Will Ryan

Trout in the Tribs: How to Fish a Stream in Early Spring Part II

Sarah Smith — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:23:30 -0400

1.) Trib Mouth
Work a spinner, drift a nymph, or deep-drift a worm and split shot at the juncture of a trib and the main river. Probe the current seam between the tributary and the main flow. Add weight until you feel the split shot or lure tick the rocks. Bottom-fish the slack water created at the lower end of the current seam or the resulting deep pool. You may need to change positions to do both.

2.) First Riffle
Locate the first riffle upstream of the tributary mouth. This is a particularly good spot to focus on when the big river is running high and muddy, because it can likely hold any trout that might have worked their way upcurrent. Drift a worm, half of a nightcrawler, or a salmon egg through the patch of water running close to the bank or where the bottom disappears.

3.) First Pool
Fish thoroughly the first pool upstream. Trout always face the direction of the flow, so try to approach the pool from below. With bait, spinner, or nymph, fish the tail of the pool first, where fish will be most actively feeding. Work your way to the head, where fish will be closer to cover and less skittish. Stay low and cover every section of the pool with short and long casts.

4.) Cut Bank
Look for undercut banks, particularly in brown-trout streams. Ease to the head of the bank and let your wobbler, streamer, or spinner-and-worm drift downstream beneath the bank. Work the water slowly, holding the presentation in place for as long as 10 minutes. Drop it back in 1-foot increments. Approach the undercut softly so your footsteps won’t spook fish.

5.) Overhang
Seek out slow-moving, deeper stretches of stream with overhanging trees or brush. From downstream (previous page), use a bow-and-arrow cast to zip your lure, fly, or bait upstream. Grip the outside of the hook bend, arc the rod, aim, and release. From the upstream end (above), remove weight if necessary and pay out line so your lure or bait drifts far beneath the obstruction.

6.) Eddy
Drift bait or nymphs in circular or back currents, which will be slower than the main flow. Be sure to work the seams between the circular currents and the main current downstream. The center of the pool makes a good spot for bottom fishing. Cut a forked stick, add a split shot to your line, cast out a worm, and eat lunch while you wait for the rod to bounce.

7.) Largest pool
Focus on the biggest pool in any given stretch, as it will almost certainly hold the most and biggest fish, many of which probably wintered over and are still there. Fan-cast with spinners. Drift worms or nymphs through the head, middle, and tail sections. Fish the water closest to you first, then methodically cover the rest of the water, increasing the length of your casts as you do so.

8.) Fish Blockage
Work your way up to the first impassable pool, such as the one below a high falls. Deep-drift bait or nymphs, especially if there are spring-spawning rainbows, which will often stack up, nosing into the current. Approaching from downstream, try to make deep drifts through the deeper stretch with more current, as this is where fish may be staging. Keep a low profile.

Read Trout in the Tribs: How to Fish a Stream in Early Spring Part One here.

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Trout in the Tribs: How to Fish a Stream in Early Spring Part II

Sarah Smith — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:23:30 -0400

Read Trout in the Tribs: How to Fish a Stream in Early Spring Part One here.

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Trout in the Tribs: How to Fish a Stream in Early Spring

Sarah Smith — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:36:41 -0400

The stream usually requires but a hop, step, and jump to cross dryly. From my porch, I could see the water winking through the alders and briers and tangles. Trout season had just opened.

I was going in.

Afternoon temperatures were allegedly headed to 60 degrees, and I was ready to catch my first trout of the season—or try, anyway. The problem was my chalky, surging local river, which offered little in the way of angling dreams and far more in the way of mountain snowmelt.
I am a careless autumn leaf raker, or so I have been told, which has an upside on spring mornings such as this one. Within a few minutes I had a couple dozen worms and had headed off to the stream, where a few hours of fishing resulted in a runaway pair of sunglasses, renewed appreciation for the stem density of briers, and five trout, the largest of which was a satin-black native brookie that passed the vaunted 9-inch mark.

Spring angling’s star-crossed union of desire and dingy water is nothing new, of course. More than 50 years ago, H.G. Tapply wrote in Field & Stream, “Tell you first where not to catch trout this opening day—in your favorite trout stream.” Tap suggested a small stream, which he predicted would have lower, clearer, and warmer flows—to say nothing of fewer anglers.

I like to think that the brook behind my house would have met with Tap’s approval. I know he would have admired the brookie.

Small streams like mine are resilient in retaining or regrowing their trout populations. The health of any water is only as good as the health of the habitat around it, of course. But small streams tend to rise and fall more quickly than big rivers, and tend to hold their clarity longer, or at least regain it more quickly, even in the wake of wrath-of-God “weather events.” For instance, my stream receded to within its banks within three days after Hurricane Irene, thanks to its brief flow, wooded environ, and gentle descent. Its only major changes are the new thatches of trees that now cross it (which is fine with me, as they may convince casual anglers not to bother trying). Other, larger trout streams nearby took weeks to look even remotely fishable.

I avoid predictions when it comes to fishing, but I’ll bet my first trout of the 2012 season comes from this creek, too.

The Trickle Approach:

Catching trib trout begins with an understanding of their behavior. Given the infertility of most small streams, trout cannot afford to be picky. They try to find a feeding station that brings the most food and provides the most cover. So look in front of (not behind) obstructions, where the current washes against branches, logs, rocks, and edges in deep pools.

Since small-stream trout are necessarily opportunists that feed on things that fall into the water, worms or half crawlers are the easy No. 1 bait. If there are spring-spawning rainbows in the stream, you might drift a salmon egg in the riffles. If you’re fishing for brookies and the dace are “bothering,” try a chub tail. Most small streams are fairly shallow, so use 1⁄8- to 1⁄32-ounce spinners (Mepps, Panther Martins, and Rooster Tails are all good choices). The same goes for wobblers—opt for Little Cleos, Dardevles, and Phoebes, as small as you can find. For flies, a Woolly Worm in black and olive, Beadhead Hare’s Ear, and Royal Coachman (in brookie waters) will generally be all you’ll need. Carry a few marabou streamers in white or yellow for fishing beneath undercut banks. The fish aren’t selective, but the bigger ones want a fly to be drifted or retrieved in a natural way—and marabou offers the maximum movement in tight quarters.

Lighten up terminal tackle to get more natural drifts. Use 4- to 6-pound-test line and the smallest split shot you can buy. If you’re flyfishing, a 3- to 4-foot leader and a floating line are all you need.

In many ways the art of small-stream fishing comes down to using to your advantage the obstacles the trout claims for its own advantage. Although I generally go with a 5-foot spin rod, I’ve found spots where I’ve wished I had another foot of rod to reach over a certain rock. The trick is to get close while remaining unobtrusive, even though things are cramped. You don’t have to wear a plant on your head like Bill Murray in Caddyshack, but dull colors will help. Wear hip boots so you can kneel in the shallows and on the wet banks; small-stream trout are particularly sensitive to movement from above. It is also easier to fish beneath the canopy that way. In short, do what you can to get close to the trout and present the right drift. This is why small-stream fishing is so engrossing: Fishing each spot requires its own guerrilla campaign, making every trout you catch quite memorable.

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Trout in the Tribs: How to Fish a Stream in Early Spring

Sarah Smith — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:36:41 -0400

The stream usually requires but a hop, step, and jump to cross dryly. From my porch, I could see the water winking through the alders and briers and tangles. Trout season had just opened.

I was going in.

I like to think that the brook behind my house would have met with Tap’s approval. I know he would have admired the brookie.

I avoid predictions when it comes to fishing, but I’ll bet my first trout of the 2012 season comes from this creek, too.

The Trickle Approach:

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Tip: Call In More Coyotes

Online Editors — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 22:09:51 -0500

Coyotes are certainly smart and can learn from experience, as predator hunters can attest. But does that capacity ever land them in trouble? A recent study suggests it might.

Aware that coyotes in general show an attraction to minimal stimuli (both calls and decoys), researchers compared the animal's reactions to small and large orange cones (which the researchers prepped with an attractant) and then followed that by removing the cones and looking at the coyotes' reactions to the respective “removal sites.” Coyotes were more attracted to the smaller cones than the larger ones, which they tended to approach with caution; as expected, they were averse to the more substantial stimuli. Interestingly, however, the coyotes thoroughly investigated the removal sites of the larger cones, more so in fact than they did the removal sites of smaller stimuli. It was as if the bigger disappearance provoked their curiosity.

For hunters, the study suggests that the failure of a decoy or call or both to draw in a coyote may not be the endgame. Returning the next day and moving or drastically reducing the “stimuli” may be just what is needed to seal the deal—particularly if the coyotes' tracks suggest they came within some distance but held off at the last moment. The one attractant a coyote can't resist may be nothing at all.

Use Depth To Improve Ice Fishing

Online Editors — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:37:40 -0500

A layer of ice and snow can make figuring out where to fish on a new lake or pond challenging. But not impossible. First, you need a depth chart. Look for areas that structurally match with the species you're targeting. For warmwater fish like bass and pike, look for weedy areas. For trout or salmon, dropoffs are productive. For all species—especially walleyes—look for offshore humps. Mark these places on the map. Once you have your map plotted, here's how to set your tip-ups in the strike zone.

Pond's Eleven
Drill 11 holes in a U pattern across gradients. Set two rows of tip-ups—starting about 40 yards apart—at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 feet deep. Set the last tip-up in 30 feet of water between the two rows. If there is an offshore hump, set a couple more tip-ups there at 5 and 10 feet. This spread puts bait in front of fish that are traveling along gradients and hunting in the area.

Baiting Game
Rig the shallower tip-ups, those at 5 and 10 feet (and the hump set) with the biggest baits, like a shiner (a), because the fish at these depths will be hunting. The deeper sets get smaller baits, as these fish may be less active. Drill some additional holes by the hump and the deepest sets where you and your buddy can work jigs (b). Not only will you put a few panfish in your bucket, but you'll draw the attention of a bigger predator fish. And if nothing else, the activity will help keep you warm as you wait for a bite.

Catch Trout At High And Low Water

Online Editors — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:53:18 -0400

High-Water Rig
Often as not, June begins in torrent and ends in drought. Fishing two flies—an old method that has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years—lets you turn fluctuating water levels into an opportunity. The following fly rigs allow you to adjust your presentation to any level.

1. Attach an indicator at the butt of a 3X leader. Tie on a size 8 weighted stonefly nymph [a] to the end of the leader. On the hook bend, tie 2 feet of 4X tippet with an improved clinch knot. At the terminal end, tie on a size 12 Hare's Ear [b] or a size 12 Sparkle Pupa [c]. The leader should be 1 to 2 feet longer than the water is deep, depending on the current speed.
2. Cast upstream and present the nymphs drag-free. When a fish takes, the indicator will twitch, hitch, or sometimes just stop.

Photo by Samuel A. Minick

Low-Water Rig
1. Begin with a size 12 Elk Hair Caddis [a]. On the hook bend, tie 3 feet of 4X or 5X tippet with an improved clinch knot. At the other end, tie on a size 14 Caddis Pupa [b] or a size 16 or 18

Beadhead Pheasant Tail [c].

2. Cast upstream and present the flies drag-free. Set the hook if the dry fly twitches or disappears.

With both rigs, strikes often come at the end of the drift. Drag causes the dropper to rise, simulating a hatching nymph and triggering a strike. When you're about to give up on the drift, be ready.

How To Ice-Fish With A Sounder

Online Editors — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:37:06 -0500

Successful fishing with tip-ups begins with suspending the bait in the cruising lane of the fish. Pike, pickerel, panfish, walleyes, and bass often frequent the area about 12 inches above the weed tops. Here's how to make sure your bait is in the strike zone and not buried in the grass.

[1] Clip a 1-ounce depthfinder or “sounder” to the hook and drop it so it falls through the weeds and hits bottom. [2] Pull the sounder up about 1 foot above the tops of the weeds. Clip on a small bobber at water level as your marker. [3] Raise the sounder an additional 3 to 6 inches (to compensate for the fact that the spool will be under the water) and slide the bobber down the line the same distance. [4] Remove the sounder. Hook the bait through the back and drop it through the hole. When you set the tip-up, the bobber should be visible on the last wrap of the tip-up spool. Not only will it mark the proper depth, but it can also reveal whether you actually have a bite when the flag pops up. If the bobber is still visible when the flag pops up, blame the wind or a frenzied shiner.

New Info on Catfish Feeding Habits

Online Editors — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:30:24 -0400

WHAT GOES THROUGH the brain of a feeding catfish is anybody’s guess, but most anglers would agree that Old Whiskers probably uses all the senses at his disposal. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds some light on the murky world of catfish feeding. Employing digitized tracking to mark the paths of European catfish and guppies in a dark tank, researchers found that the catfish used smell or taste to determine “prey wakes” left by the guppies. The catfish followed the wakes like beagles on a rabbit trail, never cutting corners, which would have indicated the use of sight. Eventually the cats struck the guppies from behind, allowing for an easier capture as the guppies never knew what hit them (the researchers could determine this by the absence of any predator-avoidance behaviors).

Movement of the bait, or a cast into the flow, followed by a very slow retrieve into slack water, would seem to create a wider wake, the aromatic equivalent—to a catfish, anyway—of a louder dinner bell.

Late Summer Tips for Catching Smallmouth Bass While Wading in Rivers

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:00:00 -0400

1 HEAD OF THE POOL

Drift your bait through the boulders in fast current, down to where the bottom drops quickly to deeper water.

[EARLY AFTERNOON] Drift the Rocks

As long as the sun is on the water, smallmouths remain deep, at the heads of pools and close to structure. Pick a bait (hellgrammite, small crayfish, minnow, cricket, or crawler—in that order) or lead-headed plastic, and cast to the head of the pool. If you're flyfishing, toss a weighted nymph or Clouser streamer. Let the bait or nymph drift back with the flow; it should wash through the shade of the boulders. If you're flyfishing with a Clouser or jigging with a plastic, retrieve just ahead of the current.

2 MIDPOOL

Bass leave the cover of deep water near the bank to feed in the main flows.

[SUNSET] Ply the Pool

As light leaves the water, bass move out from cover and into the main flows. Fish live bait with less weight. Cast and retrieve plastics, and add crayfish-patterned crankbaits and spinners to the repertoire. Flyfishermen can try casting Woolly Buggers across stream, being prepared for a strike on the swing.

3 TAIL OF THE POOL

As the sun sets, bass move to the surface or feed in the shallows.

[DUSK] Fish the Surface

Smallmouth streams come to life in the lingering twilights of summer. Bass move farther from cover, into midstream riffles and associated current seams or the tails of pools. Spinfishermen can turn to floating Rapalas and Pop-Rs. Fly anglers should consider a White Wulff, a good imitation of the cream-colored mayflies that hatch during summer evenings. Deer-hair bugs and traditional cork poppers also work, as do Marabou Muddlers fished through the tail of the pool so that they throw a tiny wake as they swing.

Gear This is light-tackle fishing, with 4- to 6-pound-test line and 1/32- to ¼-ounce jigheads. Twister-tails, tubes, 4-inch Yamamoto worms, or small plastic minnows like Finesse Fish or Slug-Gos are deadly choices for stream bass. Old standards like Mepps spinners, crayfish-patterned Rebel crankbaits, and Pop-Rs and Rapalas (for topwater) also work well.

Flyfishermen will want something between a 5- and a 7-weight, floating line, 6-foot leader of 6- to 8-pound-test, and some beadhead Woolly Buggers (black, brown, and olive) and Clousers for bottom work; and Marabou Muddlers, White Wulffs, and deer-hair bugs for the surface.

You can get by with sneakers, but my 55-year-old ankles do better in wading shoes. A fishing shirt with big pockets carries all the gear you need. Don't forget a small flashlight. Though the smallmouth bite on most rivers ends with full dark, the last half hour of light can be the best of all. If nothing else, a flashlight will help you find your way back to the car after you've caught one last bass.

NOW ON FIELDANDSTREAM.COM

Good smallmouth streams are everywhere. If you know of a river that had good trout fishing back in May, chances are that same water (or its lower reaches) has good bass fishing in August. For a list of the best smallie rivers in the country, including maps, tips, and guides, go to fieldandstream.com/smallmouths