| Fishing for Trout in a small creek or stream | | | | sometimes can even produce a twenty inch hog |
| differs a lot from days out on a lake or larger | | | | as well. |
| river. Most differences come in the form of size | | | | Match the hatch, or not! |
| and textures of your flies, but there are some | | | | Most Times I see people try to match food in the |
| details that are overlooked. Here are the top four | | | | stream too much. I am Not going to tell you that |
| overlooked strategies when it comes to fly fishing | | | | this is a bad idea, but if it is not working try |
| the smaller tributaries. | | | | throwing out something that is practical of the |
| Don't pre-judge size | | | | area you are fishing, but maybe not there during |
| Often times people tend to think the smaller the | | | | that particular time. Sometimes fish will hold up on |
| river the smaller the bait. This is not necessarily | | | | feeding in order to save their energy for a hatch |
| true. Last year, on a fishing trip with one of my | | | | or evening gathering they are anticipating. They |
| friends who is an outstanding dry fly fisher, I was | | | | may also be holding out for a more nutritious |
| reminded of this valuable lesson. On this trip we | | | | meal. If the fish are not biting on the usual flies |
| were to be fishing a tributary to one of my | | | | that your seeing try a dun pattern, a wolf |
| favorite rivers. I thought that this would be an | | | | pattern, a hopper, a stone fly nymph, maybe a |
| average fishing day, with no particularly large | | | | muddler minnow, or any other form of food that |
| trout, but that soon changed when he brought | | | | you have seen in that area before. Just keep in |
| out a twenty one inch cut-throat in the first few | | | | mind that these flies stated earlier might not work |
| casts, and numerous good sized fish after that. | | | | in all streams. |
| After hours of me fishing with my ordinary tackle | | | | Be different |
| and coming up empty handed, I asked him what | | | | In small streams people often shy away from |
| he was using. He showed me a size ten salmon | | | | terrestrial of flashy flies like a muddler minnow, |
| fly. I thought this was ridiculous for that size of | | | | beetle, ant, or hopper pattern. These flies can be |
| creek, but I tried the behemoth fly and on the | | | | great for bringing out some of those larger, |
| fourth cast landed a twenty inch brown trout. | | | | smarter fish. Last spring I had a once in a lifetime |
| This will remain a lesson I will never again forget. | | | | encounter with an obscure, yet fun fishing |
| Keep an eye on the choppy | | | | experience. Fishing in a stream no wider than my |
| Another lesson I learned from this outing is to | | | | eight foot fly rod I brought out three browns that |
| never overlook the choppier waters on these | | | | were over twenty inches, and managed to fish |
| smaller bodies. On a lager river the choppy waters | | | | for half an hour with a brown that was around |
| usually mean the fish will have to struggle to keep | | | | seven or eight pounds, which is a hog by any |
| their energy levels up, while feeding, for two | | | | standards for a stream that small, however with |
| reasons. The first is that there is less food in the | | | | my four pound tippet and the current working |
| faster moving water, and it is harder to catch the | | | | against me he managed to escape. All of these |
| food because of the faster moving currents. The | | | | fish were brought in, or at least hooked, by a size |
| second is because the choppy waters on a lager | | | | fourteen muddler minnow. Before that Trip the |
| river or creek has more volume moving through, | | | | thought had never crossed my mind to use such |
| therefore the water is moving faster than it looks | | | | a flashy fly in my fishing arsenal, and after that |
| or with more force than in a smaller stream or | | | | day it is now the number one thing I do when the |
| creek. However, on smaller stream there is | | | | fish just will not bite. |
| usually more food due to the conditions | | | | Since the age of eight I have enjoyed fishing the |
| surrounding these streams. Often these smaller | | | | small streams and tributaries. There is something |
| water bodies contain a lot more competition in the | | | | about these little known secrets in the fishing |
| pooled areas due to the smaller volume and | | | | world that can bring a great day to your fishing |
| better feeding grounds. This can result in some | | | | season. Another thing that can bring a better |
| trout having to venture into the choppier waters | | | | season is to take someone fishing with you, |
| to find food. For the best results on these swifter | | | | weather it be your wife, girlfriend, kids, a friend, |
| currents try to use the areas with minute back | | | | or a neighbor across the street, bring then fishing |
| eddies, small breaks, and traceable rock | | | | and I hope you all have a wonderful time. I hope |
| obstructions. These areas can produce a lot of | | | | these tips were helpful and have a great fishing |
| fish while you are moving between pools, and | | | | trip. |