Big Trout, Dry Flies vs Nymphs/Streamers

[drumat26]

Just throwing this out there to see what other fly fisherman's experiences are with catching big trout. Ever since I first saw trout rising at dries, I wanted to catch "the big one" on a dry fly. After 2 years of tying my own flies and about 4 years of exclusively fly fishing, I have caught 3 fish over 18" and all have been sub surface. 19" rainbow on a san juan worm, 20" rainbow on a pink and white wooly bugger, and a 22" brown on a wired stonefly nymph. The largest trout I have on a dry fly to date is a nice 15" brown. I have yet to fish a major dry fly hatch on one of the better streams so I'm sure that has doused my efforts slightly. I know stream selection and fly hatch probably make a big difference in having better luck. I was just curious how often people catch 18+ inch trout on dry flies and what time of year you catch them. What are your experiences with dries vs wet flies? Thanks in advance for your insight!

 

[fishngun]

I have caught bigger browns on dries, and I have missed or lost bigger browns on dries. It happens when it happens, meaning a good hatch in progress or the right day of both. I have caught and seen my largest trout with an 8wt in hand and a streamer tied to the end of it. If you want to catch bigger fish you need to put yourself in the places that those bigger fish live. Better trout water generally equals bettter hatches which will up your odds. Also, learn to fish the spinner falls and don't walk out of the river because it's getting dark. Put your time in and eventually it's gonna happen for you. And if it doesn't, enjoy the journey anyway. The whole point is to walk away smiling.

 

[pete41]

if you want to catch the fish that dine on the fish that eat insects ,with any regularity you need to focus on them. Different game.
Except in mid winter concentrate on times when the sun is off the water,dusk to dawn unless you are lucky and get a really miserable rotten day weather wise.Slightly discolored ,cooler water can make for a fun day ,otherwise the big ,old lazy ones will wait until temp is most comfortable for them,cruise out and get their one meal of the day,or several days and go back to their resting spot.Think of it like kids,adults and old geezers.
Out west where the bugs are bigger you can catch some really big trout on dries like salmon flies but those suckers can almost knock you off a motorcycle..Fairings are must along those rivers.lol

 

[RyanR]

I have definitely caught more big trout on large streamers and nymphs than I have on dry flies but perhaps ironically the biggest wild trout I've ever caught, an honest 20" wild brown from a smallish PA stream, took a #14 Red Quill. The two largest trout I've ever had follow, both followed the same streamer but in completely different streams at entirely different times of year. Both fish I estimate were definitely larger than my best brown. One was a huge, fat rainbow during winter that followed my ultra slow strip all the way up but never took. The other was a VERY, VERY big brown from a very deep hole that I was so shocked by that it caused me to screw up the hookset. The streamer is a Mike Schmidt tied "prototype" that I saw him tie at a Catskill Fly Tiers guild show. He said he was just experimenting a little but I told him I'd buy a half-dozen of them so he tied them all up for me right there. It's a very large 5"+, brown, olive, yellow articulated streamer with red, orange and olive glass beads. Schmidt is a well-known Great Lakes steelhead fly-tier from Ohio.

I also lost a very large wild Landlocked salmon on a big black woolly bugger in the Upper Connecticut River.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

IMO if you want to catch the bigger fish use nymphs and streamers. The biggest trout I have caught on a dry fly was an 18" brown. I got him on a size 12 slate drake dun during a hatch. I don't fish streamers much but they catch bigger trout.

 

[mike_richardson]

I don't fish dries but have caught a pile of fish over 16" on size 16-12 nymphs. Mainly why I fish nymphs. I don't like messing around changing leaders and such so in the last 3-4 years I may have used 2-3 dry flies.

 

[Smike]

Big fish eat dries, but they generally don't when you can see them (in the day)

Largest trout I've ever caught (22"+) was on a size 14 cahill dry just at the point when I couldn't see anything (I was blind casting in just about total darkness in a hatch).

But during the times of the day I mostly fish, sub surface produces larger fish on average.

 

[krayfish2]

By not hitting major hatches, you probably have significantly reduced your opportunities to take a bigger fish on top. The big fish will focus on where they can get the most food for the least energy spent. More times than not, that will be sub surface. March brown, green drake, brown drake, sulphur and some stone hatches will bring the apex predators to the surface. If you look at that list, most bugs are larger and the sulphur is more of a volume hatch.

In my experience, bigger fish often fall victim to a nymph or streamer pattern....but.....they can be had on top if things line up properly for ya. There's no magic formula but you will start to piece together a pattern where you find one method produces during bigger fish at a specific time of year or during specific light conditions. Once you dial that in for the waters you fish, more and more big fish will end up in your net.

 

[BelAirSteve]

I typically fish soft hackles. I used to primarily fish nymphs, but when I started tying, I love tying soft hackle so much that I use them almost exclusively. When water is higher and/or a little stained, I fish streamers. My anecdotal evidence is that I catch bigger fish on streamers and soft hackles than I did when I fished dries more often. On the Gunpowder at least, the rising fish are almost always the smaller ones.

 

[RyanR]

Even though I've had more big fish action on streamers I forgot to add another bit of irony in that my single best day ever catching large trout came during a late afternoon in June. The golden stoneflies were returning to the stream to deposit their eggs and the fish began aggressively feeding. For 2 hours I got vicious strike after strike on a big yellow stimulator and didn't landca fish under 15 inches! To this day it is one of the most epic days I've had and certainly my best outing ever on Big Fishing Creek. I've also caught a number of large trout during March Brown and Isonychia hatches.

 

[giantsjim]

These experiences go back a few years now, but the largest trout I have caught on dries were on Tricos on a couple of different streams here in SEPA. I would say they were over 20" but it was tough to tell as they were folded over in my landing net. ;-)

 

[pete41]

Haven't fished the paradise since the early 60s so don't know the score now but back then that was the place to go for big fish on dry flies...even down to 28s...but they were stockies and bred outs- I was too unsophisticated to know how I was wasting my time so I can still picture some monsters coming up to take things so small they had to be minus energy for them..glad we were both too dumb to know better.

 

[krayfish2]

Pete,
Back in the 80's, I caught several nice fish up there using the ol' spot and stalk with ants and beetles. Slap it down right behind their head for a quick reaction strike. Lots more little fish these days though. Used to find big uns cruising the shore picking off terrestrials in the summertime.

 

[pcray1231]

Big fish can be taken on dries, but it requires special situations. Namely a large hatch, or more often spinner fall. Lots of bugs, helps if they're big bugs, and generally after dark (they rise later than average sized fish)

Generally speaking, you're better off underneath. Throwin streamers in muddy situations is a known big fish technique. Big stonefly nymphs in heavy pocket water is another. But regular old nymphing during a hatch will do the trick too.

You pick up a few fishing for regular fish. But those who catch the majority of big fish are specifically fishing for big fish and willing to endure catching fewer fish overall.

Also, "big" is relative to the stream. To show the extremes, there are places where 10" is a monster. There are also places where 18" is a "dink" and nobody's impressed unless you top 30". Most places fall in between but just keep in mind that if its absolute size you want, rather than relative size, then go to places with more big fish. That generally means larger water or places connected to larger water.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

My biggest wild Brown Trout was 24" and taken on a #16 deer hair caddis during a very sparse caddis hatch. Most of the trout I've taken that were over 18" were caught on black wooly buggers or sculpin imitations.

 

[LetortAngler]

My biggest wild brown on a dry was caught on a 14 Crowe Beetle, 2nd on a Trico from Spring Creek. I've caught some decent fish during the big mayfly hatches, but seem to always have better luck catching larger trout on big terrestrials like hoppers, Ants, and Beetles throughout the summer months.

 

[dryflyguy]

From someone who fishes strictly dry flies :

I admit that you likely have a better chance with larger fish on subsurface patterns. However, IMO, it's just not as fun to fish that way. And why I stay with top water patterns.

That said - there are certainly ways to increase your chances at big fish on dry flies.
The #1 factor is the water you fish. Certain streams just hold more large fish than others - for whatever reason.
The best place to catch large fish on dry flies in Pa, is the Delaware River. There's no doubt in my mind about that.
My personal best from there was a 24" brown on a hendrickson spinner - about 5 years ago now.
I have also caught numerous fish in the 18 to 20 inch range.
This river has big fish - and hatches - out the wazoo.
Unfortunately for me however, it is a 7 hour drive from my home.
And I don't get to fish it nearly enough

The Clarion River has also been kind to me - with numerous catches in the 18 to 20 inch range.
However, the hatches have been very spotty up there lately in my experience. And the dry fly fishing is very hit or miss there

I also occasionally catch big fish in the Little Juniata and Penns Creek.
In fact, I just caught an 18 incher on the little j this past week.
But that's pretty much the exception for me on that stream

 

[pabrookie94]

I have caught most of my bigger fish on streamers and nymphs...but it's funny that I read this topic because today I managed a 17" wild brown on a size 14 adams. If I can get it to load I will put a picture up but this was certainly my biggest trout on the dry fly. Would like to hit the outflow of Kinzua during a big hatch and see what I can turn up.

 

[drumat26]

Since moving to the Harrisburg area 2 years ago I have mainly fished the Mahantango, Wiconisco, Clarks and Stony. Just last year I started fishing the Run off of Childrens lake and the breeches. I have only caught one fish out of the main stream on the breeches. 2 of my large trout were caught out of stony and one on the Wic. I really have been hoping to get out the Green Drake Hatch on Penns or the March brown hatch somewhere. I love fishing dries. I will def have to try the beetles in the summer. I appreciate everyone's insight and thoughts on the subject. I'm trying to learn as much about fly fishing as I can.

I know im gunna have to get up to penns and I want to try the Little J and I need to try to figure out how to get on fish on the breeches. Thanks for all insight!

 

[krayfish2]

Hey, drive up 322 to 7 mtns. Jam up there this weekend. Meet members, make friends and absorb some knowledge. Lots of experienced anglers will be there.