Catching
trout on a fly is fun, regardless of the size or species. As with any
pursuit, once one gets the basics down, there are often areas of specialization
to explore. Some fly fishers focus on stalking larger fish, often
enduring days on the water without a fish, using techniques designed to lure
the very largest fish from their lairs. In many regions, this most often
means Brown trout, and night fishing. While some trips result in fish,
all of them result in learning.
One key
to understanding trout, especially big ones, is their tendency toward
conserving energy. This impacts where they hang out, what they eat, and
how they eat. They will not fight the current when ready shelter is close
by. They will choose larger prey as it provides more protein per portion.
Let’s look at food, habits, and shelter to increase our chances of taking a
larger fish.
What will
Browns eat? Of course, the range of aquatic insects remains in play at all
stages, but the small size of most insects makes them problematic for larger
fish. The venerable sowbug deserves its reputation as a trout food, and
is a great fly for nymphing. Many an observant angler has seen a larger
Brown ramming into a matt of weeds or moss to dislodge multiple sowbugs to
gorge on. Terrestrials are also sought after food sources, though again,
size matters. Ants, hoppers, and the periodic hatch of “katydids”
(cicada) are sought after by trout. They will eat smaller fish, including those
of their own species, as well as leeches, a favorite food of many other large
fish, including Largemouth Bass. The crawfish pattern, often used for
Smallmouth Bass, will regularly catch trout, which may say something about the
extent to which they are also trout food. The largest fish will also eat
small rodents, and by some accounts, even small birds or fowl, given the
opportunity. No doubt the amount of protein offered here is attractive. Because
trout hunt as much by feel as by sight, fishing for them successfully requires
a lure that will move water ahead of it, activating lateral line sensors and
attracting fish. Sensitivity to motion and pressure waves also means you
want to minimize wading and movement once you begin fishing.
Let’s
translate these food preferences into what to fish with. I’m a
creature of habit. Forced to pick a fly, I will pick a woolly bugger
first, as you’ve seen in my writing by now. When probing for larger fish,
I’m going to tie on a larger fly, size 6 or larger, using olive drab or lighter
during the day, and black at night. While larger fish may often take a
smaller offering, there is a point at which smaller fish will shy away from
larger flies. So an important concept for me is to fish with a larger fly
to discourage smaller trout. I like a beadhead because of the extra
weight. I believe it is worth it to use a sinking tip line instead of
split shot, as I generally don’t like the way split shot makes me cast (we all
need something to blame poor technique, on, right?) but I know that under some
conditions, a split shot or two is invaluable, especially in helping your fly
to stay close to the bottom as you try to bump a fly through deeper water.
My woolly bugger technique is simple, drift and strip back. The
rate and speed of the strip is varied in order to cover more water: slower for
deeper, faster as you attempt to work the middle and top of the water column.
Larger,
even oversized terrestrials are also useful, at the right time of the year.
Most often, these are fished on top, with the plop of the fly on the
water serving as a dinner bell for feeding trout. This is typically the fall,
when water is low and the weather has been dry, but of course the cicada hatch
brings its own action when it occurs. Observing the stream and fish
activity prior to fishing is an important step in selecting the right fly.
Mouse patterns are often used for larger fish, and while Browns
are notorious for eating rodents, Rainbows and other trout may also partake,
given the opportunity. Hard to prevent this, but enjoy the take and the
fight no matter what species “takes the bait.” A good mouse pattern is
lobbed over a likely spot and skated back to you in order to simulate a
swimming motion. High sticking works well, as the tight line allows you
to not only stay near the surface, but to impart some side to side motion. You
might practice this in a pond or back yard pool before hitting the water, in
order to observe and critique your efforts. Finally, you could choose a
fish pattern, the various streamer and minnow concoctions that seek to mimic
the younger of the the species. A number of anglers use a “drop jaw”
streamer that produces a larger wake in front of the fly. I fish these
similar to a woolly bugger, drifting and stripping at various levels of the
water column to ensure that I’m reaching all areas that might hold fish.
Where are
the large trout? Trout will choose the portion of the water column that best
protects them from predators, in addition to providing a suitable hunting
ground. Too often, anglers focus on the surface . . . the speed and
direction of the current, actively feeding fish, seams that indicate changes or
confluence of current, and visible structure including logs or rocks.
These are important, but are only the start of effectively reading the
water. Just below the surface, conditions can be quite different.
Water may move more slowly, (which might mean that your strike indicator
is dragging that nymph along at an unrealistic rate) and there may be fish
cover that, while harder to see, directly impacts the feeding habits of fish.
Consider large rocks or boulders in the stream. Those that emerge out of
the water are easy - you know that they provide a lee side where fish can hold
out of the current, watching for food, and easily slip out to feed, and return
to less turbulent water. Drifting the right fly past that rock is often
an effective tool for catching fish. But what if there’s a boulder there
that you can’t see? Perhaps only two to three feet above the bottom, it
provides the same shelter from the current, in a much calmer environment, where
the trout is not exposed to predators like birds of prey. This is how
trout grow old and big.
Along the
bank is another opportunity for larger trout habitat. The overhang and
vegetation that may exist there, including the occasional tree or large branch
that has fallen into the water, provides desirable cover. Again, using
our theory of conservation, we can assume that fish would prefer to hold along
the bank where there may be slack water, rather than in the middle of the
stream. This is especially true when the dams on our beloved tail waters
are called into service for producing electricity and water levels are up and
fast. In this case, casting streamers or mouse patterns into the bank and
stripping them back will often bring fish to the fly in spectacular fashion.
The limb
or tree that has fallen into the water brings additional opportunities for
those seeking large trout, as there is not only cover at the surface, but
likely branches extending downward into the water, perhaps far enough to provide
shelter for larger fish who are sifting the current for food. Care is
needed here, and perhaps a stripping approach, as too much drifting near these
deadfalls will result in your contributing another bauble to adorn the
branches.
Man made
structures can also be holding spots for larger fish, including bridge
footings, extended aprons of boat ramps, and even boat docks that have been in
place for a period of time. Of course, access to these may require a
boat, rather than wading, except in periods of low water. Treat these
structures as you would boulders or branches. They will provide cover and
protection from current, attracting fish seeking to minimize effort and
maximize protein intake.
When to
fish for the really big ones is a subject of much discussion. I firmly
believe that night is the right time. The larger fish really seem to be
nocturnal, probably from a defensive mechanism, and our techniques will work
well in that environment. The lack of fishing pressure is also
attractive, giving you better access to desirable portions of the river.
I find the milder winter evenings to be very enjoyable, and I think you
will too. Don’t forget to take time to enjoy your surroundings, from the
splash of an otter to the blazing trail of a shooting star, or the glow of a
rising moon.
The
casual angler will approach a stretch of water with the standard techniques,
and perhaps do quite well in terms of quantity of fish taken. Our angler
in search of the very largest fish, however, will employ different techniques,
designed to explore areas of the stream, as described above, that will likely
hold trophy size fish.
From a
practical and a safety standpoint, take time to learn about the water you are
going to fish at night, before it gets dark. Doing so will help you to
understand the water and the habitat, and help you to plan your night fishing.
Plan a day trip to your desired stretch of water, and do some fishing
while observing the habitat for signs of large fish cover. While wading
is possible most of the year, winter will be a better time due to less
generation. In summer, under normal conditions, your best bet is from a
boat, except for the coveted periods of no overnight generation.
I’ll
leave you with three suggestions
1) Fish
the water you know
2) Choose
larger flies and learn to deliver them well
3) Be patient
Tight Lines!
/TF
