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Stalking Large Trout on Dry Flies
by Rick Kustich
As I sat on the bank and stared downstream, mesmerized
by the flow of current and the constant motion of
feeding swallows, I heard the sound. It awoke me from my
trance. It was a sound that can be confused with little
else: a large trout lazily taking an insect on the
surface; that authoritative sound of upper jaw meeting
water.
I turned to look at the riseform. The large trout had
finally returned after I'd sent him deep with a poor
cast some 45 minutes earlier. My patience had been
rewarded with the possibility of a second chance. I
wait-ed for it to establish a rhythm, and this time made
no mistake. The big 'ole brown took my fly in the same
lip-smacking manner, and after a determined fight I
brought the plump 20-incher to hand.
Fly fishing has expanded into the pursuit of almost
every species that swims. I've had the good fortune to
experience most iterations of the sport; however,
dry-fly fishing for trout remains the most challenging
and exhilarating form of fly fishing for me. This is
especially true when the scope is narrowed to large,
wild, river-wise fish. The challenge of stalking large
trout with dry flies is so great that it has consumed
most of my fishing the past few years, and I've learned
a variety of techniques which can greatly improve the
odds.
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Picking
The Right River
The first-and perhaps the most obvious-step in
the process is selecting a river that is home to
big trout. Many good fisheries have emerged in
the last 20 years as a result of improved
regulations and water quality. Some of the best
are tailwaters; others are free running with
exceptional water quality. In either, however,
the key is habitat-habitat which supports
abundant insect life, and which affords a long
growing season. I prefer larger rivers where the
fish are mostly (or exclusively) wild. North
America's best include Montana's Gallatin,
Beaverhead and Missouri; the Henry's Fork in
Idaho; the Delaware system in New York and
Pennsylvania; Ontario's Grand and Alberta's Bow.
Some rivers are able to sustain large trout due
to their substantial baitfish populations, but
baitfish may keep the trout feeding deep,
thereby limiting dry fly opportunities. |
A good river, then, is one where healthy and diverse
insect populations produce consistent and prolific
hatches, and where the fish learn to feed on the surface
even as they grow older.
It normally takes a serious hatch to justify a large
trout expending the energy necessary to feed on dries,
so a basic understanding of a river's most significant
hatches is important. Some of this knowledge can be
gained through books and conversations at fly shops, but
the most valuable information will be that obtained
through observation. A thorough understanding of aquatic
insects will definitely pay off in situations where fish
are feeding selectively on a less-thanobvious insect or
stage of the hatch.
The Right Stuff
As with most types of fly fishing, presentation is the
key. Delicate casts and drag free drifts are a given,
and your choice of equipment and rigging will impact the
presentation. Rods of 4- and 5-weight will normally be
most functional to consistently make the casts required
of this type of fishing. My preference is for a smooth,
medium-action rod, as it will facilitate softer casts
and protect the light tippets often required to fool
large trout.
Leaders will need to be long-sometimes as much as 18
feet-with tippets of four or five feet. This type of
rig, combined with a stop or a dump cast, will create
the piles and curves in the leader necessary for a
truly-natural drift.
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Finding The
High-Percentage Lies
Finding large trout begins with an understanding
of what constitutes "high-percentage water."
Water temperature is always an important
consideration here, and the larger the trout,
the more important water temperature becomes.
Trout will travel incredible distances to find
comfortable water temperatures-water in the 42-
to 65-degree F. range. This is easy to find in
the spring and fall, but summer can be a
different story. Use your thermometer to find
the spring seeps that will attract and hold
concentrations of trout. |
In general, large trout will feed in softer
currents-those that require the expenditure of less
energy. They will also be more likely found in areas
where insect activity is funneled to create a large
concentration, allowing for maximum feeding with minimum
effort. Look at the slack water off the main flow, or
the long flat tails of pools, and pay particular
attention to eddies which afford both softness of
current and a collection point for insects. Also check
out the slow currents of side channels off the main
river.
Patience Is A Virtue
Dry-fly fishing for large trout requires patience. The
ability to search, stalk . . . and then wait are traits
central to success. This level of commitment may not be
for everyone, but being motivated to catch the largest
fish in the most challenging manner is part of our
progression as we mature as fly fishers.
I try to time my big-trout outings to coincide with a
hatch that holds the potential for bringing large fish
to the surface-a feat of timing that is easier said than
done. Understanding a river's main hatches, and the
anticipated time of year and day to encounter them, is
at the very heart of this approach. All the searching,
stalking and waiting you can muster will be for naught
if there's not a significant reason for trout to be
feeding on the surface.
I begin on familiar water, that which I know to hold big
fish. I arrive early to watch and observe. If a good
fish isn't working the surface, I won't cast. It may be
difficult to resist the temptation to blind cast or work
a nymph through the head of the run, but there's just no
sense in making the big boys nervous before they're
ready to feed.
The waiting period should be spent looking for signs.
The sporadic emergence of insects may signal the
beginning of a hatch; or the appearance of spinners over
the riffles that a spinner fall is near. Now is the time
to look intently for rise forms. It's not easy to pick
out a large fish feeding on the surface from among all
its smaller brethren, but there are a few important
indicators.
The first is water displacement: a large trout will
normally push a lot of water when it breaks the surface
to feed. In slow-moving water this may be all you need
to ascertain its size. The second is its physical
characteristics: sometimes a fish will have its head and
tail out of the water when it feeds, and the distance
between the two will give you a pretty good idea of its
length. Also, the size of the head can give away a
fish's size. The rule here is quite simple: big heads
are attached to big fish!
Understanding rise forms also can be important in the
selection of the artificial. If the fish's head appears,
or if you hear that lip-smacking sound, it's usually
feeding on duns or adults. Rise-forms where water is
pushed up or a slight splash occurs may indicate a fish
feeding on emergers just at or below the surface. Dimple
rises, on the other hand, are normally associated with
spinners floating motionless on the surface.
Position & Presentation
When a good fish has been identified, it's time to go to
work. The initial cast may be the most important, so
it's critical to choose a position that will allow for
accuracy and a drag-free drift. Survey the situation and
make the best choice. Wading must be done with care:
move slowly and don't scuff the bottom or push waves on
the surface, as both can spook the fish.
Once in position, establish the trout's feeding rhythm.
This is extremely important for stalking large trout.
The fish may feed on every natural, every fifth one, or
possible every twenty seconds or so. I have witnessed
fish that would rise to three insects right in a row,
followed by a lengthy break. The key is to determine the
rhythm and make your fly available when you feel the
trout will feed. It is also important to determine if
the fish is stationary or moving. Some fish will set up
in one lie and stay put the entire time, while others
slowly move up or across the pool.
When you've gained casting position on a large, rising
trout, the real fun begins. My preference is to cast
from an almost directly downstream position to minimize
the possibility of drag. The cast will actually be made
on a slight angle so only the fly drifts over the
trout's position and not the tippet. On some larger
waters it will be impossible to take a downstream
position. In this situation my cast will be made across
current. The best position is slightly upstream where a
stop cast combined with a reach can produce an
effectively-natural drift.
The cast should be made just upstream of the trout's
vision window. A trout in a good feeding rhythm usually
remains fairly close to the surface and its cone of
vision will be quite small, so a cast just a few feet
above its position will be sufficient. Too much of a
lead may cause the fly to drag by the time it reaches
the trout's position.
Try to determine if the fish has a preference for taking
the naturals to one side of its body or right down the
middle. This will affect where the fly should be laid.
If there is a pod of feeding fish, target only one-the
big guy!
Every cast is important. The first is often the most
difficult, as the proper line length must be calculated.
It seems to be of less consequence to err on the short
side. Try to keep the false casts to a minimum and
angled back so as not to cast directly over the fish's
head. In the fly's final approach to the water, reach
out to allow the line to run the proper distance. A
9-foot rod provides greater leverage with this manoeuver.
A sloppy cast will spook more fish than the wrong fly.
If it appears the trout has stopped rising because of a
poor cast, take a break and see if it establishes its
rhythm again.
If a fish moves to your fly but refuses to take, it may
be detecting a slight drag or outright questioning the
legitimacy of your fly. First attempt to improve the
presentation by making better slack line casts or
slightly altering the casting angle. If that still
results in no take, experiment with the fly. It's
essential to have a selection of flies covering all
stages of a hatch, with color and size choices. My
advice, however, is to concentrate on presentation-too
many fly fishers get caught up in fly selection, when
the real problem is presentation.
Be prepared to innovate when dealing with large trout.
For example, a fish feeding irregularly may need a
different approach. Be ready to present a fly to its
feeding lane immediately after it rises, as it will
often take another insect while still near the surface.
This is common behavior during sporadic hatches.
Chasing large trout with dry flies requires tremendous
patience, but offers fly fishing's ultimate challenge.
It requires going one on one with creatures which are
extremely in tune with their surroundings. These fish
didn't get big by being stupid. They've beaten
everything humankind and Mother Nature have thrown at
them to date, and they may just beat you too . . . but
what a way to go!
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