2025)
Tying Euro Nymphs is the only book about trout flies you’ll ever need. Author Tim Cammisa does an exceptional job of drawing insights from some of the best anglers in the world to create one of the most comprehensive guides to highly effective, modern trout patterns available today.
Tying Euro Nymphs is more than just a fly tying manual. It also includes valuable information on fly theory—why certain patterns work, how they imitate food sources, and how to fish them effectively in real world conditions. The insights come directly from the elite anglers who use these flies, making this a rare blend of practical tying instruction and strategic fishing knowledge.
BUY HERE: Tying Euro Nymphs
The Best Euro Nymphing Blogs
Fly fishing blogs exploded in popularity in the mid 2000s, but many have shut down or become much less active as people have moved to YouTube and short form media like Instagram Reels and TikTok. For this page, I’ve chosen to include only blogs that are both currently active and produce a decent amount of euro nymphing specific content, which sadly there are not too many of. Outside of these resources, there are plenty of one off articles and guest posts on more general fly fishing blogs that contain excellent information, but I haven’t included them because they aren’t continuous sources of new content.
If you’re looking for more free, cutting edge information on the subject, one useful tip is to take any euro nymphing questions you have and run them through Google Translate into French, Spanish, Italian, or Czech, then search the translated result. This can bring up sources from foreign websites based in countries that were at the forefront of these techniques, often with information you won’t find in the U.S. This is how we found a lot of information back in the day!
Innovative Angling
I can’t make a list of euro nymphing blogs without including my own! I produce a lot of euro specific and euro related content for anglers of all skill levels. If this is your first time visiting my site, be sure to check out some of my other articles and videos.
My close friend and teammate Devin Olsen runs Tactical Fly Fisher, one of the oldest and most in depth euro nymphing resources online. Between his blog, YouTube channel, books, and video masterclasses, Devin has probably helped more people improve their euro nymphing than almost anyone else out there. His content is heavily focused on competition style euro nymphing, and most of the tactics he discusses fall within competitive fishing rules.
Fulling Mill is one of the biggest companies in the industry to closely align itself with competitive angling. They consistently publish articles on euro nymphing, fly tying, and competitive fly fishing written by experts like Josh Miller, George Daniel, Howard Croston, and others. They’re a great resource for articles that present a wide variety of viewpoints.
Troutbitten is a popular blog based in Central Pennsylvania with more than a thousand articles, many of them focused on nymphing and related topics. The main writer, Dom Swentosky, has plenty of unique ideas and approaches to fishing nymphs with long leader techniques. He’s one of the only major voices in the space who does not come from a competitive fly fishing background, which gives his articles a different perspective. I don’t personally use all of the rigging systems and techniques he recommends, but there’s a lot of great information on the site.
Smart Angling is a fly fishing store and blog based in Canada, run by Team Canada member Ivo Balinov. The articles are written by him and a number of other competitive anglers, mostly from Canada. The site focuses heavily on gear reviews and competition recaps, with some rigging and technique articles mixed in as well.
Troutline’s blog is primarily focused on fly tying, with a few fishing articles mixed in. If I ever need inspiration for flies or new tying techniques, this is one of the first places I check. If you’re a beginner fly tier, they also have a lot of resources to help you get started.
Top Euro Nymphing YouTube Channels
YouTube is probably the number one resource out there for learning new skills, and euro nymphing is no exception. There are hundreds of euro nymphing videos available, ranging from the most basic how-tos to highly advanced techniques. The ability to learn visually from some of the best instructors in the world, for free, no matter where you live, is game changing and can dramatically shorten your learning curve.
The best and worst thing about YouTube is that anyone can create content. There are a lot of instructional euro nymphing videos out there by very nice, well meaning creators that simply aren’t teaching the most effective methods. Not that what you learn from these videos won’t work at all, but they may point you in a direction that stunts your growth as an angler or limits your success. Some of these less than ideal videos have tens of thousands of views, so choosing content based solely on popularity isn’t always the best approach.
The YouTube channels I’ve listed below are ones I’ve personally learned from or know to provide solid, up to date, and unique information. Similar to blogs, there are also a lot of excellent one off videos on euro nymphing produced by larger channels, often featuring well known guests. These are great resources, but I haven’t included them because they aren’t recurring or comprehensive sources of information.
Again, I have to include a bit of self promotion! I post a lot of euro nymphing content on my channel for anglers of all skill levels, covering both fly tying and fishing. If this is your first time visiting my site, check a few of them out!
Similar to his blog, Devin’s YouTube videos are some of the best available on the subject. As one of the original online euro nymphing instructors, he excels at teaching complex techniques through video. He also produces a lot of “fish along” videos, allowing viewers to see his overall approach in action.
Josh Miller is an experienced competitive fly angler, decorated U.S. Youth Team coach, and exceptional euro nymphing instructor. He’s not incredibly active on YouTube at the moment, but his archive of videos is excellent. Most are short (under five minutes), easily digestible tips that will make you a better angler. He also has some great fly tying content.
Dom Swentosky’s Troutbitten YouTube channel is a great, in-depth collection of euro nymphing and related content. It consists of a variety of rigging, technique, and fish along videos with him and his group of friends. The production quality is some of the best in the industry, with exceptionally clear video and audio.
Like its blog, Fulling Mill’s YouTube channel features a lot of excellent videos with euro nymphing experts. Some cover specific tactics and techniques, while others follow expert anglers through a day of fishing to showcase their overall approach. They’ve also done some excellent coverage of the World Championships and other competition focused content.
George’s YouTube channel features a lot of excellent, high quality videos on a variety of euro nymphing and jig streamer techniques. Everything from quick tips to full breakdowns of specific methods. Some videos expand on concepts from his books, while others contain valuable information you won’t find anywhere else.
Cory Cuje’s channel, Old Dominion Trout Bum, is a popular resource for anglers beginning their euro nymphing journey. His teaching style really resonates with viewers and provides a good introduction to more advanced euro casting techniques. Cory is another creator who does not come from a competitive angling background and teaches some techniques you won’t see discussed in a lot of other media.
Gilbert Rowley is the videographer behind Devin Olsen and Lance Egan’s hit instructional series, Modern Nymphing. His video and audio quality are arguably the best in the industry, at least when it comes to euro nymphing. His channel is more focused on feature films and destination angling, but he also has some excellent euro nymphing content.
Ollie Bassett is a good friend of mine based in New Zealand. His channel contains a lot of excellent euro nymphing tips and techniques, along with some great videos of him fishing truly incredible New Zealand rivers and lakes. His content offers a valuable non-American perspective on the subject.
Tim Cammisa’s YouTube channel is one of the best fly tying resources available. He has videos for everyone, from first time fly tiers to highly advanced anglers. On top of fly tying, he also produces a number of on the water instructional videos featuring experts like Devin Olsen and Josh Miller.
Euro Nymphing Podcasts
There’s not much in the way of Euro nymphing specific podcasts. It’s usually a one off topic discussed in a few episodes of larger podcasts. Like the other forms of media, some of these one off episodes and interviews offer great information, but were not included because they are not complete of recurring resources.
The Troutbitten Podcast is the only one with nymphing as a large, recurring theme. They have a large number of archived episodes on a wide range of nymphing subjects, from in-depth reviews of different techniques, to opinion pieces, to group discussion. It’s a great show to try and pick up a few additional tips and tidbits of information.
The Wet Fly Swing is definitely not a euro nymphing podcast, but it does have a pretty large catalog of euro specific episodes. The host interviews all sorts of experts in the field on a variety of sub topics and techniques, including all of us currently on the Fly Fishing Team USA World Team. The euro episodes can be a bit tricky to pick out of the massive overall catalog, but there are a good number of them.
This is a newer podcast with famed nymph rod designer Joe Goodspeed. Joe has designed nymphing rods for Cortland, T&T, and now Diamondback. More anglers are likely using Joe’s rods (or those based on his designs) than any others. Again, this is not necessarily a nymphing focused podcast, but there will be a decent number of nymphing episodes. Joe is fairly involved with the competitive fly fishing scene, but was never a competitor himself, so his take on things is a bit different.
Other Ways to Learn
Devin Olsen & Lance Egan's Modern Nymphing Series
This is a for purchase, three part video nymphing masterclass. It is by far the best paid visual resource on the subject, however it is a bit outdated by this point in time. Most of the base ideas hold up, but the rigging, gear, and a few techniques have been replaced by more modern approaches. The series consists of Modern Nymphing (beginner) and Adaptive Fly Fishing (updated/intermediate), both of which can be purchased on Devin’s website as a DVD or digital download. You may want to consider buying these as they lay things out a bit more clearly all in one place than most YouTube Videos.
BUY HERE: Modern Nymphing
BUY HERE: Adaptive Fly Fishing
Final Thoughts
There has never been a better time to learn euro nymphing. When I started, finding information on the subject required digging through old forum posts, tracking down obscure articles, and piecing together techniques from a handful of books and videos. Today, there are more high quality resources available than ever before, covering everything from basic rigging and casting to highly advanced competition tactics.
At the same time, having access to more information doesn’t always mean learning faster. Different instructors have different approaches, and not every technique or system will be the right fit for every angler. Don’t be afraid to experiment, ask questions, and adapt what you learn to your own waters and fishing style.
The resources listed above are the ones that have had the biggest impact on my own development as an angler and the ones I continue to recommend today. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine advanced techniques, there is enough information here to keep you learning for years.
Most importantly, remember that reading, watching videos, and listening to podcasts only gets you so far. The real learning happens on the water. Pick a resource, apply what you learn, and spend as much time fishing as possible. Experience is still the best teacher. If you’re interested in learning in person, on the water, don’t hesitate to reach out to me about a guided trip on the Trips Page.
Tight Lines,
Mike Komara
