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Category: Fly Fishing For Trout

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What Is Euro Style Nymphing And How Do You Euro Nymph?

11 Jan
0 804 Post by

Euro nymphing is a specialized form of fly fishing using only heavily weighted nymphs with no split shots or strike indicators. It has been referred to as Czech, French, Tight-line, High Sticking, and Polish Nymphing.

European nymphing was formally introduced in 1989 at the World Fly Fishing Championship by Wladyslaw “Vladi” Trzebunia of the Polish national team. Using a refined method first developed by his father, Vladi won the championship and single-handedly caught more fish than the 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams combined! Since then, his technique was adopted and has been continuously improved by fly anglers across the world.

In other words, this technique is a very effective way to catch fish no matter the flow or depth of water, it can be fished in any time of year, and has produced in both recreational and competitive fishing.

In its basic form, Euro Nymphing uses a single line, with a heavy weighted nymph at the end of the tippet. There is a sighter line between the main line and tippet. This is attached to another long piece of leader that then goes directly to the main fly line. There is no shot for weight, or floating bobber indicator. The sightline helps an angler detect a strike on a tight line. This technique is about drifting a fly on a tight line, feeling the bottom with as little line contact on the water as possible.

The total leader length should be twice the rod length as a general rule of thumb. The bulk of this will tend to be the section tied directly to the fly line. The sighter line, which is brightly colored for contrast, is attached to this and is about two feet in length. Typically, the sighter is a bright chartreuse section and a neon red for low light and bright conditions.

At the end of the sightline a tippet ring is attached and then a piece of tippet generally about two feet long is attached. Towing the line in a very small way is your fly tied to the end of the tippet. Above that anglers will often fish a fly on a dropper. All in all, this is the total set up for Euro Nymphing.

The technique is as simple as the set up, there is no false casting, nothing bulky to bunch and tangle during your back cast, and this all helps with the other beauty of this rig, efficiency. You simply implore a roll cast of sorts, lead the fly on a high rod, no mending, tight line.  When the fly finally starts to tail out of the drift, swing it through, as it rises in the water column downstream and about even with your hip, use that tension and “roll” cast again. No fuss no muss.

As long as you can “feel” the bottom or you can see subtle movement in the bright sighter line you’re doing it right! One of the biggest struggles is the absolute line control one must have for this technique. It’s supposed to be fun, but remember line control isn’t the place for cutting yourself some slack, pun intended.

Now that we have talked about the casting, let’s dive into the strike. When you feel or see a strike it can come as the proverbial thump, or a subtle as seeing the colored line move a fraction of an inch, or even a pause. The instant reaction is to immediately set the hook up, but in Euro Nymphing the best way to set the hook will be to note the angle of the sight line and set the hook in the opposite direction. So if the line is at a ninety degree angle then the up hook set would be correct, but if it was at any other angle you would have slack in the set up with that set, you may miss the fish or even worse break it off on the set. so , if the sight line is angled downstream, set the hook angle upstream and so on.

Euro Nymphing Gear

Now the fun part, gear! You can use any fly rod over about nine feet in length to Euro Nymph. Honestly, you can use any length fly rod, however, you have the greatest advantage over 9-feet. Just like any other method of fishing, there are technique specific options for euro nymphing that will help you become more effective. A good euro rod would be a 9 - 11 foot, 3 or 4 weight. The length helps keep the line off of the water and because the flies are so small and the cast so efficient a heavier rod is a detriment. Moreover, the tip will be very light to detect a strike by feel and enough butt to handle big fish. There are many reputable rods made specifically for this technique.

The line is generally thinner than the normal weight forward line, the leader can last a very long time with the use of a tippet ring at the end of the sightline. Sightlines can be hand-tied with high contrast mono or purchased in a pre-made setup. Then the tippet can be of single diameter to help control the sink rate and easily replaced all with the help of the tippet ring. In the end, it will look a little like this if you want to build a basic one: the thickest section of a nine-foot 4x leader trimmed and attached at the point of equal diameter to the sightline, then at the end of the two-foot sightline, a tippet ring and a two-foot section of 6-7x tippet then the fly.

The flies on the end can vary greatly or be a very simple system. In general, the flies will be compact, tungsten weighted, wide gap nymphes. The sizes I would start with would be in the 10-16# size. Most of the time the bottom fly will be compact, not many appendages or hackle, maybe hard-bodied and a touch smaller in profile than the dropper fly. The dropper fly should have a bit more bulk to get it up in the water column. Some popular patterns are perdigons, barbless jigs, frenchies, and micro buggers. Don’t be afraid to try any heavily weighted nymph in this technique, just try to remember that the bottom fly needs to be dense and compact in comparison to the dropper.

Here's one of our go-to euro rigs:

1. Frenchie Jig - Size #16

Perdigon Euro Nymphing Fly

2. Perdigon - Size #14

The beauty of Euro Nymphing is also the fact that it can be done on a standard rod. So, if you’re a generalist with a 9 foot 5 weight, run an 18 to 20 foot leader set up, carry a sight line in your already overloaded pack and bingo bango you can Euro Nymph with great success.

This technique has so many more intricacies than I can cover in the depths of about 1000 words, but the resources exist. Also, because you already have a rod capable of giving this method a try, get some sight line and a good selection of tungsten nymphs and give it the old trout bum try. The worst thing that can happen is you don’t catch fish in a different way than you already weren’t catching fish, and at best you become a better, more well rounded angler who needs to buy a whole new cache of tackle. I prefer the later approach.

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Categories: Fly Fishing For Trout, How to Fly Fish, Learn By Technique, Nymphing

4 Lightweight Nymphs for Tandem Fly Rigs in the Winter

24 Dec
0 428 Post by

Winter can be an incredibly rewarding time to be out on your favorite trout stream! 

With fewer people sharing the water, the winter months offer up a fantastic opportunity to enjoy relative solitude and put a few trout in the net.  The action typically doesn’t match that of spring and summer, but there are plenty of fish to be caught by the hardy folk willing to brave the elements.  One of the issues with this season is that trout are lethargic and unwilling to move too far for their food, thanks to the increase in calories burned doing so.  Having the right fly, or flies, is paramount for those wanting to find success during late December through February.  Here are four absolute killer nymphs that will catch trout throughout the country! 

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Zebra Midge

You’ll find this nymph on just about every winter nymph list, and for good reason!  It’s one of the deadliest patterns out there and should be carried in both copper and silver.  Much of its value comes from the versatility in the ways it can be used.  Whether the lead fly in a triple nymph rig or trailing underneath a BWO dry fly, it’s going to produce fish for as long as it’s in the water! 

Image from Pat Dorsey Fly Fishing

Sparkle Wing RS-2

The Sparkle Wing has everything you’d want in a winter trout nymph.  Its slender profile means it cuts through the water and sinks quickly with the help of a small split shot, and the strand or two of flash do just enough to catch the attention of a trout without being so over-the-top to spook them.  It’s a great imitation of light-colored midges or even small BWOs that so frequently dominate the bug life during winter. 

Image from St. Peter's Fly Shop

Copper-Ribbed RS-2

This pattern flies a little under-the-radar, but it’s very well-known among certain angler circles in the West and is becoming increasingly popular everywhere.  It’s a relatively simple fly, but it works quite well to imitate midges or small mayflies.  The lightweight nature of the Copper-Ribbed RS-2 makes it a prime candidate to be the trailing fly on a multi-nymph rig since it will catch some of the water currents and move freely along the bottom of the stream.  That little extra movement can be enough to garner the attention, and hopefully strike response, from any trout nearby. 

Single Egg

Winter trout are all about conserving calories while consuming as many as they can.  That makes protein-rich eggs a terrific option for nymph rigs during winter.  Browns and brookies spawn in the fall, cutthroats and rainbows in the spring, but there are enough random spawning fish during winter to make it well worth your while to carry the egg box.  As a bonus, other species like suckers can begin to spawn in winter, and that fresh influx of food into streams can be something trout key in on when winter sets in. 

Running deep nymphs during the cold of winter can be very effective for catching lazy trout that are anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring.  Drift, presentation, and location are all important now just like they are during other times of the year, but perhaps no factor determines success quite like fly selection.  These four nymphs are proven trout magnets, and they’ll produce results when fished in your favorite stream throughout these long winter months!

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Categories: Fly Fishing For Trout, How to Fly Fish, Nymphing, Winter Fly Fishing

10 Great Multiple Fly Rig Setup Combinations For Trout With Flies You Already Have

07 Dec
0 1136 Post by

There isn’t much that gets an angler’s heart pumping quite like a big trout hammering terrestrials right on the bank, which makes August a month to look forward to each year. 

In most parts of the country, August is a relatively dead month in terms of heavy bug hatches.  Tricos are perhaps the most consistent insect to follow, and along with a few caddis and the odd yellow sally, that rounds out the summer bug lineup for the most part.  While you can always nymph up some fish using general attractors, it’s the terrestrial action that really gets people fired up!

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Hopper & Pheasant Tail

This rig is built for western rivers where stoneflies are prevalent and trout spend a lot of their time near the banks. A Hopper dry fly is big enough to stay afloat with a nymph trailing behind and it’s a great way to fish pockets that dot fast-moving freestone streams.  Drifts in these situations will be short, but often sweet as the trout don’t take too long to engulf the hopper or stonefly quickly after it hits the water!

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Hi-Viz Ant & WD-40

Ants are sometimes overlooked as far as terrestrials go, but they shouldn’t be!  They are some of the most common bugs crawling around near streams and they often fall into the water, providing easy snacks for waiting trout.  In some parts of the West, large flying ants emerge in August and give anglers the chance to still fish large dries as opportunistic fish lie in wait.  The WD-40 is a nice nymph to drop behind the ant, since a black version can imitate tricos or midges that might also be hatching in that particular waterway. 

  • Green Weenie Fly Pattern

Hi-Vis Beetle & Green Weenie

Beetles make up a large portion of the terrestrial world, and as such they’re a perfect fly to use this summer!  The only issue with them can be the visibility in the water, which is alleviated by using the hi-vis version. Inchworms are also a great option for the summer months, and the Green Weenie is one fly in particular that kills it when trailed behind a beetle!  One of the great benefits of this pattern is that it can be fished at or near the surface, since inchworms are relatively weightless and can bounce around throughout the top of the water column almost in the film.

Green Weenies are also a caddis larva imitation, which many are a bright green color. This is how most fly anglers know of the Green Weenie, as a nymph pattern as opposed to an inchworm fly.

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Copper John & Zebra Midge

A great prospecting nymph combined with one of the best midge larvae imitations ever created. Tie the Zebra Midge above the Copper John so that Copper John's hefty body drops the Zebra Midge in feeding lanes. We love this combo because it's two of the most readily available food sources for trout i.e. mayfly nymphs and midge larvae.

  • Perdigon Euro Nymphing Fly

Perdigon & Jiggy Frenchie

Probably the most common tight-line nymphing combination in anglers' boxes. Depending on the bead size and hook size, the Perdigon or Jiggy Frenchie will take the lead fly role. Most fly anglers place the heaviest bead and or largest fly at the base of their nymphing rigs.

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Zebra Midge & Woolly Bugger

Hold on. A streamer combined with a tiny midge fly? Yes, this works in streams and rivers -- not just in stillwater. Of course, you can position one above the other to suit your personal tastes, but for easier casting and presentations you'll want to place the Woolly Bugger at the end of your rig. From there you can make slow retrieves or dead drift in your favorite water.

  • Indicator Parachute Adams

Adams Parachute & Elk Hair Caddis

Having two dry flies targeting the day's caddis hatches and mayfly hatches is a great way to dial into what trout are keying in on. If you have never fished two dry flies at the same time, there are many benefits.

  • One, both dry flies will work together to keep the other afloat.
  • Two, with low visibility it will be easier to spot both as opposed to just one -- especially when fishing smaller sizes the parachute will stick out.
  • Three, you can fish two hatches at once.

Overall, our staffers love this method and it does well throughout the fishing season.

  • Trico Spinner
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Trico Spinner & Adams Parachute

Another fantastic double dry fly rig that has one goal in mind, visibility. It's always a challenge to spot your imitation Trico amongst the naturals, but with a bright Adams Parachute marking the general location you can have a better idea of when to set the hook. Plus, you can use a size #18 to size #22 Adams Parachute as another Trico pattern and, effectively, double up on the hatch.

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JuJuBee Midge & BWO Parachute

One of our go-to rigs for picky trout in low water that are visibly feeding just below the surface. Having the JuJuBee Midge 6 to 10-inches below the BWO Parachute will allow you to imitate the emerging nymphs that trout are feeding on just a few inches below the surface.

You may also not be sure what trout are rising to -- dry flies or nymphs? This rig presents both as attractive options and, often times, you will hook up on both.

Chubby Chernobyl & RS2 & Rainbow Warrior

The summer season can provide some excellent action for big trout at a time of the year when there isn’t a ton of bug activity.  Hoppers, ants, and beetles can bring large fish to the surface as they gorge on protein-rich insects that haphazardly fall into the water.  Grassy banks and overhanging branches are prime spots to use these rigs, and whether anglers are wading or fishing from a raft there’s nothing better than watching a chunky brown or rainbow shoot through the water and hammer these patterns! Then, having a trailing rig of small nymph patterns will allow you to catch more fish when they refuse the hopper on the top.

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Categories: Dry Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing For Trout, How to Fly Fish, Learn By Technique, Nymphing, Spring Fly Fishing, Summer Fly Fishing

Where to Find Trout In The Fall And Into The Early Winter

07 Dec
0 304 Post by

There are few better ways to spend a crisp fall morning than standing knee-deep in a favorite trout stream. 

The leaves are in their full color display, deer are moving freely as the rut picks up, and trout are actively feeding as they bulk up for the long winter ahead.  It’s a season that many look forward to, and those who experience a great day in the fall are hooked on it for life.  The days of wet wading may be gone, but the tranquil serenity and unmatched beauty of fall is unrivaled by any other season.

Finding trout while fly fishing in the fall and early winter months can be difficult though, and knowing where to look is half the battle! Here's where to look.

Deeper Pools

Deep pools are a good bet to fish any time of year,  but that’s especially true during fall.  One of the misconceptions out there is that fall trout fishing brings a return to the conditions that exist during spring and even early summer.  The truth is, fall is usually pretty darn dry and low water is commonplace on trout streams.  Water temperatures certainly drop to safer levels compared to August and September, but the low flows still push fish towards those areas where they can safely feed without fear of predators above.  The more depth a spot has, the greater likelihood there’ll be a trout there! 

Tributary Mouths

It’s no secret that trout congregate at tributary mouths during summer when temperatures are high and they search for the refuge of chilled discharges.  What’s not quite as widely known is that the fish will stick around these locations well into fall because these are terrific areas to get plenty of food and oxygen!  While it’s not always the case, tributaries entering a main stem usually create deeper pools where trout can get everything they need.  It’s the perfect spot for them to summer and winter over, which makes it a valuable location during the in-between season of fall! 

Headwaters

One of the ways trout combat summer heat is by pushing upstream into headwaters that are more shaded and provide cooler water temperatures.  They’ll stay here well into fall as the spawning season fast approaches for brookies and browns.  Headwaters, and small water in general, have more classic riffle-run-riffle setups, making it prime spawning ground.  Trout that are actively on redds should always be avoided, but other trout will follow the spawners into these areas to feed on eggs, making them perfect targets for anglers! 

Fall can be one of the most spectacular times to be on a trout stream, and catching a few is predicated on first knowing where fish are holding.  By focusing efforts on these trout hotspots, anglers can increase their catch rate and maximize their time.  While having the right flies and technique is important, it all starts with where the trout are during fall and why they spend so much time there feeding.  Being armed with that intel is the first step in making a beautiful fall day unforgettable. 

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Categories: Fall Fly Fishing, Finding Fish, Fly Fishing For Trout, Learn By Technique

3 Tips to E-Scout for Trout

07 Dec
0 247 Post by

One of the most common dilemmas among anglers is not knowing exactly where to go when they have some time to fish. 

When time in the field is limited, anglers don’t want to spend all of their time scouting a new piece of water that they aren’t sure is productive. 

Luckily, thanks to technology and a little skill, scouting can be done from the comfort of home on rainy days or during the long winter months when our thoughts wander to the season ahead.  E-scouting is all the rage among the hunting community, and it’s becoming increasingly popular among fly anglers who have learned the power and competitive edge it brings. 

Know The Tools Available

There are powerful tools out there to help anglers find new water through e-scouting.  One of the most popular is Google Earth, a free program that’s very easy to use.  This is a great way to explore the topography of a given stream and see possible routes to access it.  For example, steep canyons with sheer rock walls can be imposing features that aren’t easily passable by anglers so it’s great to see where those are ahead of time.  OnX is another hunting-centric program that requires a paid subscription, but it perfectly shows public/private boundaries and can help anglers know whose property they’re on so they can ask permission ahead of time from the landowner. 

  • Google Earth - Free program that is easy to use.
  • OnX - Paid subscription, but shows public and private boundaries.

Individual states also have resources available online that can greatly assist anglers.  For example, Pennsylvania has a giant database of streams broken down by their specification, be it a stocked trout stream, Class A wild trout stream, or a waterway that is known to have naturally reproducing trout.  This is a fantastic starting point and a way to filter down potential new locations based on the individual angler’s desires.  These interactive maps are all available via the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission website.  To make things even better, the PFBC is constantly updating the streams as they are surveyed or their classification changes. 

Talk To Biologists

It’s amazing how much information is available via state and fisheries biologists.  Their contact information can often be found through a simple Google search, and while they are usually busy with other projects they can hold a treasure trove of intel.  Ask about recent surveys done on streams in an area and if those reports are available.  They usually are, and when you’re armed with the results of an electro-shocking, cross reference them with the stream maps and plan accordingly.  That can be particularly helpful in choosing blue-lines to check out that might hold brookies.  Certain streams will be classified as having excellent trout numbers, but the biologist report could yield an extremely high percentage of fish in the 1-3 inch range.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but being able to break down the biomass of a stream you’re investigating is a huge help in knowing what to expect from your e-scouting. 

Know What To Look For

Access is one of the most important things to look for.  State game lands, national forests, state forests, and other public places are a great starting point on Google Earth or OnX since there is no question of whether or not anglers are allowed to enter the property.  On some streams, particularly those that work their way through meadows, look for giant horseshoe bends that always indicate great trout habitat.  It’s also possible to judge the gradient of a stream by measuring the elevation between two fixed points.  If a waterway has a stark elevation difference over a short period of time (something that can be measured on Google Earth and OnX) you can bet that is a section of sharp rapids or pocket-water.  Conversely, a half mile stretch that only drops 10-15 feet in elevation is a good bet to be slower-moving.  That can be critical information when you’re looking for sections that might feature hatches, like the Tricos in August that hatch in faster-moving sections of river. 

E-scouting can be a great way to take your game to the next level and utilize time away from the water.  It can save an incredible amount of time and effort by getting anglers on the right track of where to go, how to access the spot, and what they might find once they get there.  This technique long-utilized by hunters is rapidly gaining traction in the fly fishing community and once you find that newest gem thanks to Google Earth or OnX you’ll be a believer as well!

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Categories: Finding Fish, Fly Fishing For Trout, How to Fly Fish, Learn By Technique

Beginner Fly Fishing Casts You Need To Know

01 Dec
0 419 Post by

The how to cast a fly is basic in its simplest form. This is what we are about to cover. There are, for all intents and purposes, two casts that you need to know.

  1. Overhead Cast
  2. Roll Cast

There are many other casts, such as the bow-and-arrow cast for casting in dense and brushy areas, but these two will get you through most of the situations you may encounter fly fishing. To practice these, the best way is to try and do them in an open place with still water, like a pond with not a lot of trees or cover around it. Lay the Line out on the water. Water tension on the fly line makes the rod easier to “load” which leads to less false casting.

The Overhead Cast

The Overhead Cast is explained as the basic cast everyone pictures.

Here's a good buddy of ours demonstrating an overhead cast.

Assuming the rod is in your right hand pull line off of the reel with your left hand. Start with your hands together thumb to thumb. Grip the rod on the handle with your fingers around the grip and your thumb pointed down the “spine” of the rod. Separate your hands, your right going back as if you were going to point at something directly behind you with your thumb, your left will go down towards your hip like you’re strumming a rather large guitar.

As you bring the rod back behind you your line will follow the motion. You are casting the line not the fly. For a novice angler look at your rod tip. You should stop your “backcast” when your arm is at 90 degrees and your rod tip just past that. When you’re in this position watch for your line to straighten all the way out behind you. When this happens you should feel the total weight of the line in the rod.

An example of a Single Haul Cast, using your left arm to pull the line out during a back cast and then bringing the same line to the rod during a forward cast. This shoots the line forward and builds momentum.

Casting Farther

When you want the line to go farther in front you have to repeat this process multiple times without the line touching the water again, pulling more line off the reel and feeding it up with your left hand gradually. This is False Casting. The left hand will pull the line down as you perform a back cast and feed line forward as you cast forward.

When you are satisfied that there is enough line out to equal the distance you want your fly to go, only then do you break your arm over all the way pointing your thumb at the intended landing zone all while loosening your grip on the line with the left hand. Where your right thumb points is where the fly should go.

Arm Position

The casting process is slower than you would expect. The amount of your arm that should move is often explained as this: Pretend there is a book gripped under your arm pit. Now perform a backcast and forward cast and do not drop the book.

An overhead cast can be broken into two types of casting, those techniques are The Single Haul and The Double Haul casts.  The left hand is the difference-maker in these two casts.

Single Haul Cast

For a Single Haul Cast, an angler would essentially spread their arms while holding the line in their left hand and back casting to the two o'clock position with their right hand. As they then “turn over “ or move the rod into the casting position the left hand will move towards the right hand and let go of the line at the same time. This cast is essential and the “basic” fly cast. You need to know this one.

Double Haul Cast

The Double Haul Cast is essentially the single haul technique but a tug or Haul.  So, after separating your hands on the back cast, immediately bring them back together at the peak of the back cast. Now, in the forward motion you will separate your hands and spread them out like you’re lying about the size of fish you caught, then bring them together. At that point when you feel the line tug forward simply let go. Every pull on the line by the left hand is a Haul. This is why this is a Double Haul cast. Every haul adds line speed, so this cast is especially useful when casting for distance or to better cast into the wind.

Roll Cast

The Roll Cast is arguably the most useful and underrated cast in fly fishing- master this cast. With the line in front of you on the water, lift your rod tip up towards the sky. As you do this motion the fly line will begin to make a bow or loop heading behind you. When the fly line crosses behind the vertical rod and makes a D with the straight part of the D being your rod and the line making up the curved part impart the same forward stroke you would during the overhead cast. The line will follow the loop and lay out in a straight presentation. It is a very simple cast but can be used in a lot of situations.

When To Use Each Cast

So, that was the “How,” so now is the “Why”. You would use an Overhead cast for any sort of casting presentation that is at a distance greater than say twenty feet. This is the basic fly fishing cast. When you first pictured yourself fly fishing this is the cast you picture yourself doing. We used this to target cover, breaks, or eddies. This cast is often used to present big flies like Streamers and very small flies like tiny Dry Flies because in either case putting yourself at a greater distance from the fish is beneficial. When in doubt you can most likely use an overhand Single Haul cast to drop the fly where you want it.

The Roll Cast is to fly fishing as the trim hammer is to a tool belt. Precise, accurate, and repeatable. The Roll Cast is used to present Nymphs or Emergers quite a bit. It can be used very effectively at sub-twenty foot distances. Small streams can be picked apart with roll casts from one position. This form of casting is also great for repeating drifts. Remember that often when a trout is in a “Feeding Lie” if that fish moves, generally another will move into that same spot. So if you catch fish number one, number two might be a rinse and repeat away. Roll Casts are also very helpful when there are a lot of overhanging branches and the like around you. This cast happens almost entirely in front of the angler.

Take your rod to some still water and give these a try. Once you feel like you get it right as much as you do it wrong, go find the streams in your area.

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Categories: Fly Fishing For Bass, Fly Fishing For Steelhead, Fly Fishing For Trout, How to Fly Fish

How To Fly Fish Tricos For Late Summer Trout

02 Nov
0 327 Post by

For bug enthusiasts, high summer can be a fairly dull time of year, with terrestrials taking center stage and mayfly activity bottoming out for the year. 

The seemingly never-ending drought of bug activity ceases with the first sign of the trico hatch!  This is no easy trout snack to master, however.  Trout feed vigorously on this much-needed influx of food during the dog days of summer, but the bugs are tiny and the fish particular about presentation which makes for a challenge worthy of even the most skilled anglers. 

Presentation and Casting

While some fly fishers contend that proper presentation is more important than fly selection, that’s undoubtedly true during the trico hatch.  Trout will sit in one particular feeding lane and focus on bugs floating in their specific range.  A cast that lands even a few inches left or right will be met with instant refusal and potential spooking of the target trout.  

One thing to try to mitigate the difficult casting is to use a shorter leader/tippet.  Instead of a 9-ft leader, try a 7.5-ft with minimal tippet tied on.  While this might result in fewer hookups and more fish darting away, it’s worth the risk in order to improve our casting accuracy.  

Use Two Flies

No matter what anyone tells you, seeing a size #26 dry fly is incredibly difficult.  Unfortunately, using such small flies is commonplace and necessary during the trico hatch.  A favorite tactic to improve visibility is to run double dry flies, with a “larger” #18 parachute dry and the trico trailing behind.  The trico might be all but invisible, but the bigger dry is not, so key on it and look for any dimples in the vicinity with the thought it could be a fish taking our fly! 

Hit the Riffles

Tricos by nature tend to hatch in the riffles, but there’s also an advantage for the angler wanting to fish the faster water.  As with all situations, trout have less time to inspect our offerings in faster riffles and runs compared to slower moving pools.  That can be a much-needed benefit when targeting fish who can tell the difference between a male and female bug and the chasm between a #24 and #26 is as wide as the Grand Canyon.  Faster water will allow us to cheat and get away with using a black trico instead of a dark gray one or being a size or two off. 

Don’t Get Frustrated

Perhaps more so than any other hatch, tricos tend to frustrate anglers. Fish are famously picky, flies are tiny, and water conditions are at their toughest, which makes for a maddening combination.  Understand before going out that fish will refuse our perfect drifts and hooked fish will become unbuttoned thanks to minute hook gaps.  The thing is, these things will happen to anglers of all skill levels so don’t get frustrated by the sometimes impossible feat before us!

Tricos might not garner the attention that early summer hatches bring, but they are no less important to trout from Pennsylvania to Montana.  Keep these tips in mind to enjoy the highlight of the summer and the hatch that carries trout from high summer to the sweet reprieve of fall!

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Categories: Fly Fishing For Trout, Match The Hatch, Summer Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing Fall Colorado

Common Tips You Should Know To Catch Fall Trout

02 Nov
0 581 Post by

Fall provides some of the best trout action of the year as fish everywhere feel the coming chill of winter and pack on the weight accordingly. 

Each season has its own uniqueness that provides something new to anglers at all times of the year.  Fall is no different, with changing leaves and trout adorning beautiful colors as the air turns crisp and the first forecasts of snow start to creep into view.  Just like with everything else, tactics have to adjust with this new season and those who are flexible enough to recognize this can take advantage of some terrific fall fishing! 

Fish Streamers

Fall is the classic time to ditch the size #20 dry flies and opt for the meaty articulated streamer box.  Trout will be aggressively feeding and the browns in particular get quite territorial as they enter into pre-spawn mode.  This aggression is often channeled on whatever unsuspecting baitfish or crayfish happens to be moving through their zone, and with any luck the next act of violence that fish commits can be on the end of our line! 

Get Deep

As temperatures get colder closer to winter, trout will be less likely to remain in shallow ends of pools and slack water to feed -- except on warmer days. More than likely, they will go to deep pools to hold during the winter. Use heavy nymphs with tungsten beads or pair up your nymphing rigs with non-toxic split-shot to dive your flies near the bottom.

Go Drab

During the fall season, flies should be a little more drab in color.  Whether that be brown/black streamers or dark olive nymphs, the days of bright, flashy colors are behind us. Even certain patterns that are used all year long should shift to drab, such as the Squirmy Worm.  The hot pink and bright red varieties of summer should be ditched for something like dark purple or green.  While trout tend to be more aggressive during this time of year, the bugs themselves are less diverse in variety and as such there is less of the color spectrum to work with for the angler trying to imitate them. 

Where There’s One, There’s More! 

This is the time of year when trout will start to pod up a little more than they did in summer.  It’s especially true of brook and brown trout that might be anticipating the upcoming spawning season.  Whenever you catch one fish in a location, it’s a pretty safe bet that there are several more in close proximity, so it’s well worth the time and effort to thoroughly cover the water before moving on. 

Avoid Redds

Be on the lookout for trout redds that will start to pop up in October and November.  The continuation of the species is paramount for future success, and irreparable damage can be done by negatively impacting redds that fish are actively working.  If you see one of these features, it’s best to leave it alone as well as any fish that happens to be actively working it.  Spawning can be hard on trout, and giving them a wide berth can help limit their stress and help make more trout for years to come! 

Fall offers up some of the most enjoyable fishing of the entire year.  While the leaves are in their full color array and cool breezes put a comfortable chill in the air, trout feed happily and aggressively knowing that winter is fast-approaching.  These visions of bliss that are looked forward to each year can become a reality by following these tips and getting out there and exploring a favorite stretch of water this fall season! 

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Categories: Fall Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing For Trout

4 New England Trout Flies for Fall

02 Nov
0 378 Post by

Fall is a welcome relief  for the trout angler exhausted from the scorching heat and dry conditions of summer. 

There’s something special about spending the day on a favorite trout stream while the leaves are in full array of their fall colors.  While the wet-wading time of summer is a distant memory, chilling temperatures and much-needed rain provides a  boost to trout fisheries across the country and provides a window of opportunity for anglers wanting to get their fix in before winter.  Having the right fly is always half the battle, and these are four must-have patterns to carry with you this fall! 

Thin Mint

As trout look to feed heavily before winter, they ferociously attack anything that crosses their path.  That makes fall prime time for streamers, and the Thin Mint is the perfect fly to have in your box!  The olive and black combine two terrific colors and a little bit of flash in the tail rounds out this must-have streamer.  It can be stripped in at varying speeds or dead-drifted to imitate a crayfish or wounded baitfish. 

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Stimulator

While the caddis hatches of April and May usually garner most of the attention, the fall caddis is perhaps the biggest of the bunch!  They usually hatch in size #12 or #14, giving anglers the chance to catch trout on large dry flies one more time before winter sets in.  Another point of differentiation compared to their spring counterparts is the coloration of the October caddis.  They tend to be deeper orange and darker than the tan and olive caddis of early season. While the Stimulator is known as a stonefly pattern, it makes one fantastic caddis imitation.

Parachute Hopper

Hoppers will stick around until the first real frost, and trout will feed on them accordingly!  Most angler stash the terrestrials once September ends, but that’s usually a mistake.  Squeezing out a few more trips tossing dry flies is definitely worth carrying hoppers around for a few more weeks, and they make the perfect pairing with caddis nymphs when running dry-dropper rigs in the fall. 

Green Weenie Fly Pattern

Green Weenie

The Green Weenie is a killer fly during the summer months, and it’s equally productive in the fall.  Much like the hoppers, inchworms will still be out crawling around in October and they can provide trout a protein-rich snack at a time when they’re trying to pack on the pounds.  This fly is also perfect for small brook trout streams or other freestoners where fish are opportunistic and aren’t terribly picky about size or color of the fly offered. 

While some might turn their attention to hunting and preparing for the long winter ahead, there is plenty of opportunity out there for the fall trout angler.  The fish know that this is the time to pack on as much weight as they can for the months to come, and as such the action can be nonstop!  Having these four flies with you, and using them confidently, will go a long way to setting up for success this fall! 

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Categories: Fall Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing For Trout, Match The Hatch
fly fishing hoppers grasshoppers summer

3 Hopper Tactics to Catch More Trout

04 Aug
0 939 Post by

It’s no secret that terrestrials are both fun to fish and incredibly effective at luring up big trout from the depths. 

In terms of protein, ants and beetles certainly pack quite a punch, but it’s the hopper that really makes trout go crazy.  These buzzing bank-dwellers jump through tall grasses and sometimes errantly fall into streams, much to the delight of fish. 

While hatches of spring and early summer garner the attention of most anglers, it’s this mid-summer action that can provide some of the best dry fly fishing of the year!  Here are three tactics to keep in mind over the next few months as hopper season rounds into form. 

Make It Move

Imagine what a live hopper would do if it errantly fell into the water:  it would kick violently working to get back to shore, and this gives anglers an important clue on how they should fish these flies.  A favorite method is to crouch down along the bank, cast it upstream or straight away, and using short, intense strips to retrieve it back towards us.  This movement will perfectly mimic a live hopper that would be scrambling to make it back to land before it winds up in the belly of a hungry brown trout! 

Fish Opposite of Mayflies

Fishing with mayflies usually means attempting to get perfectly drag-free drifts in the midst of a hatch.  As trout gently sip these morsels from the surface, the hope is that our fly looks perfectly natural drifting along with the natural current speed. 

Throw all of this out the window when it comes to fishing hoppers!  Anything goes with these larger dry flies, and they can be fished in a number of different ways.  They can successfully be fished upstream, on a downstream swing, or in tiny pockets with a little rod skitter. The finesse and subtlety of dry fly fishing does not apply to hoppers! 

  • Upstream cast.
  • Down-and-across swing.
  • Skittering across the surface.

Cover Water

Unless trout are really keying in on terrestrials, most fish will turn their nose up at a size 12 hopper drifting by in July when flows are low. 

The very nature of these flies will turn off certain fish and spook them before we even have a chance.  That comes with the territory, and it’s important that anglers play off of this by covering more water.  If only a fraction of fish in a given section will actively feed on a hopper, it’s best to target those fish and move on to the next run or grassy bank.  By doing this all day long, we can show the hopper to as many fish as possible and get the maximum number of opportunities. 

The fishing isn’t terribly unlike streamer fishing where the cadence is “cast, cast, two steps upstream, and repeat.”

Hopper season brings some of the most exciting times of the entire year.  Anglers lose sleep at night thinking of trout moving from several feet away to engulf a hopper twitched several times off of the stream bank.  It can definitely be a challenging time of year as well, and these tactics can go a long way in helping you watch more 18-inch brown trout track down and attack a parachute hopper retrieved back towards the bank! 

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Categories: Dry Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing For Trout, How to Fly Fish, Learn By Technique, Summer Fly Fishing
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