At the Missoulian Angler, the jig nymph has positively changed fly fishing success rates to such a point they outsell standard nymphs a pace of 3:1. They are considered to be some of the best trout nymphs by many. Unless a very specific hatch matcher is needed, it’s rare for anyone in the fly shop to recommend a standard nymph. Why has the jig nymph so quickly and completely changed the way we fish? For all the same reasons the jig nymph will change the way you fish whenever you decide to catch some fish and go deep!
It starts with a slotted tungsten bead. The fishhook is a
product of 1000’s of years of design, and it’s designed so it aligns itself in
the water shank up, hook point down. By definition, a jig rides hook point up,
shank down. It’s the tungsten bead, with its high density and excellent weight
to size ratio that changes the hook from riding point down to point up. Of
course, enough weight to offset the balance of the hook also means the jig fly
sinks faster than a classic nymph tied with a standard bead.
We all want our trout nymphs close to the bottom, and the tungsten bead helps in that aspect. But as every angler knows, the bottom is also an excellent place to snag. This often starts the process of re-rigging, which often gives us a chance to closely examine the cost benefits of being close to the bottom. The jig style nymph shines in this aspect as well.
Riding hook point up, the jig nymph is significantly less prone to snagging on the bottom. You can do it, but with the hook point up, there’s less chance of snagging to a point you can’t get your fly back. When you see the jig nymph is less prone to snags, you’ll regain the confidence that every fourth cast won’t be so costly. You’ll start to work closer to the bottom, where the fish are looking for food. The tungsten jig s get you closer to the bottom, and snag less. You fish longer, rig less, and stop worrying about cost benefits!
Many jig nymphs are the flies you’re already using, tied on an inverted hook. The Pat’s Rubberlegs, Pheasant Tail Nymph and Hare’s Ear Nymph immediately come to mind. These flies produce everywhere a line gets wet. Now they’re available as jig nymphs, and these top producers just got more effective. If you’re looking to ease your way into jig nymphing, going with a classic fly, inverted as a jig, to jumpstart your entrance into this fly style.
The jig style has also spawned its own style of fly. Loosely known as the Perdigon, this jig nymph is sparse and has a coated body. It’s designed to sink rapidly, getting where the fish are faster than any other nymph we sell. Make sure to vary your sizes, to match your local insects. Be ready to be closer to the bottom, and then be ready to start taking more and bigger fish! It’s what the jig nymph is all about!
Here is a list of some of the best nymph patterns tied with the Jig style hook that work across the country.
A fly box is a lot like your underwear drawer. It holds
what’s important, it keeps our secret treasures, and we use it as often as
possible! There’s nothing so personal in fly fishing as your flies. Say what
you want about your rod, reel, waders etc, there are others with the same
stuff. We all dip into the same well for our big tackle, we all have access to
the same sources. But our flies, that’s a completely different picture. As we
move through the fly fishing world, the only thing that truly separates us as
anglers is the flies we take with us to the river.
Every fly box is a story. Open any box and the memories come flooding back. The salmon fly you got from that crazy guy on the river. You said howdy, and next thing he’s giving you flies he tied, and telling you it’s the only fly that works on Rock Creek right now. With his sun faded hat, wispy gray hair and wrap around glasses so dark you can’t see his eyes, he makes you take two, because one isn’t going to be enough to sustain you through the day. If you hadn’t lost one in some overhanging branches, it wouldn’t have been tugged all day, but you’ll never forget the kindness, the joy of his fishing, and the nagging thought about who thought it was a good idea to use a green and red fly during the salmon fly hatch!
You open your nymph box, and see the rows and rows of flies slid into their foam homes. Except the one section that’s bare. You know that means a trip to the fly shop, because of all the flies in that box, those are the ones that work. Why you’ve honed in on the SR Quill Body Bullet, well, you just don’t know. But it works, and all of a sudden, all those other flies feel lost without a fresh supply of the new favorite. It will take its place beside all the old favorites, some so out of favor the rust has stained the foam. But there they stay, because you just never know . . . . . .
Once in a while, we look back and think, what if we just had one fly box, like when we were first starting out fly fishing. We hear rumors of anglers who can do it! Look at those Tenkara people, roaming the river with technology that harkens back to Dame Juliana and maybe a dozen flies. If only we had that intestinal fortitude and certainty in our choices. But some anglers can’t, and more just won’t! The fly is the one piece of tackle that comes into contact with the fish. Your flies are a beacon of hope, the answers to our fishing prayers, the path that could make us king of the river. What if today is the day a green and red salmon fly is the magic? Can we really leave it at home? The what ifs start to accumulate. So you rationalize. Do I really need a sandwich in that vest pocket? Just how critical is a pocketful of snacks. And then you go hungry, for flies. And its not the first time, as you think back to the last time you went to the fly shop!!
Ultimately, the fly is the thing you have the most control over on the water. You don’t design rods, you don’t manufacture lines. But if you choose to, you can make your own flies. Or you can haunt the fly shops, looking for the one fly that will turn the ship around. So often, as we work the shop, a customer will enter. Asked if they need help, the answer is no, they just couldn’t pass by a fly shop. Hope springs eternal! We know it’s at least a $20 sale, whether it’s flies or materials. Because they know, they just know, that the secret could be in our fly bins. What the secret is, well they’re not sure as they walk through the door, but they’ll know it when they see it.
We see the best fly fishing guides in Missoula on a daily basis during the season. It’s so much fun watching the different ways they shop for flies. Some will look at every fly they buy, holding it up so they can see it from the bottom, examining each wrap for its placement and balance. Some assiduously count their flies, never buying an even number. Some just reach into a bin and grab what looks like the correct amount, like they’re buying by weight. Some come in groups, discussing the various patterns and what’s hot, what’s not. But always, they’re on the lookout for something new, something fresh, something to guarantee their guests have the best Missoula fly fishing possible. They trust us to have what they need, when they need it.
Because, truth be told, we’re the exact same way. We believe the fly is the answer, the game changer, the key to our happiness. Sure, we mend, we change tippets, we get new line, we look at new rods. But when it comes to flies, we are constant tinkerers. What can we add that makes us better. What fly is so hot it scorches the wooden bins? People marvel at our dollar box. “How can that fly be there?” Every fly in the dollar bin is a hope that wasn’t answered as well as we thought it would be, every fly is there because we thought it was the answer, and then, not so much. But none of those flies that have been relegated to that bin are so silly we wouldn’t try them again at some point, maybe when the scorcher has lost its fire. That’s when we look for the rust spots in our nymph box, hoping that absence has made the trout’s hearts grow fonder.
Because no one cleans out their fly box. The rust? It may work as an attractant. A red and green salmon fly? Funnier things have happened. And what if it turns out you do need a Purple Haze with no hackle? There it is again, what if. That’s what flies are all about. Each one has the potential to change the day. Each one has the ability to be the next big thing. Again, it all boils down to what if. So they stay in the box, in all their glory, some ragged, some rusty and some ridiculous. But all carrying the possibility, all carrying the potential, all with a chance to solve the riddle, charm the snake and make your Montana fly fishing day!
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we need
every villager we can find at this point. No one is less prepared to handle the
rigors of this pandemic than children, and few are being hit harder. Uprooted
from their routine, hearing disturbing news they barely understand, adjusting
to new home situations without the safety net of their friends. It’s a
testament to children and parents that the kids are still sane. It feels like every
day, one more thing is taken from kids’ covid-tinged lives. The county fairs.
Summer camps. Little League and Soccer. And as always, because kids don’t pay
taxes, they get the short end of the stick.
The Missoulian Angler is part of the village. We see what’s happening, and we said we need to do something about it. Instead of taking, we’re going to add something. We’re working with a handful of Missoula’s most eager and professional guides to offer kids between the ages of 9 and 18 a day on the water for $260, done and dusted. Flies, tackle, the whole nine is provided. The price of $260 is for 1 or 2 kids.
How can we offer this for $260? First, the Missoulian Angler doesn’t take a dime for these services. That’s the easy part. Then we’re looking to the future with our Missoula fly fishing guides. It’s a tough business, guiding. A great job with lots of perks, but a tough business. 2020, and this will shock you, is not looking all that rosy for guiding and tourism. If we can get some deserving guides a few extra days on the water, that may well mean the difference between staying a guide or heading off to find new employment. This pandemic is going to end, and we’re going to need guides down the road. If they’ve all sought greener pastures, then what do we do when we need them again? We’re not trying to hide anything. This will help us in the long run, and bring some much needed days on the water to some of our guides in the short run.
It’s also a chance to introduce some kids to the joys of fly
fishing, and get others back on the water, with a guide who can sharpen their
burgeoning skills. Let’s be frank. It gets kids out of the house, out of the
yard, out of the Covid routine. It’s a bit of an adventure, its new, its
different, it’s a chance to be excited, not bored. Struggling for a learning
tool for outside the classroom education? Our guides don’t just row boats and
say “10 to 2!” They point out wildlife. They talk about biology and how trout
interact with their environment. They talk about ecology and our place in this
crowded, polluted world, and why its important to protect the environment. It’s
not one dimensional. It’s a full-on experience, a common denominator for so
many who live in Montana.
There are a couple of other caveats to the deal. We’re sorry, but this is open to Montana residents only. We don’t know what the response will be, but if it goes country wide, we might not have enough Montana fly fishing guides in the state! And Montana is a giant village, huge but interconnected. We’re staying in our village. To minimize any chance of contagion, we ask that kids meet the guides at the river, and they’re picked up at the river take out at the end of the day. We will keep the trip close to town to limit driving distance for parents. Trips will run from about 9am-2pm. We will also be disinfecting gear and any other frequently touch surfaces before each trip.
For so many, Montana fly fishing is an important piece of their lives. The Missoulian Angler fly shop wants to help pass that along, as well as help some of most afflicted and least represented covid-affected people in the state. It’s a chance to say, “Let’s pull together right now, provide a way we can help, and do it.” If you’re reading this and want to help but don’t have kids, talk to your neighbors that do. Or get in touch with us and donate a trip. We’ll find deserving young anglers to fill your generously provided seats.
Because we’re a village. It’s the children who are going to
inherit this covid-scarred world. They can either do it having had a miserable,
awful time, or they can do it knowing a ray of sunshine appears even on the
darkest days. It’s up to all of us to find ways to bring that sunshine into
these times for our kids. We think we’ve found a way.
Rivers probably won’t fish for another few weeks, so keep that in mind when asking for a float date. But after that, we want to take kids on the water all summer. If you have questions, call us at the shop at 728-7766. No, we’re not going to cure covid with a few float trips. But we are going to provide a bright spot for kids that have been cooped up and bored for the last 3 months. It’s our way of doing our part to shine some light in these darker times. We hope to hear from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and get some kids on the water. It’s a Montana tradition to help your neighbors. It’s a Montana tradition to recreate and fish in our amazing state. Every little bit helps. We’re so excited to see how many we can help.
What if you are an adult, but want to float with your child, or niece, or grandchild? We get it! So we’re also offering a one adult, one child float for $395.OO. Still a huge savings, and you’ll be on the water sharing the same experience. Since you’ll be bringing the child, the trip can range a bit further from town. We understand you might want to be a part of the day! This is how to make it happen!
We notice this phenomenon more around Salmon fly time, but it’s a year round occurrence. An angler walks in and says to us, “The Pteranarcys are 2mm shorter this year than they were last year. Do you know why that might be?” And after we mumble some professional sounding lingo, jargon and hogwash, he says he needs some flies. We sell him some Orange Stimulators a size 6.
The next angler walks in the shop and says, “I hear the Salmon Flies are on the water. Any truth to that?” As professional fly shop people, we’re more able to answer that than biology questions, so without mumbling or jargon, we let him know where and when. Again flies are needed, so we grab some size 6 Orange Stimulators.
The next angler (often a bit older) walks in and says, “I
seen the Willow Flies out last night. So I need some Willow Flies and
Hellgrammites.” Again, as professionals, we don’t mumble and we don’t worry
about the nomenclature. We get some size 6 Orange Stimulators, and a few Black
Double Bead Stoneflies as well. And another angler heads out to meet, depending
on their perspective, the Pteranarcys Californicus emergence with females at
risk returning to lay eggs, the Salmon Fly hatch, or the Willow Flies. Bottom
line, they all bought the same fly.
This is the joy of fly fishing. It’s why we all come back
year after year to pursue trout with the long rod. Because it makes us happy.
And as with so many things in life, happiness is in the eye of the beholder.
For some, the capture and examination of insects is absolutely the most fun
they can have on the water. Contrast that with Thomas McGuane, who said,” In
the future, I plan to become a fine streamside entomologist. I’m going to start
on that when I’m much too old to do any of the 2,000 things I can think of that
are more fun than screening insects in cold running water.” Like they say down
South, there’s a tick for every dog!
We’re bombarded every day by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and three new apps we don’t even know the names of, all touting the best and only way to fish. They have pictures with circles and arrows and diagrams on the back, all explaining why their angling is superior to yours. Euronymphing!! Match The Hatch! How to fish during run-off. Go big or go home. Dry or die. We’ve heard them all, and if the truth were known, not one of them has it right. Oh, they have it right for a few, but they miss the big picture as they use a sledgehammer to pound home their tiny little vision of fly fishing.
We know anglers who fish dawn to dusk as often as they can, from January to December. We know anglers who only pull the rod out when the Willow flies are on, and anglers from all points in between. They go and do what they do because it makes them happy. And really, isn’t that why we all go fishing? Some can wander the stream for hours without ever casting, watching the swallows work the hatch. Some will camp next to the river, so they can be there as the sun rises and the fish begin to move, making their first cast at first light to the first available fish.
Some will only pursue Atlantic Salmon or Steelhead. Some feel the call of the ocean as if it was the clarion call of a bugle to battle. Some will walk the edge of a one acre pond, chasing the wily blue gill as it goes about it’s panfishy business. We all know these anglers, we all wonder about what makes them tick. And we want to share the REAL secret of fly fishing with them, to give them our insight into why they should be on the water. We want them to know our truth about fly fishing.
When, in fact, the real
truth is so much simpler.
They’re happy. They’ve found their spot. They might not have
15 fly boxes. They might not own 27 fly rods, from a 6’ 1wt through 14’ 9 wt rod. Perhaps they
bought their flies at a local gas station on the way to the crick. They’ve made
their decision, and it’s a good one. They went fly fishing. They got on the
water, and they got there on their own terms. That’s enough for most anglers.
While people compete in fly fishing, it’s not a competition. It is, depending on your viewpoint, a way of life or just a warm weather activity that gets you outside. Neither is wrong. Don’t judge yourself by others. You can go to our website and find some of the best fly fishing information available. But we readily admit, we’re not like most people! We live our lives at the far end of the bell curve, and understand that. We’re here to help in any way we can, be it providing information that propels you from accomplished to expert, or simply available to show you how to tie a clinch knot. We learned a long time ago not to judge others with the same yardstick we use for ourselves.
So whether you’re matching the hatch, dead set on identifying the mayfly the trout are eating, or if you’re mesmerized watching the swallows wheel and swerve to eat some random bug, stay happy on the water. You are your own yardstick, and don’t let anyone tell you differently. This is a hobby- we don’t know of anyone fly fishing for sustenance. We don’t have to go fishing, we get to go fishing! And while there’s a huge world of information out there, it’s always your choice to utilize it or not. We hope you do. We’re here to help, online or in the shop, when you do. But if you never make that move, it’s OK. Fly fishing can be deep as the ocean, or shallow as a rill. Find your spot, and get your feet wet. It will make you happy!
As Euro Nymphing becomes more and more popular, the strike indicator is going through another major change. No longer is it the bobber we’ve come to know and trust- the indicator is becoming a more subtle and delicate apparatus. And that may be a very good thing.
We all remember the first time we saw a Thing-A-Ma-Bobber. For many nymph fisherman, it immediately became the go-to rig. They never sink, float better than corks and are easy to see. But about 3 years ago, we started to hear rumblings out of the Bighorn valley that trout were becoming wary of the Thing-A-Ma-Bobber and their progeny. Whether it was the heavy entrance into the water, or the actual presence of the indicator above the fly, Bighorn guides felt the indicator was negatively impacting their catch rate. Many Bighorn guides have gone back to balloons, the old Polypropylene indicator or the New Zealand Wool indicator.
One of the interesting aspects of the Thing-A-Ma-Bobber style indicator is its size, and the size most people choose to use. If you’ve ever gone swimming and played with a ball in the water, you know how much air wants to float! Even swimming a 6” ball to the bottom is a struggle. The standard 3/4” Thing-A-Ma-Bobber would float 4 Double Bead Stone Flies (if that was legal in Montana) with no problem.
The larger the indicator, the more it disturbs the water as it
lands and affects the drift of the fly. The smallest Thing-A-Ma-Bobber floats
almost any Montana nymph rig, and as it floats lower, it’s more sensitive. This
applies to any high floating bobber style indicator. Smaller is better when it
comes to stealth and sensitivity. Yes, it’s more difficult to see, but that
might be a small price to pay, if the low floating indicator does a better job
of transmitting strike information.
There’s a variety of multi-color tippets on the market. The
Thing-A-Ma-Bobber comes in Red/White, the Thills Balsa indicator is Orange/Fl.
Yellow, while the foam Palsa indicator comes in 4 colors. Bi-color indicators
are so much better at indicating subtle strikes, as a multi-colored object
makes movement detection much easier. It’s why classic spinning bobbers are red
and white- easy to see, as the line created by the two colors detects motion much
better than a solid color indicator.
The Thills Balsa Indicator is even more sensitive because of the
long, tapered white peg that keeps the leader in place. When properly sized and
rigged, the white peg is pulled vertically by the weight of the rig. The peg,
as it stands tall, makes reading the movement so much easier. It works like a
classic old school panfish bobber, that wiggles side to side to indicate a
nibble. The white peg, with its additional length, exaggerates the movement of
the indicator and makes strike detection much easier.
The Palsa indicators are also a favorite. These sticky back foam
indicators land as softly as any indicator we sell. While the double dot shape
is designed to have the adhesive back removed and then folded over the leader,
the crafty angler has two different colors of Palsas in their kit. Instead of
folding the single color indicator over, take two halves of different colors
and paste them together. Instant Bi-color indicator. If you need more
floatation or a larger size, use two different colors in their full size.
There’s no doubt the glue from the Palsa
Indicators leave a residue on your leader, making depth adjustment annoying,
especially when trying to go shallower. Again, the crafty Palsa user attaches a
tippet ring about 4” away from where the Palsa is attached. The tippet ring
allows you to change depth without having to remove the foam residue left by
the Palsas. When changing to a new indicator, just put right over the old
residue and keep fishing.
The classic Wool Indicators have proven themselves on spooky
trout for years. This style indicator is the softest landing indicator we know
of, and because it’s wool it’s size can be infinitely adjusted. Make sure you
put floatant on the wool. We’re not in New Zealand, where they pull the wool
off the barb wire fences, which is raw and flushed with lanolin. Treated wool
needs floatant to extend its floatation. It’s very easy to create a bicolor
indicator with wool, as well as control the size. It’s our most adjustable
indicator, and can be as sparse or as sizable as needed.
The bicolor monofilament is proving to be very effective, and not just for euro Nymphing. Available in Fl. Green/Fl. Orange and Black/White, the colors alternate every foot. While the bicolor tippet can be used as is, many are tying blood knots with the bicolor indicator, and leaving about an inch of tag on each side of the knot. The little tag ends of leader provide two things. They add a little floatation to the rig, as well as providing a twitch when the fly is taken or hitting the bottom. If you’re nymphing, a tippet ring is very useful to keep the blood knotted indicator whole. We have also found that the bicolor indicator works very well when using emergers as well, as the take to your slightly sunken emerger is easily detected. As the bi-color tippet is used more, there are going to be a lot more uses that will appear, and we will keep you posted as we discover them.
There’s a wide world of indicators out there, so much more than
the Thing-A-Ma-Bobber and other bobber shaped indicators. Which is not to say
the Thing-A-Ma-Bobber is obsolete or useless. But there are other indicators
available, and they will widen your nymphing options. You can add stealth to
your game, as well as utilizing the multiple colors that help detect strikes.
The next time your looking at indicators, widen your gaze. You might find that
your catch rates go up when the fishing is tricky.
Slabside. Pig. Brother Two Foot. Doesn’t matter the slang you use, lifetime fly fishing memories are made as you venture on the water, sights set on the size of the result. But how do you find them? What’s the secret for locating that fish of a lifetime? Here’s a couple of hints to get you off the dinks and into the Dawgs!
The first step is to do a little homework, and go where big
fish live. For some, it may be higher altitude lakes or a tailwater river. We
try not to rub it in, but Montana has a surplus of big trout, and we know how
lucky we are. If your home river is a stocked stream that hits 80 degrees in
August, then its not going to hold too many large trout. A big fish in that river
may be 11 inches! A trophy if you know about the water, but maybe not the photo
op you’re looking for. Once you decide to land a big trout, you need to go
where you actually have the chance to catch one, whether you’re driving or
flying. It might take a bit of planning.
Big trout are a direct application of trout biology. This is the reason you paid attention in seventh grade. While it should go without saying, big fish get big because they have a continuous, abundant food source. They survive because they have protection from predators, and grow because they have a place to live where they don’t need to expend a lot of energy, which uses up those precious calories. These are the three things trout need to attain size. You need to find big fish holding lies, and there are no road maps. Add to the equation that big trout are natural survivors, or they wouldn’t have gotten so big, and you have a pretty good puzzle to solve.
The first thing to do when deciding to target big trout is put away the dry fly. Sure, there are specialized times when big trout will come to the surface, but it’s not something to bank on. Big fish need more calories to sustain themselves and staying near the surface requires more energy, where most often the rewards don’t cover the energy expenditure. Add in large trout are survivors, avoiding exposure to predators, and the smart money goes under water.
One of the best pieces of advice ever is Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity- doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result! In order to start changing your result, you need to start changing your habits. If you always go to the same hole on Rock Creek in Montana, and always catch little fish, something has to change. And don’t count on an earthquake changing the nature of that hole! Take it a step further. If you always nymph with your indicator set at 3’, you might want to add some length. Change your depth. Put on a smaller fly than normally used, or a larger one. If you never use weight, maybe you should try some. Change your game, change your strategy. If it doesn’t work, so what! You’ve learned something, and while you didn’t go big, you weren’t going big before, so nothing ventured, nothing gained.
This might sound a bit contradictory to what was just said, but you still need to be familiar with the water you’re fishing before starting to take big fish. Very few anglers step into a new piece of water and start taking lunkers. You need to have some familiarity with where you’re fishing before the big fish will start to show themselves. And they do show themselves. Sometimes you find them by clumsy or inattentive wading. Who hasn’t walked to the edge of a river and spooked a huge fish from the bank. Remember that! Remember where you spooked that big fish! They’re coming back to that spot, because they were there for a reason. Make a note, and choose a different path next time.
Floating anglers have this built in, but for the wading
angler, the best tool they have for finding big fish are their boots! You are
NOT a tree- move your feet. Big trout don’t come find you, you go find them. The
more territory you cover, the better your chances are of finding a bigger fish.
This can prove to be problematic for the wading angler on larger rivers. Often
the topography simply doesn’t allow for a wide range of movement. Which is too
bad, as larger rivers hold a disproportionate number of big trout.
That’s another aspect of big trout hunting. The bigger the watershed, the bigger the trout. In Missoula, the Clark Fork River holds the largest Brown Trout and Rainbow trout in our area, simply because it’s a our biggest river. Everything is oversized, the currents, the lies, the food supply. You name it, it’s bigger. By comparison, though Rock Creek has the most trout per mile of any Missoula River, the average fish size is less than that of our other local rivers. When you’re on the prowl for Mr. Big, the journey often begins at a larger river, but this isn’t always the case.
As you cover more ground, be alert for any motion in the
water. Your movement along the river creates sensations that big trout don’t
enjoy, and the first time you spot a larger fish may be as it slides back under
the bank or sideways to a downed log.
Again, remember that spot! If a big trout is there now, it’s there later. Pay
attention as you walk the river. Remember, you’re not on salary! Slow and
watchful beats fast and careless 99 times out of 100. Walk like you’re being
paid by the hour. Of course, if you’re walking through ankle deep water, you
can move at pace, but the moment any decent water presents itself, slow down,
put your head on a swivel, and start looking for places of food, shelter and
low current speed.
Sid Gordon wrote a book called How To Fish From Top To
Bottom. He was paid to go to lakes and ascertain if there were any fish in
them, and if so, what were they. When coming to new water, he used a white pie
plate on a harness that he lowered into the water. If he had 6 feet of
visibility, he would cast his lure out and retrieve. If he had no strikes, he
would make his next cast 12 feet from the last. His theory, and its a good one,
is that if a fish is out and eating, they can see your lure. Whether the fish
eats or not can’t be changed, but why go over old ground. A 12’ casting radius
with 6’ of visibility covers the most water efficiently. A good lesson when
looking for any fish, but especially big ones.
Let’s go one step farther. Big fish are wary, and the act of
draping your fly line across the water is disturbing. Focus on what you’re
doing, and make the first cast your best cast. Results diminish with every cast,
so make the first one count. Unless you’re euronymphing, and making a very
light disturbance on the water, each successive cast is more intrusive and less
likely to take fish.
Earlier, we said look for fish sliding out of their feeding lanes and back under cover. Big trout are exceptionally structure oriented. If they’re not feeding, they’re under cover. When you go in search of big trout, have a lot of flies with you, because you’re going to lose some. Our Bitterroot River is known for trees in the water, grounded, stump end facing upstream. The root wad breaks the rivers flow, carving out deep side channels on each side. Those root wads scream big fish. Not surprisingly, they’re also full of roots! Which will snag your fly and keep it. It’s a risk/reward situation. Are you willing to put your bug where it needs to be, knowing you probably won’t get it back? That is a question every big fish fisherman asks before they cast. Is it worth it? Before you set out to chase Big Papa, you need to know the answer to that question.
Contrary to what was previously said, there are people who come to new water and catch big fish. They’re your everyday, average streamer junkie. You know that angler! Runs a 7 or 8 wt., doesn’t have a floating line, and the flies they throw are close to the size of a trout taking mayflies. They catch big fish. Because that’s all they’re going to catch. Biologists (back to 7th grade!) will tell you that a trout strikes only if they are at least 3 times the prey’s size. When you’re throwing a 6” streamer, unless you find a kamikaze trout, the smallest fish you’ll take is 18”! Specialized equipment for a specialized task. They keep score in a different way. A brutal yellow flash that turns aside at the last instant counts! You moved a fish as wide as most fish are long. It’s a different game when you’re hunting big fish, and a flash is almost as good as a strike! Keep this in mind, those big fish chasers remember that spot for the next time!
Big fish require different tactics, and a different level of commitment. You’re going to leave your comfort zone, and venture into a new area. It can be frustrating. Success is not going to come walking down the river to shake your hand. There will be days when fish count is lower than flies lost. Chasing big fish is a mindset. For many anglers, it’s not important. But as with all aspects of fly fishing, when you decide to learn something new, the spillover will up your game in every aspect. Learning to examine the water closely will pay dividends no matter what size fish you catch. Expanding your boundaries will quickly improve your casting. This may sound funny, but losing flies makes your knot tying faster and stronger. So as you bumble about on the water the first few times you target that Hooknose, know that whether you’re successful in the short run or not, expanding your fish size will expand your skill set, and that’s never a bad thing!
