Turning curious into biter.

[Piker20 0]

Had a stroll along a local stream tonight and in a couple of pools small trout were showing an interest in my fly and following but either turned away as the fly reached shallower water or I tried to increase speed to tempt a snatch, or stop retrieve to see if fish grab as it sank. Tried upping the size of fly and tried different styles of fly but all the same response. The fish were trout and around 8-10inch. How big hook wise do you small water guys go for little brook trout?

Any hints on getting a bite.

[Stevester 0]

Sure they weren't catching site of you? Maybe their natural caution overcame their initial curiosity after chasing the unnaturally moving fly. Could also be a drag issue. Try a dead drift.

 

Steve

[netabrookie 0]

Piker, I usually go with a size 14 or 16 and then go smaller if need be. It will drive you nuts when they follow a fly but don't take it. I sometimes switch off to something completely different and try again. If I see one follow a nymph without it seeing me then I will try a dry. Sometimes it works but sometimes it don't. Sometimes a different color nymph works...if I am using a hares ear and see an interest but no take then I will try a pt or prince nymph. Again, sometimes it works but sometimes it doesn't.

[kennebec12 0]

If the water is fast and they won't take "natural" nymphs like a PT or Hares Ear I usually try copper john like nymphs in different colors sz 12-14 and usually with a bead head, red being the most productive for me personally (actually I do this so often on certain streams I just start with red copper johns). For action I try a natural approach first, then ridiculous like dragged across the current in very short fast bursts. If the water is slower it's more difficult and I usually try one of two things, first a natural looking dry with an odd feature (like orange wings) sz 14-16 dead drifted, or I go for sz 18-22 midge patterns (any color never seems to produce consistent strikes). And a couple of non-fly things: stay out of sight and don't clomp on the banks or splash in still water (I've literally tiptoed on cut banks and seen trout shoot out and hide and never come back out), and if they don't take one of my second options, I go fish another stretch and they forget all about me in a half hour (works especially good if your walking upstream because when you come back you can fish the pool by landing the fly in current just above the pool and let it drift in without line landing right above them).

[Crackaig 0]

Would love to know which local stream you found brook trout in? I suspect I know where you were. 8 to 10 Inch fish are good fish in there. I had an interesting discussion with Alistair a while back about developing the river for trout fishing as part of the hydro scheme.

 

Try a duo. Something like a size 16 dry trailing a quick sinking, smaller nymph 2 to 2 1/2 feet behind. I use a wire bodied size 20 nymph.

 

Another cause may be micro drag. You could try tying on your fly with a fixed loop knot.When the fly is hit by small cross currents a knot tied tight to the eye will not let it move as it should. This improves the presentation of spinner patterns hugely.

 

Without seeing what you are doing it is all guess work. Give me a shout and I'll wander along with you.

 

Cheers,

C.

[Piker20 0]

It'll hopefully be next week when I get out again. I was suprised the size of some of the fish. I tried a dry to begin but very little signs of rises so stuck to a wet presentation.

[Adventure568 0]

I find that picky trout will eat something on the bottom. I was once fishing a small waterway with about 40 trout in it. All of them would not take anything. So I put on a small streamer and let it sink to the bottom, then I quickly twitched it and it was kicking up mud. The trout were all over it. If the trout in your situation don't take anything, try throwing a streamer to the bottom and kick up the dirt\mud\sand with it. They will probably be very interested

[phg 0]

Brook trout have largish mouths for trout. A 6" brookie will readily take a size 12 fly, if it's hungry.

 

You piqued their curiosity, but didn't present the right trigger.

[Piker20 0]

Yeah its was clear they were curious just not finding the pattern they needed to grab.

[André Ribeiro 0]

Most of the time trout feeding habit is opportunistic, if your fly (specially dries) have a natural drifting they are not picky. So it could be eventually a drag and a unnatural drift, or some not usually color on the fly (not probably).

About the size of the hook, it depends. What are the most available food in this creek, acquatic insects (these nymphs and larvae) or terrestrials?

[Piker20 0]

The most common insects are small sedge, midge and small upwing flies. So larvae I've seen tend to be mayfly family, stonefly and caddis. I think it may have been just one of those days.

[André Ribeiro 0]

It seems to be small ones (most of them), in this case I guess #16 is the top limit to keep the surface footprint and the pattern size compatible with the available food.

[ikerajala 0]

I've caught little 8 inch brookies on muddler minnows size 8 or 6 hook. But it sounds to me like you should try a small wet fly like a soft hackle or a leadwing coach man works for most small stream trout. Like about a size 12. Also try a killer bug. Like a frank sawyer killer bug? Ive had some great days of fishing with one of those!

[Crackaig 0]

Got to point out that Colin isn't fishing for brook trout, but brown trout in a brook (of more precisely a burn)! We don't have brook trout here.

Cheers,

C.

[Piker20 0]

Yes browns are the specific fish but I was really interested to begin with what sizes guys fished for brookies with as lots I see are of approximate size. Ask about browns and you generate lots of advice for fish over 10oz which these will never be.