It's Time

It's that time of year again when we start to stalk the big brown trout that have decided to venture out of their deep haunts in search of a mate and suitable spawning grounds. Thought I would post a few helpful hints for those that are new to the game of stalking these fish with fly rods in hand. I'm not going to write a disclaimer about not harassing these fish while they are on their redds doing their thing. You already know that, so just enjoy the read. Good luck and hope you get lucky too.

 

1) October is the time!...They are starting to move up right now. They're not full blown love sick yet, but they are moving. Get out and begin your search, especially on overcast days. 

2) Be stealthy...You must dress for success. Neutral, drab colors are a must. Stay low and don't highlight yourself. I know it's hard to stay crouched down, but it could really make a difference. Also, remember to wade carefully. Be quiet and sure footed. Stay out of the water as much as possible to keep the disturbance to a minimum.

3) Feed 'em meat...LEAVE YOUR MIDGE BOX AT HOME. Think big streamers and other sub-surface flies. They're not concerned about you matching the hatch. They want a big meal. They need the energy to help them get through this stressful time. They are also in a defensive mode. Big streamers give them a meal as well as something to vent their frustrations on. THEY WILL hit a streamer out of frustration.

4) Use the right gear...This is not the time to try out your new 2 wt. rod. Leave that shit at home! There's no need to stress these fish out trying to land them on inferior gear. Below is a list of suggested gear to use in order to get the job done without killing these fish. 

Rods - I recommend rods in the 6-8 wt. range. This will give you enough backbone to land good fish as well as to throw the big grocery flies that we mentioned.

Reels - Use a good reel with a quality drag. These fish WILL run when hooked. You also want a large arbor reel in order to bring in line as quickly as possible. This helps when they decide to run toward you in an attempt to gain enough slack to throw your hook. 

Lines - I like to use a running line with a shooting head set-up. This allows me to change my line sink rates at will. Remember, we're probably not going to be throwing dry flies. Throw big streamers and be prepared to run them at different depths if needed. The ability to change out your sink tips can really come in handy when they're staging in deeper water before moving up.

Leaders - Don't skimp. Go with the fluorocarbon leaders and tippet. Several advantages to using it here. It's not as visible in the clear water, it's more abrasion resistant and it sinks better than mono. Also, go with at least 3x if you think you can get away with it. They will violently strike a streamer at times. You don't want to get broken off on the take. This becomes a real possibility with lighter leaders and tippet.  

Well, I hope this helps answer some questions for a few people. We've had several inquiries about this subject at the shop recently. After all, it is that time of year when our thoughts drift towards the hunt for big spawning browns. There are many different thoughts on the best ways to pursue these fish. The most important thing is to be careful and to respect the whole process. These are magnificent fish and we need as many as we can get to successfully spawn. Please be careful and enjoy the pursuit. Fishing for migrating fish is the ultimate fly fishing experience in my book. Get out and enjoy it. Good luck!