best trout techniques for high muddy water

[Lutz]

I'll go ahead and agree with using dark flies, but as with every aspect of fly fishing; experiment. I was using dark zonkers and WB's in sizes 4-6 during a high water event once with marginal success. For some reason I decided to switch to a sparsely tied blacknose dace in size 8 or 10, and the wild browns of all sizes took it ferociously and repeatedly.

Also, don't be afraid to try larger trout streams or rivers during high water (safety first). Great fish that might otherwise be hard to access can get pushed to the shallows by the bank where wading is safe. You might not even need to wade at all.

 

[sarce]

^great post. Not to make things confusing, but I'm wondering if your success with the BND pattern had more to do with downsizing the fly. If it's the stream I'm thinking of that you and I fished often, I always liked a size 8 streamer best there. But you've had your share of good days lately and I could be totally off on what stream it was. I prefer dark streamers in high water as well.

 

[Lutz]

Thanks, Sarce. It is the stream you are thinking of, and you are likely right about the size change. Interestingly, I've had great success with the BND in larger streams as well during high flows. Despite the BND being a lighter colored, less bulky pattern, the fish still seemed to have no problem keying in on it. Perhaps a dark, bulkier WB of the same size would have outperformed it. Who knows. My loose theory about why the BND still does well is that it creates a hydrodynamic profile similar to that of a the real baitfish. I'm guessing the predatory trout are familiar with the water displacement characteristics of the real deal. However, I haven't actually compared them so my speculations could be way off. As much as I am defending the BND here, you will see me tossing larger streamers in most places.

 

[brookieaddict]

Yep me thinks big n black wins the day.