Jump to content

Good flies for big selective western trout

Rate this topic


BobbyP

Recommended Posts


Hey guys just looking for a few ideas. I'm out working at a ranch in Montana which just so happens to be next to a great river. Anyway, I got here a few days ago and the first thing I did was go fishing. I found this one deep pool quite close by and it looked too good to not hold a fish. I tried quite a few flies including those that i caught fish on upstream but no takers. Over the last couple days I pretty much used every fly in my boxes and still nothing, until I decided to throw on a mouse fly just for the hell of it. After a few casts, I finally got the drift I wanted and what I was either a large brown or cut throat exploded on it, unfortunately missing the hook. Since then I have tried everyday with no luck at this spot. Any suggestions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep trying, you're not experiencing selectivity, just fussiness, big deep pools are not the easiest places to catch fish.

JC

__________________
Our tradition is that of the first man who sneaked off to the creek when the tribe did not really need fish. Haig-Brown
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Try swinging a 6 inch streamer in there on a sink tip and see what happens (if you havn't done so already).  They don't seem too shy about fly size if they are taking rodents. If you want to try a dry fly approach, a big Turk's Tarantula with a Pheasant Tail under it on the dropper is one of my go to foraging setups.  That has been effective for me on trout almost anywhere.



 



Hope it helps,



 



Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When i fished out there i never did great in those deep pools, but i caught my largest trout from one, ironically. The problem is that a deep pool (in Montana they call em buckets) gets fished hard because it is a obvious spot. Everyone knows the moby dick of trouts live in the pool or there could be a pile of fish sitting there, so the bucket is pounded to death by fly fisherman. My best advice is to stay away from the more obvious places to fish because every moron with a fly rod passes his flies through there. Read the surface texture of the water for changes and thats where the fish are chillin....you can throw anything through there and they will eat it up.

 

Yes, t he fish are sitting in those buckets so naturally you would want to fish where you know they're at. You will catch way more and bigger fish if you go after the ones that are careless and feeding happpily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Quote:

Originally Posted by Crs2006 View Post


Try swinging a 6 inch streamer in there on a sink tip and see what happens (if you havn't done so already).  They don't seem too shy about fly size if they are taking rodents. If you want to try a dry fly approach, a big Turk's Tarantula with a Pheasant Tail under it on the dropper is one of my go to foraging setups.  That has been effective for me on trout almost anywhere.



 



Hope it helps,



 



Chris





I've tried streamers but none that large. Unfortunately I don't have a sink tip line with me but I'll give it a shot. Its strange but I haven't really seen any rising fish despite the abundance of insects around. The only times I've seen risers is when they take my fly. Plenty of fish around, just no surface feeding that I've seen. Its getting pretty cold here already so that may be a factor. Thanks for the advice guys. 



 



Lines Tight,



 



Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try low light conditions, dawn and dusk. Fish on overcast days or even stormy days when the surface is choppy. Look for feeding fish either rising or flashing on nymphs. Match the hatch knowing that many times those big monsters eat flies the size of a pin head. Try the finest of tippets.

 

If the tiny stuff doesn't work, as already noted, go big, streamers, buggers, mice, etc, but again in the low light, even dark.

 

Agreed, if its a popular pool the fish have seen 10,000 artificial flies just this season, and in slow water they have a LONG time to inspect them.

 

What town are your near??

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Atriculated Butt Monkies, Sex Dungeons- big... Fish the banks with a mend that will get the head of the fly pointing downstream....;)

 

Big attractors- stimulators, hoppers, chubby chernobyls.

 

little droppers- rainbow warriors, lightning bugs, birds of prey.

I would ******* LOVE a grave blanket. icon14.gif
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilbey View Post

Try low light conditions, dawn and dusk. Fish on overcast days or even stormy days when the surface is choppy. Look for feeding fish either rising or flashing on nymphs. Match the hatch knowing that many times those big monsters eat flies the size of a pin head. Try the finest of tippets.

If the tiny stuff doesn't work, as already noted, go big, streamers, buggers, mice, etc, but again in the low light, even dark.

Agreed, if its a popular pool the fish have seen 10,000 artificial flies just this season, and in slow water they have a LONG time to inspect them.

What town are your near??

Alan



I'm near Missoula and I've been fishing the Blackfoot. I've been getting quite a few fish but nothing of any significant size. I have tried fishing in the mornings twice but both times it was so cold I was miserable and there was no action at all. In fact, it was so cold one morning that the water on my line was freezing to the guides on my rod. After talking to a few guides in the area, they admitted to me that the fish get active around mid-day onward. I guess I'll just have to keep trying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chances are, the Blackfoot has a good population of crayfish (and sculpins). Try fairly large crayfish streamers. My larger crayfish patterns measure about 3 1/2 inches. I fish big sculpins, too, but so do lots of other fly anglers.

 

Use either a class 3 to class 6 full sink or 150 (5wt) to 200 gr (6 wt) sink tip and a short leader of about 4 ft. The short, stiff leader turns over big, heavy streamers. My leader currently consist of about 12 inches of 30# Maxima Chameleon, 18 inches of 15 # fluorocarbon, and 18" of 10# fluorocarbon since I'm fishing super clear water. Normally, I'd use Maxima Ultragreen instead of fluorocarbon.

 

For about a month, I've been hammering rainbows and browns from 18 to about 25 inches. I also caught a 20 inch cutthroat and a roughly 18 inch cuttbow. I've lost some really nice fish, too.

 

I caught this little guy at dusk today on a 3 inch crayfish. Not huge, but a nice thick, healthy fish that pulled like a dump truck. This photo doesn't do it justice, since its body wasn't straight....quick pic before release.

1000

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Quote:

Originally Posted by Pendulauncher View Post

Chances are, the Blackfoot has a good population of crayfish (and sculpins). Try fairly large crayfish streamers. My larger crayfish patterns measure about 3 1/2 inches. I fish big sculpins, too, but so do lots of other fly anglers.

Use either a class 3 to class 6 full sink or 150 (5wt) to 200 gr (6 wt) sink tip and a short leader of about 4 ft. The short, stiff leader turns over big, heavy streamers. My leader currently consist of about 12 inches of 30# Maxima Chameleon, 18 inches of 15 # fluorocarbon, and 18" of 10# fluorocarbon since I'm fishing super clear water. Normally, I'd use Maxima Ultragreen instead of fluorocarbon.

For about a month, I've been hammering rainbows and browns from 18 to about 25 inches. I also caught a 20 inch cutthroat and a roughly 18 inch cuttbow. I've lost some really nice fish, too.

I caught this little guy at dusk today on a 3 inch crayfish. Not huge, but a nice thick, healthy fish that pulled like a dump truck. This photo doesn't do it justice, since its body wasn't straight....quick pic before release.

1000



Nice. This is the first time I've ever been using streamers and not gotten at least a few strikes. Kinda frustrating really. The hatches of BWO's and October caddis haven't really been great either or so I've been told. Where have you been fishing if you don't mind me asking?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's really simple. Use more split shot. I live about 2 hours south of Missoula, and don't let Montana FWP find you throwing big streamers down deep in that bucket because there's a decent chance they'll site you for targeting Bull Trout, which is prohibited on the Blackfoot. They can confiscate your gear if that happens. I would just put on some go-to Blackfoot patterns, like a stonefly nymph or red San Juan worm (disgusting, I know) and keep adding split shot. You'll get one out of there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought they were trying to get rid of the bull trout in those waters???

 

On the streamers don't get stuck in a pattern of fishing then across and downstream. One of the most effective methods I found for taking the bigger fish out of Montana rivers is to cast big streamers, sculpins mostly dead upstream and rip them back towards you. The strikes can rip the rod right out of your hands!!

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to register here in order to participate.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...