Gargantuan streamers

[edhank]

How many of you use the super sized streamers for trout? What kind of conditions are you fishing them?

 

[Dave_W]

edhank wrote:
How many of you use the super sized streamers for trout? What kind of conditions are you fishing them?

I use 'em a lot this time of year.

 

[pete41]

found through many years of being a strictly streamer fisherman 90 % of the time that a size 2 was a good cut off point- larger than that numbers dropped but average size didn't- this was during ideal streamer times- during summer and other less premium streamer times would go as small as a 12 -this was during my Montana years-might be different in Pa.but a 2 will get any fish the bigger ones would and more of them-or so I found-

 

[Char_Master]

I'm a fan of streamers for stocked trout. Rarely get the chance to fish for wild fish, just a few times a year, so I'm mainly using dries for them, though I'd like to try big streamers for wild Browns sometime soon. Steelhead are another fish I feel would respond well to meat flies, but, in most of those Tribs you'd snag one with a hook that big before you even started stripping in lol.

Anyway, I use streamers as small as size 12 (skittish fish) to as large as a 2/0 for the fiesty fish. I find the best size range is 2-6 for most PA Trout. Lakers are a different story and I just started fly fishing for them, no hookups yet but a few follows using hooks from size 2 to 6/0.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks for the info guys.

I have been having a blast catching the stockers out of the sportsmans club pond this month. Recently they really like streamers .

I was hesitant to tie up any size 2 that I have thinking they were too big for trout. I have a pile of 6xl size 2-10 hooks I want to use to tie up some streamers. I have a few 3xl hooks as well. Seems like I have a good selection of hooks and shouldn't hesitate to fish the bigger ones.

 

[DaveS]

I do fish large articulated streamers. And I do definitely prefer an articulated vs a long shank. One issue with large flies; they can create a taxing day on the water. Chuckin' big meat is work. And if you are going to target larger fish, you might as well do so when conditions merit. Higher, off color water, overcast sky or low light. Pre-spawn or whatever other variables could work in your favor.

 

[midnightangler]

I fish streamers up to 10" long for trout on a regular basis. They work, but you will dramatically reduce the number that you catch under 20". Unless you are fishing somewhere that has good numbers of fish that are 24+ (which is not too many places), I would probably just stick to fishing streamers 5" or less. Really big flies are for targeting 30" fish, which is basically the same as fishing for musky.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I use them all the time if the water warrants it the waters so low It would spook anything when it hit the water right now.

 

[brookieaddict]

I usualy start targeting Brown Tout with big streamers and wolly buggers , black is the go to color. The arent midge sippers like the bows and take large flys eagerly.

 

[edhank]

These low water conditions were my concern too with humongous streamers.

 

[PatrickC]

I do. Love 'em. Helps to know when and where to use them, but as previously stated...it's like musky fishing.

You can always tell a streamer fisherman when you hear phrases like:

"You should have seen the massive brown I turned today!"
"Brah, I turned 3 fish today."

Once every 3 years or so you'll hear about landing that 25"+ we're always after :-D

 

[pete41]

go to Montana-out there in the fall a 25 inch'er is just another d----- 3 1/2 pounder-doesn't even count-lol

 

[melvinp]

I use up to 2'0 ,3x long hooks on a regular basis,But my fishing is primarly warm water with a mix of stocked and wild trout and small mouth.Low water doesnt really bother mean but it does shut down the flats and you have to stay in the deeper holes.

 

[pabrookie94]

My most used streamer is an articulated job about 3" or so. I call it shakira because of how it moves in the water. That has caught everything from 10"-20"+ and is very light(fished on a full sink line).

However, I have thrown some jumbo streamers and as others have said get ready for some work it's certainly not lazy fishing. Find what size class fish are readily available in your waters and adjust accordingly. Some folks say 6" is the low end of their speculum and others say that's gargantuan.

 

[sandfly]

this size !

 

[DavidFin]

As far as size/work goes a lot of that also comes down to materials. If you're using mostly rabbit you're going to need a heavier rod and need to be prepared to feel it all day. However, you can wrap maribou on the same sized streamer and use a lighter rod and now necessarily feel it the same way on your arm.

Also, sinking lines are your friends! Not only will they help keep your streamer in the zone longer (depending on how you're fishing, that is), but you can shoot it super far with little effort.

 

[JeffK]

I fish a lot of 3" streamers because that is what will attract just about any streamer sized browns in most conditions. When conditions are right, then I go to the 5" to 7" articulated streamers hoping for a monster fish. Those big ones are fun to fish because even the follows can be a big thrill.

I have generally stopped using tiny streamers because I find wet flies do the same work and I like fishing them better. When plenty of "pinheads" are in the water I like a little pink marabou streamer which looks like the albino fry. IMHO, predators really go for the odd albino fry - you don't see any grow up to be adults outside a hatchery.

 

[dano]

I do better with 4-5 inch chunky flies fished off a sinking line or tip.
Patterns similar to what Sandfly posted. I hate casting rabbit strips so I use a lot of hair wing rams wool marabou.
This guy here ate a 5" intruderish fly this past July on the local river.

 

[Maurice]

Wow Dano that's a slob! I'm jelly.

 

[dano]

Jelly? LOL Mo,
I've been targeting that class of fish for about 20 years on that river. My previous largest was a 26 1/2" fat brown trout from the same river. This one measured 30 1/2" Scary thing is that I've seen bigger on that river.
I've caught a couple of larger Lake Erie & Ontario brown trout (32" & 32 1/2") but neither has come close in fighting strength than that river brownie. I had maybe 2 yards of backing left on the reel when it finally decided to stop.
It was a banner year for big fish on the Allegheny as I had well over 20 fish in the 21-23" range just in the month of June.
A friend landed and measured out a 32" bow in early Sept.