Usually, fall is the time to forged sinking fly traces and huge streamers for aggressive fish. Some fish are getting ready to spawn whereas others, like musky and bass, wish to retailer energy earlier than heading into a protracted winter. By a typical fall, I imply one when water ranges are appropriate for laying your fly line on the water with out the worry of spooking fish. This fall has been abnormally dry in lots of components of the nation, and my residence waters in central Pennsylvania have been no exception, leading to a number of the lowest flows in reminiscence on my native trout, bass, and musky rivers.
Streams that usually have a brisk present have change into extra just like stillwaters, the place even a lightweight upstream breeze would push a ship again in the direction of the put in. The one profit to those excessive flows is that my favourite transferring waters have change into considerably like aquariums, permitting me to see all of the drop offs, construction, sunken habitat, as effectively the fish I’m pursuing. Whereas it’s thrilling to see what’s laying on the stream backside, it’s been irritating to see trout bolt even when an excellent presentation is made with a lightweight line and lengthy chief. Laying any line and chief on the water has resulted in numerous spooked fish, regardless of my finest efforts to fastidiously current the fly. So I’ve switched gears to utilizing nothing however a mono rig and jig streamers and have seen higher outcomes. Consider this tactic as Euro nymphing with a heavier streamer sample.
Whether or not or not you agree with fishing a mono rig, you may’t deny its effectiveness, particularly when fishing extraordinarily low flows. Any fly line (floating or sinking) falling onto the water floor creates influence, and even the stealthiest presentation is greater than sufficient disturbance to ship fish into hiding. As a lot as I get pleasure from casting and fishing a mix of sinking traces and huge unweighted streamers, the present situations are telling me to take up archery till we get water or change techniques.
The idea is easy, use a protracted mono rig together with a weighted streamer (I desire jig streamers). You’ll current the fly from a distance and the one merchandise coming in touch with stream backside is the weighted streamer. The rod tip might be held excessive to maintain the fly increased within the water column or decrease to permit the streamer a deeper trip alongside stream backside. It’s price noting that I’ll additionally use a jig streamer method for different causes, together with preserving the streamer deeper and slower within the water column, however it’s my “go to” method once I wish to fish streamers throughout excessive low flows. Whereas I’ll differ my mono streamer rig primarily based on species and situations, I’ll share with you my present mono and favourite jig streamer patterns for trout, though I’ve caught bass, carp, and smaller musky with this identical rig throughout this season. This isn’t a prescription telling you learn how to arrange your mono rig however a easy instance so that you can think about when fishing trout streams just like my residence Pennsylvania waters.
RODS
Any conventional motion 9’ to 10’ 4-6 weight will do. Whereas I’ve used euro type rods with jig streamers, my choice is for shorter and stouter rods able to casting heavier streamers, together with a stiff tip able to making higher hook units. Longer and limper rod ideas lack the facility to constantly make good hook units with heavier, wire streamer hooks given the quantity the tip bends when lifting the rod tip to set the hook.
Photograph: George Daniel
RIG
Mono
For the mono line, I’ll use 35-40’ of 8 lb Maxima HV (Excessive Visibility). The rationale for utilizing 40’ is that it supplies the power to make longer casts. I desire utilizing Maxima given its wonderful knot power, abrasion resistance, and little stretch. When fishing thicker wire streamer hooks, I wish to put as a lot vitality into the hook as attainable and I really feel Maxima’s low stretch supplies higher hook penetration in comparison with different, extra stretchy monofilament supplies. Plus, I just like the visibility of the Maxima HV in comparison with the Maxima Chameleon. The rationale for utilizing thinner, 8 lb mono (in comparison with utilizing 15 or 20 lb) is that casting lighter- to medium-weight jig streamers is simpler with thinner line. Keep in mind, with this method, the load of the lure pulls the road, so the much less mass the fly has to hold through the forged, the longer and extra environment friendly casting might be.
Tippet
My choice is for 4-8’ of 4X tippet. 4X is greater than sufficient power for the dimensions of trout I catch, together with the smaller, lighter jig streamers I desire presenting in low water. If fishing heavy flies for monster trout, then you definitely’ll wish to use heavier mono and tippet.
Sighter
An 8lb sighter part might be added between the Maxima HV and the tippet, or use a Scientific Anglers Indicator Marker on the mono or tippet. The sighter is used extra for a depth gauge than strike indicator, as you’ll really feel the strikes when fishing jig streamers. Figuring out the gap from the sighter to your fly, together with the peak and the angle the sighter is to the floor will inform you how deep your sample is through the presentation. That is notably useful when fishing deeper water.
Photograph: George Daniel
FLIES
I maintain my jig patterns easy. I exploit a number of measurement, shade, and weight variations of each the Sculp Snack and Kreelex Jig. The Sculp Snack is my variation of the wooly bugger. The UV olive variation is great for imitating sculpins, a favourite meals supply for bigger trout. Black, white, and rusty orange are colours to contemplate, however I might say I exploit the olive model 90 p.c of the time. The Kreelex jig is a slight variation of Chuck Kraft’s well-known Kreelex streamer. This sample seems to be like Christmas tinsel tied onto a hook and appears like a flash bulb going off beneath water through the presentation. Some would solely advise utilizing such a gaudy sample throughout excessive and off-color water, however I’ve discovered it to work extraordinarily effectively in all fishing situations. I usually use shorter, 2-3” jig streamers for decrease flows, tie them on a measurement 8 or 10 jig hook, and differ the tungsten bead measurement from a 3.0-5.6. Bead measurement depends on present pace and water depth.
FINAL WORD
Whereas I get pleasure from casting and retrieving bigger articulated streamers with sink ideas and sinking traces, the low circulation situations we’re experiencing are telling me to modify to a mono rig with jig streamers. If you wish to fish streamers this fall and are additionally confronted with low flows, you might wish to give it a strive.
