Early Season Tips

Clark Smyth | Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »

While most anglers spend time on the water when the weather is nice, all trout feed year-round. If you choose to go fishing early in the season, remember these tips:

- The water is still cold so the fish will tend to reside in slower deeper water.

- The water is lower and clearer than usual, be sure to fish with smaller flies and lighter tippets.

Fish have time to study your fly in slow, clear water

- We preach this all of the time but most fly anglers laugh at us: use a small pair of binoculars to scan the water. You will be amazed at what you are missing without the glasses. You will see things on the surface of the stream that will change the way you fish.

- As always, try and be sneaky – bright colors and lot’s of movement can be the difference between a great day and a frustrating one.

Sneaky Rock Creek Angler

- Trout have a protective coating that covers their entire body. Contacting trout with gloves, dry hands or clothes can be detrimental to the health of the fish. The protective “slime” on all species of fish is their immune system – it protects them from pathogens in the water. When handling any fish, first be sure to get your hands wet. When your hands small “fishy” it is usually because you have some of the fish’s “slime” on your hands. Again, handling fish with wet hands will eliminate the smells and ensure that your quarry is swimming away healthy.