The big
hatches of summer have certainly slowed down but there are still enough bugs
active to keep things interesting. The fish do tend to be a little less
selective at this time of year and sometimes it seems that any pattern will
attract at least some attention (especially from the tiddlers). But there are
still certain patterns that tend to hook the most, and biggest fish.
Backswimmers
and Waterboatmen are at the top of my list. Populations are at their greatest
numbers in the fall, and characteristics of their behavior expose them to
feeding trout more than at any other time of year. Regardless of what’s
hatching, trout maintain a well-developed search image for these bugs and will
rarely pass up the opportunity to pounce when they encounter one out in the
open.
Waterboatman (Corixidae) - adult with fully formed wings |
My
preference is to stalk rising fish from a float tube – I usually work the edges
of weedy shoals in 2-6 feet of water (this requires a slow and deliberate
approach). Cast your fly on a floating line within a foot or so of the rise,
twitch it a few times and then let it sit. If you don’t get a hit within a few
seconds, start your retrieve – a series of quick 1” pulls with a long pause.
Hits can come during the retrieve, or the pause; watch your fly line carefully
on the pause – if it moves, set the hook.
A calm evening at a local trout lake - perfect conditions for spotting rising fish |
Beautiful light on that lake, hope you had a succesful outing there!
ReplyDelete