Fly fishing a stream that does not have much insect life??

[Hunttrapfish17]

hey all, i plan to fly fish a stream that i have strictly spin fished in the passed years due to small stream size and overhanging brush. This year myself and a few buddies plan to fly fish it. This stream has wild browns in it and is a local secret in my buddies hometown. We have fished this stream for quite a few years and have only seen two locals on the stream. We had always drifted a weightless nightcrawler through the deep holes which in return would produce a good size brown trout. I have never noticed much of aquatic insects under rocks in this stream nor do i recall ever seeing a fish rise in this stream (im sure they do just never in my presence). This stream does not have the population of wild trout like eastern PA limestone streams do. My question is what would your go to flies be in this situation? im thinking hares ear or PT to start off. Maybe even tandem rig with midges? Any suggestions or thoughts will be appreciated! thanks guys/gals!

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Small freestone wild trout stream= size 14 Royal Wulff dry fly!

 

[Wildbrowntrout]

I have the same problem at my hunting camp. I always fish a 14 olive hares ear, and I ALWAYS am guaranteed a fish. Start with that, or maybe if it warms up a little, throw some small streamers. Midges hatch pretty much everywhere, so if you can put up with those little flies, go for it.

 

[Hunttrapfish17]

thanks guys !!

 

[rrt]

Sounds like the stream would be difficult to dry-fly fish. You might be best to dap nymphs. Hare's Ears would probably be all right. You might hang a trout or two on Copper Johns or Muskrat Nymphs as well.

 

[Mike]

Anything. If the macroinvertebrates are that sparse, the fish are probably desperate and will be very opportunistic.

 

[Chaz]

Hunttrapfish17 wrote:
hey all, i plan to fly fish a stream that i have strictly spin fished in the passed years due to small stream size and overhanging brush. This year myself and a few buddies plan to fly fish it. This stream has wild browns in it and is a local secret in my buddies hometown. We have fished this stream for quite a few years and have only seen two locals on the stream. We had always drifted a weightless nightcrawler through the deep holes which in return would produce a good size brown trout. I have never noticed much of aquatic insects under rocks in this stream nor do i recall ever seeing a fish rise in this stream (im sure they do just never in my presence). This stream does not have the population of wild trout like eastern PA limestone streams do. My question is what would your go to flies be in this situation? im thinking hares ear or PT to start off. Maybe even tandem rig with midges? Any suggestions or thoughts will be appreciated! thanks guys/gals!

As for what flies you've picked, that's a good start. I've fished many streams that have little or no bugs, mostly AMD streams, and I've always found that terrestrials do well as well as big streamers.

 

[Bluequill]

An elk hair caddis usually works well in situations like that.

 

[MKern]

If they are hungry it will be easy pickings.

But streamer patterns might be useful if the trout forage on minnows or smaller trout.

Terrestrials are a good option too.

I'm sure there are some mayflies, so PT's and hare's ears should produce.

 

[steveo27]

Mike wrote:
Anything. If the macroinvertebrates are that sparse, the fish are probably desperate and will be very opportunistic.

Yep.

Small infertile freestone streams are easier to fish in my opinion. Less insect life = less picky fish.

From what I've found, the fish are much more opportunistic and are willing to feed on almost anything you put in front of them. What you fish really depends on how you plan to fish - dries vs subsurface flies - and when you plan to fish.

My go to dries are - elk hair caddis, any stimulator pattern, foam ants/beetles, and bomber style flies.

My subsurface flies include - green weenies, beadhead hairs ears, San Juan worms, clown eggs, and copper johns.

 

[curtrein]

Two words: green weenie!

 

[pcray1231]

I also find that, once you get the hang of it, a fly rod has it's biggest ADVANTAGE in the small brushy places. Working a spinner can be effective as well. But if you're a split shot and bait kinda guy, you get relegated to the deepest holes only in those streams, as you describe. But many of the fish are in the heads and tails and little pockets in the riffles. Once you master some "no backcast" tactics with the fly rod, you can effectively fish those places because you don't need the split shot, and hence can fish shallow water at a distance (from below).

Anyway, brown trout are always tough. They're either hitting or they're not. When they're not it's like no fish exist, nomatter whether you're using bait or fly. When they are hitting, you can be very successful.

My go to in those streams is generally a dry/dropper rig. With a high floating dry designed to catch fish, and a nymph on a dropper below. Depth and whether you add any micro shot to the dropper depends on depth/current, of course, and you'll be adjusting it a lot.

Don't be shocked if you start getting hits on the dry. Especially as it warms up. You may rarely see natural rises, as there's no real hatches. But when there's a lack of bug life, fish are opportunistic and often looking up, and do occasionally take terrestrials that drop in. If you start getting some hits on the dry, feel free to snip off the dropper and just fish the dry. It becomes MUCH easier to fish. Greater distances, less worry about snags and underwater obstructions, float it right over or around cover, etc. Often that "fishability" advantage of dries adds more fish to the total than would the dropper!

Those deep holes were you occasionally got a fish on a crawler? Likely to be your LEAST productive areas. Although, often, while holding less fish, they do hold bigger fish.

 

[Reeder]

All good choices above. I would also make sure to have adams and Griffiths gnats in my box for a stream like that.

 

[streamerguy]

As others have said, they usually aren't picky when they're hungry. Just have to be there when they want to eat, and you can't spook em. For me, on these streams fly selection is more dependent on the conditions and not specifically what the fish may or may not be hungry for. If you work over a pool with 2 patterns(say an adams, then work a streamer or nymph afterwards) and you still don't get any attention from the fish, it's probably time to move on to the next pool.

I fish streamers(don't need to get crazy....simple buggers are effective, but don't be afraid to go big if ya want) more than anything at these types of places, especially when conditions aren't suitable for dries. And yep....green weenies!!!! I'm not a fan of fishing nymphs on these streams unless the water is too cold for good streamer and dry action, and I can get close enough for a good nymph presentation without spooking them. For fishing nymphs at farther distances, or if you want an indicator with a hook attached to it......dry dropper rigs are nice.

As pcray said you will catch fish on dries even if you don't see any natural rises, but you may not have as much dry fly action in those deeper holes that you're used to fishing. That's when ya throw on a streamer or drift a nymph along the bottom for those pool bosses. Since you have experience spin fishing this creek you should be fine as far as knowing where the fish are, etc.

 

[Hunttrapfish17]

Thanks for all the replies fellas!

 

[fishingn00b101]

I agree with curtrein, definitely the green weenie. I do a lot of fishing in streams like this and I never come up empty when I'm using the green weenie. Western PA fish love the GW

 

[Chaz]

One thing of note, on small mountain streams I've found that starting with something that may be hatching or should be hatching works as an attractor when there otherwise is no activity.
You may ask what does this mean. Well, it means that look at hatch charts for your area. If for instance if the area you are fishing has good hatches of BWO's at the time you are fishing it, tie one of them on first. These fish aren't picky most of the time, but I've had a lot of success over 40 odd years of using this tactic that I trust it.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

When it warms up (probably late April or so) an ant is deadly just about anywhere, especially in streams with overhang. I tend to fish it wet, usually as a dropper but certainly a good choice dry as well. On a warm windy day it's like money in the bank. As soon as I see them on the rocks or pavement; I break them out.

 

[Tigereye]

Why not a worm pattern. A piece of red/ brown verneil tied to a hook is simple and catches fish in off colored water. May also try streamers and terrestrials.