Bertrand Jacquemin's NAV Pro: a rod designed for sight nymphing

When a fisherman like Bertrand Jacquemin designs a fly rod, every detail counts.

Individual world champion in 2005, three-time team world champion, individual European champion and holder of 11 international medals, Bertrand is one of the great French specialists in fly fishing.

His preferred technique for many years has been sight nymphing. A demanding type of fishing where observation, casting accuracy, drift quality, and fish control make all the difference.

It was from this experience that the NAV Pro was born .

A rod developed for sight nymphing

The NAV Pro Bertrand Jacquemin Signature is a 9'2" or 2.80 m rod, designed for a #4 line.

This choice is not insignificant.

When sight fishing with a nymph, the angler must be able to place his nymph precisely, control his drift and react immediately when he sees the fish take.

The rod must therefore be precise and responsive, while retaining enough progressiveness to protect the fine tips.

The NAV Pro has a Moderate-Fast action and weighs only 78 grams. Its blank combines high-performance carbon and graphene. It is a four-piece rod and equipped with Seaguide Lightwire guides.

Why 9'2" and a #4 line?

On paper, 9'2" may seem like a very precise length.

On the water, it takes on its full meaning.

This length retains the maneuverability of a 9 foot rod while providing a few extra centimeters useful for controlling the line and following a drift.

Silk #4, on the other hand, provides a particularly interesting balance.

It allows for delicate presentations on wary fish, while retaining enough power when casting further or fighting a beautiful trout or a large grayling.

The NAV Pro was actually designed to work with a WF4.

Graphene in the service of fishing

The NAV Pro blank combines high-performance carbon and graphene.

The goal is not simply to produce a lightweight rod.

The goal is to obtain a responsive and stable blank, capable of quickly returning to its position after the cast. This characteristic directly contributes to the accuracy required for sight nymphing.

Weighing in at 78 grams, the NAV Pro is also very light for a 9'2".

NAV Pro precision and drift control for sight nymphing

In sight nymphing, everything starts even before the first cast.

We need to find the fish.

Observe it.

Understanding his position and behavior.

Choose the right nymph, estimate the depth, then determine the exact spot where it should enter the water.

Bertrand summarizes this technique by the need to spot the fish in clear water without being seen, then to present the nymph in the right place and to observe precisely the behavior of the fish to detect the catch.

At this level of precision, the cane becomes an essential element.

This is exactly the playing field for which the NAV Pro was developed.

A rod for fine tips and beautiful fish

Presenting a nymph correctly to a difficult fish often requires refining your leader.

But a fine tip also requires a rod capable of absorbing the fish's runs.

The NAV Pro has been tested with fine tips and on large fish. Its action is designed to maintain enough power reserve to handle a good-sized fish while protecting the leader.

When fishing for a large grayling or a beautiful trout, this balance becomes particularly important.

And this is precisely the kind of situation we regularly encounter during our Paradise FlyFishing trips.

Bosnia, an ideal setting for NAV Pro

On the Ribnik River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, sight nymph fishing plays an important role in our trips.

When conditions are good, the clear water allows you to observe trout and grayling before attempting to catch them.

Some fish are easy to spot.

Getting them to take them is another story.

Sometimes you need to change nymphs several times, modify the length of the leader or move your point of impact by a few tens of centimeters.

This is where precision becomes crucial.

The Ribnik also allows you to alternate between sight nymphing and dry fly fishing. The NAV Pro isn't exclusively designed for nymphing, either. It's also suitable for dry fly fishing, making it a particularly interesting rod for this type of river.

A cane that we actually use

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At Paradise FlyFishing , we also wanted to be able to test the NAV Pro in the field.

She now accompanies our fishermen during our stays.

And the initial feedback is very positive.

Sandrine and Jean-Philippe notably used it during their stay in Bosnia. They quickly appreciated its lightness, its precision and its performance on the shadows of the Ribnik.

That's exactly what we're looking for when we advise our clients on equipment.

A fishing rod must first and foremost bring something to the fisherman once he is at the water's edge.

Bertrand Jacquemin's signature

The NAV Pro features Bertrand's signature laser-engraved on the handle.

But this signature primarily represents the work done around the cane.

Bertrand didn't simply lend his name to an existing model. The NAV Pro was developed with him, based on his preferred technique and his experience with sight nymphing.

This approach also corresponds to what we seek to convey during our Paradise FlyFishing trips .

Equipment can never replace technique.

But when the equipment has been designed to complement this technique, it allows the fisherman to go further.

Learn to sight nymph with Bertrand Jacquemin

Paradise FlyFishing offers trips to Bosnia every year with Bertrand Jacquemin .

The goal is not just to catch fish.

Bertrand assists anglers in reading the river, approaching the fish, choosing the nymph, presentation, drifting and setting the hook.

It's also an opportunity to understand how to truly utilize a rod like the NAV Pro .

Because the best way to discover a rod designed for sight nymphing is still to use it on a crystal-clear river, facing a trout or grayling that you can see perfectly.

And to try to convince him.

Features of the NAV Pro Bertrand Jacquemin Signature

• Length: 9'2", or 2.80 m

• Silk: #4 Recommended silk: WF4

• Action: Moderate-Fast

• Weight: 78 g

• Number of strands: 4

• Blank: high-performance carbon and graphene

• Guides: Seaguide Lightwire Techniques: sight nymphing and dry fly

• Target fish: trout and grayling

• Bertrand Jacquemin's signature laser-engraved on the handle

The NAV Pro is available from Rodhouse .