Helpful Hints
Some Tips For Summer Trout
Excerpted from ActiveAngler.com
Submitted by Dougald Scott
Helpful Hints
Some Tips For Summer Trout
Excerpted from ActiveAngler.com
Submitted by Dougald Scott
* In highly fished waters like the San Juan or the Green River, fish have been caught many many times. Eventually they become weary and very particular about what they will eat. If you are noticing that the fish are watching your flies but not taking them, no matter what you do, try putting on a smaller tippet. The tippet can often make the difference between catching a fish and not.
* Always remember to walk softly when approaching the water. Fish have a very keen sense of hearing, particularly they feel vibrations from your footsteps.
* Don't even bother fishing without polarized sunglasses. Their lenses reduce the glare off the water and allow you to see into the river. You'll be amazed at how much more you can see underwater. They also allow you to see your dry fly on the water when it would normally get lost in a glare.
* When sight fishing, you can see when a trout takes your nymph by watching for the white inside of their mouth to appear. Also, watch for them to move sideways in one direction. They may have moved over to catch your oncoming fly.
* Blend in with the surroundings as much as possible. By avoiding white and brightly-colored clothes, you'll be harder for the fish to see, and spook them less.
* Periodically, throughout the day, check your leader and tippet for damage. Just pull it through your finger tips and feel for nicks, knots and abrasions. These little nicks in the line may not seem like a problem, but they will be the weak spot that will break when you have just hooked that trophy fish.
* Why not double your chances of catching a fish? Get rid of that strike indicator and use a large attractor dry fly as an indicator. Then tie an emerger like an RS2 about 18" from the shank of the dry fly hook. If you're lucky, you may wind up with two fish on at the same time.
* Look around the area you are fishing to try and find what the trout might be feeding on. Look on the vegetation for insects, peek under rocks, and examine grasses hanging over the river. If any insects are floating on the water, catch one and examine it. Use a hand seine under the water, by holding it downstream as you overturn a few rocks and stir a little gravel. This will help you to see what insects are under the water. Then take all of this into account when you go to pick a fly from your flybox. Try to closely match the color, size, and shape of the insects that you found.
* When handling fish, always wet your hands first in order to protect the delicate layer of "slime" covering the fish's body. This layer of "slime" is vital to the fish's immune system. Also be sure to avoid any contact with the gills. These delicate organs are easily damaged. By keeping a fish out of water any longer than 30 seconds, you may risk causing the tiny membranes in the gills to dry out and not function properly.