Simplified use
Thanks to the echo sounder, you can now see (via a screen) the fish and therefore the depth at which they are moving. This makes it possible to avoid those interminable lines that are difficult to handle and prone to tangling. I happily use gambes of around 2 m fitted with 5 hooks. This makes them much easier to use and avoids inextricable tangles. It also makes it possible to use short rods without having to resort to those impractical extensions. And finally, as legislation on the number of hooks per line differs from lake to lake, with just 5 hooks I can fish for whitefish legally anywhere in the country. The rigging principle is the same whatever the number of nymphs, so it's up to you to adapt it to your preferences.
Let me show you how I go about assembling the gamba.
What you need
- A pair of scissors or a wire cutter.
- Fluorocarbon in various diameters. In general, I use 16 hundredths for the stems and 18 hundredths for the body of the rod. Of course, it's possible to use thinner or thicker, depending on the difficulty or size of the fish. Fluorocarbon has replaced nylon in the manufacture of my jigs. Its stiffness allows the stem to be well away from the main line, thus avoiding tangling. In addition, its invisibility underwater can only be an asset for these difficult fish. For the photos illustrating this article, I'll be using large-diameter fluorescent nylon to make it more visible.
- Nymphs.
- A support of your choice. Whether it's a notched plate or a specially designed foam spool.
Assembly
The first step is to tie all the nymphs together. To do this, I use the perfect loop knot, which allows the nymph to move freely. I leave about 15 cm of thread to make the future stem knot and cut.
Once all the nymphs have been tied, they need to be connected to the main line. The fluorocarbon used for this must be of a larger diameter so that only the nymph is lost, and not the whole line, in the event of breakage.
I start by making a loop on my fluorocarbon. This will be connected to the fine braid on my reel via a staple swivel. I then measure 2.20 m and cut. I start from the previously created loop and measure about 35 cm from it. I use the surgeon's knot to create a stem. For optimum presentation, I make sure that the stem is very short (3 or 4 cm) to gain stiffness and that the nymph is on the part of the wire that rises.
I then proceed in the same way for each of the nymphs, leaving about 35 cm between each imitation. Once the last one is connected, I measure about 20 cm and make another loop to receive my lead. I leave little space between the lead and the first nymph to be able to interest fish that might be "stuck" to the bottom.
The gambe is now finished, and all that remains is to store it meticulously on its stand.
