Salomone: Getting down in the dirty.

The names are tossed about without much thought. They all mean the same thing. Performance flies, tactical flies, jig nymphs, Euro-nymphs — they are weighted bugs. Tied with a heavy bead, possessing a slim profile and the ability to cut through the water column to reach the river bottom, a tungsten beaded nymph gets it down in the dirty water.

Orvis defines this class of fly like this: “lifelike, tactical fishing flies are thin-profiled and sink quickly to where the fish are because of their tungsten bead heads, but they’re designed to avoid getting hung up on the bottom. They were created for Euro/contact nymphing but can be used just as effectively with a traditional floating indicator rig.”

Right now, the river is showing signs of runoff with increased flows and off-colored water. Unfavorable circumstances will be with us for a while. Anglers looking to test their skills in the less than perfect conditions use heavily-weighted, large bead nymphs to drop a fly right in front of a deep water trout’s face. Even in rough water, trout still want to eat.

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Temperatures have danced around lately, causing the river to release massive clouds of caddis into the air. While the full-blown hatch is on hold, the first burst of warmth will bring them to the surface. For now, dredging down deep with a caddis larva nymph will put fish on your line. The water is full of the active insects as caddis are a key component to the health of the Eagle River and the trout.

Observation steers the angler. Pull off the road on the lower Eagle River — below Wolcott — in the afternoon and you’ll notice signs of increased mucky color from the daily runoff spike. Relocating where the color shows some transparency will increase your odds of success.

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In rough currents it is even more difficult to get flies down to the bottom. The larger the diameter of the bead, the faster the sink rate. Run off current requires anglers to increase weight. Slim profile, large bead performance nymphs sink with the fastest rate. Tactical flies that incorporate hackle or venture beyond the slick, streamlined body of a perdigon profile will hold up in the currents, requiring additional weight to sink to the appropriate depth.

A strike indicator is the best presentation style. Murky water masks brightly colored indicators that would put fish down at other times of year. Go large. The bigger indicators manage the rough water with increased performance. Large indicators are more adept at presenting flies at a consistent depth. The increased size gives a better indication of a strike compared to smaller sizes, which drown in turbulent water.

Trout let the tumultuous currents near the surface — which dissipate with depth — flow over them. They hide behind boulders to avoid the energy-depleting conditions rough water creates. River-bottom structure such as large rocks form speed bump scenarios where trout huddle downstream of the rock in the deep water vortex.

Trout exploit barrage-busting obstacles during the high water to conserve energy. The constant exertion from high water wanes on the size and strength of the fish. Trout need places to rest and still feed. Performance flies target the type of water trout desire.

There is some debate about whether the jig hook reduces bottom snags. I feel the design of the hook and the incorporation of a heavy bead does reduce snagging. One aspect I take into consideration is the terminal knot. I use a clinch knot to attach the lead fly. Then an improved clinch knot to attach a dropper line off the bend of the lead fly. My bottom fly I attach with a no-slip loop knot (lefty’s knot.) I prefer to have the bottom fly wiggle and wobble with a little more freedom that this knot provides.

Soft hackle performance flies for the current conditions would be a Blow Torch, Duracell or Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail. Common performance flies with a super slim profile would be a Frenchie, Iron Lotus or a Perdigon Quill or Lite-brite. Any caddis larva imitation tied with a heavy bead to smack the river bottom rocks would be a good choice, too.

High water will be with us for a while. Trout are pushed down deep to avoid overexertion, but they still want to eat. Heavy beaded nymphs are the flies you want to get down in the dirty.