The fall spawn fish it or not fish it ?

[ryansheehan]

acristickid wrote:
Sound like a bunch of streamer-nymph Jim’s and Joes when everybody knows throwing sizes 18 and 20 olives and midges is safe.

Interesting take, do you feel like the only way to target spawning fish is with a streamer? Im not much of a streamer fisherman, when I do I dead drift them. I just assumed a spawning fish would attack a nymph on a redd the same way as a streamer but maybe not.

 

[LetortAngler]

It’s up to you.

It pretty much boils down to what you find to be an ethical approach on the matter since there is no closed season on many waters. I personally think there should be a closed season but only on our most fertile wild trout streams in the known spawning areas, not the entire stream. The Ditch At Big Spring would be a good example.

I personally try to limit myself to certain areas during the fall and winter where wading can be minimal. Even after the spawn is over, I still use caution when wading as to not and try to stir up any silt above a riffle. Deeper pools, and slower water is normally ideal. During one of the warmer days we had the other week, I fished a small bow/ stream and arrived to a fantastic midge hatch and enjoyed a good match-the-hatch day fishing dries and small nymphs, all from the bank.

As for targeting those 20+” wild trout off redds during the spawn, I believe, is a mistake, and counterproductive for a fishery for the simple reason that those larger fish hold many more eggs (thousands) and are the key players in sustaining that fishery.

 

[Acristickid]

Not sure.

Seems like that’s how many guys fish in the fall for bigger trout.

Seems hard to target fish in foot deep slower water with nymph but I’m Sure there spots it can be done.

I have had days late in the year where olives came off and the fish rose to them In deep pools before during and after spawn but these particular fish didn’t appear to be spawning.

 

[timbow]

As for targeting those 20+” wild trout off redds during the spawn, I believe, is a mistake, and counterproductive for a fishery for the simple reason that those larger fish hold many more eggs (thousands) and are the key players in sustaining that fishery.

While I don't condone it, I don't think the impact is as great as you think. It's virtually impossible to pull a female off an active redd. Most likely one would be pulling aggressive males off and he's so juiced up that he'll head right back to the redd within minutes off being released.

 

[afishinado]

Click > FFP fishing during the spawn

Click > TCO fishing during the spawn




Redington: IN THE LOOP: AVOIDING SPAWNERS from Redingtongear on Vimeo.

 

[Brown71]

Most of the trout fisherman(spin fisherman and fly fisherman)that I keep in contact with, all fish in the fall. They are all what I would consider serious fisherman and also ethical.

Apparently many others feel the same, as last week, November 28 through 30th myself and a few old family friends spent the week fishing 3 well known central pa spring creeks. I was surprised myself at how busy a few of the areas were, more anglers than I expected, and a mix of spin and fly both.