My Dad introduced me to fly fishing when I was young and I couldn't wait to someday get my own fly rod. As the years progressed I started tying some of my own flies and educating myself more from books, video's, and the local legends around Teton Valley about fly fishing and how to be successful. It has become an addiction that has become fulfilling and aggravating at times as I have progressed.
When I realized that I needed to change up my game and that I was consistently not catching larger fish I started to watch every fly fishing video I could find on youtube and vimeo trying to see what I was missing. I did countless google searches about catching larger fish and my wife will attest to that when I get my mind on something I'm stuck on that until I figure it out. I came across many people and resources willing to help fulfill my quest for a 25" + trout on the South Fork or the Henry's Fork! I'm still working towards that and closing in.
The selection and style of streamers I've been chucking lately, can you tell which one's I tied?
This is what I have learned so far. Trophy Trout are trophies for a reason. If you want to catch them you have to stop worrying about how many fish you catch during the day and start thinking about the quality of the fish you are catching. Don't be discouraged when you see another angler catching twice as many fish as you twice as small and giving you the look like you're an idiot for not catching the same amount.
You've gotta cover more water to find those few and far between larger fish. When trout get to be a certain size the primary source of their diet becomes meat instead of insects and they are turned into a predator preying on other fish and larger meals. A big fish won't normally spend all of it's energy going after little meals and begins to take in some bigger meals to keep up with it's nutritional needs. Big trout often feed at night or in darker conditions. As a hunter of big game when the moon is out so are the animals and it is no different for the fish. A lot of big fish that I've seen were caught after dark legally and in the late evening hours or early morning hours. During the day big trout will find slower water that they can hold in and rest and these are often the best place to find them during the daytime hours.
I've heard it said that just before, during, and just after a low pressure system such as storms, will cause fish to go on a feeding frenzy. So the next time it's raining out don't pack up your gear and head home unless you're in a lighting storm.
During the day from what I've learned, and I believe it, big fish aren't as active but can be enticed or aggravated to attack a large fly that spooks or scares them even though it may not be hungry. I've also heard that the same fish that a large trout will feed on in the evenings or early hours will often times allow it's minnow or smaller fish meals to swim around by it during the day time hours with no harm.
Articulated Streamers are quickly becoming, if not already the most popular weapon for enticing these big trout but I'm not so convinced yet they are the go to style of streamer. Streamers imitate that larger meal the big trout are looking for and I know you can catch big trout on chironomids, nymphs, and dries but I've become addicted to throwing a streamer. As I've been fishing streamers I really have cut out those littler fish than what I used to catch and am starting to see the size of fish I'm catching grow. When concerned which color streamer to fish, a good rule of thumb is "Dark skies, dark flies, bright skies, bright flies."
While faithfully fishing large articulated streamers I'll admit that I haven't had a whole lot of luck and am not so sure at this point in my fishing that they are my go to for big trout. I have caught fish on them but honestly I've fished a lot of hours with them in some nice waters and haven't had the success I hoped or worked for. Now I think I am going to go back to fishing #4 Wooly Buggers and streamers more often and see if that produces any more strikes with bigger fish. A good friend and fisherman I look up to told me this was his opinion as well and that even a #2 hook size was too big for what he's noticed. I have to say I have had better luck with the smaller streamers and have seen some of the hogs he's pulled out with them and am definitely leaning to his way of thinking. The largest fish I've caught out of the river yet was I'd say 22"-23" or so (never actually measured it) and was on the Henry's Fork during spring on a yellow #4 Wooly Bugger streamer. I'm not professing to know anything about fishing big trout because my wife is getting used to me coming home without a good fish story as I've been on this quest making mistakes. I've fished weighted streamers on a floating line and am now fishing a sinking line with both weighted and non weighted streamers depending on current and depth.
Some of my weaknesses as I'm looking for the 25"+ trout are that I don't cover enough water as I am limited to where I fish since I don't have a boat, and that I don't always go out when the big fish are feeding actively. If I'm going to step up my fishing game I think these are definitely two things I'm lacking among many others I'm sure :)
For those of you who like to follow good fisherman that can get it done this is a list of some of my favorites that I like to follow.
Randy Berry- Check out Teton Valley Lodge youtube video's
Brian Berry- Check out the Teton Valley Lodge youtube video's to see the man in action
Beau Price- Check out Mountain Made Media and the Obsession video he's in
Jake Forsline- Look him up with the Loop Army and on Vimeo
Kelly Galloup- Got some great instructional videos on how trophy trout habits are
Mike Lawson- He's got the history and the Legends to back up whatever he says
I'm always open to add to this list and see what you've learned and done!
You've gotta cover more water to find those few and far between larger fish. When trout get to be a certain size the primary source of their diet becomes meat instead of insects and they are turned into a predator preying on other fish and larger meals. A big fish won't normally spend all of it's energy going after little meals and begins to take in some bigger meals to keep up with it's nutritional needs. Big trout often feed at night or in darker conditions. As a hunter of big game when the moon is out so are the animals and it is no different for the fish. A lot of big fish that I've seen were caught after dark legally and in the late evening hours or early morning hours. During the day big trout will find slower water that they can hold in and rest and these are often the best place to find them during the daytime hours.
I've heard it said that just before, during, and just after a low pressure system such as storms, will cause fish to go on a feeding frenzy. So the next time it's raining out don't pack up your gear and head home unless you're in a lighting storm.
During the day from what I've learned, and I believe it, big fish aren't as active but can be enticed or aggravated to attack a large fly that spooks or scares them even though it may not be hungry. I've also heard that the same fish that a large trout will feed on in the evenings or early hours will often times allow it's minnow or smaller fish meals to swim around by it during the day time hours with no harm.
Articulated Streamers are quickly becoming, if not already the most popular weapon for enticing these big trout but I'm not so convinced yet they are the go to style of streamer. Streamers imitate that larger meal the big trout are looking for and I know you can catch big trout on chironomids, nymphs, and dries but I've become addicted to throwing a streamer. As I've been fishing streamers I really have cut out those littler fish than what I used to catch and am starting to see the size of fish I'm catching grow. When concerned which color streamer to fish, a good rule of thumb is "Dark skies, dark flies, bright skies, bright flies."
Zoo Cougar and Sex Dungeon Articulated Streamers
While faithfully fishing large articulated streamers I'll admit that I haven't had a whole lot of luck and am not so sure at this point in my fishing that they are my go to for big trout. I have caught fish on them but honestly I've fished a lot of hours with them in some nice waters and haven't had the success I hoped or worked for. Now I think I am going to go back to fishing #4 Wooly Buggers and streamers more often and see if that produces any more strikes with bigger fish. A good friend and fisherman I look up to told me this was his opinion as well and that even a #2 hook size was too big for what he's noticed. I have to say I have had better luck with the smaller streamers and have seen some of the hogs he's pulled out with them and am definitely leaning to his way of thinking. The largest fish I've caught out of the river yet was I'd say 22"-23" or so (never actually measured it) and was on the Henry's Fork during spring on a yellow #4 Wooly Bugger streamer. I'm not professing to know anything about fishing big trout because my wife is getting used to me coming home without a good fish story as I've been on this quest making mistakes. I've fished weighted streamers on a floating line and am now fishing a sinking line with both weighted and non weighted streamers depending on current and depth.
#4 Wooly Buggers in Yellow and Olive
The Brown I caught spring of 2013 on the Yellow Wooly Bugger above (Henry's Fork)
Some of my weaknesses as I'm looking for the 25"+ trout are that I don't cover enough water as I am limited to where I fish since I don't have a boat, and that I don't always go out when the big fish are feeding actively. If I'm going to step up my fishing game I think these are definitely two things I'm lacking among many others I'm sure :)
The Line I'm currently fishing.
For those of you who like to follow good fisherman that can get it done this is a list of some of my favorites that I like to follow.
Randy Berry- Check out Teton Valley Lodge youtube video's
Brian Berry- Check out the Teton Valley Lodge youtube video's to see the man in action
Beau Price- Check out Mountain Made Media and the Obsession video he's in
Jake Forsline- Look him up with the Loop Army and on Vimeo
Kelly Galloup- Got some great instructional videos on how trophy trout habits are
Mike Lawson- He's got the history and the Legends to back up whatever he says
I'm always open to add to this list and see what you've learned and done!
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