Trout on Poppers

[jbewley]

I was fishing for bluegill on a local creek, using a #6, pink, pan fish popper. I took a couple of nice ones and then there was an aggressive strike. I landed an eight inch brown trout, not knowing there were trout in the creek. Now, I have never actually gone after trout with a popper, so do they work for trout or was this a fluke?

Jim

 

[Tigereye]

Trout are predators. If it looks like an easy meal, they will eat it. Pink is an attractive color to trout. Flies such as pink Cadillac, frenchie, egg and shrimp patterns all incorporate pink. I'm sure there are others. I think there was an old dry fly called pink lady. Never saw one, I assume it was pink.

No fluke. Hungry fish eat prey.

 

[Bamboozle]

As long as trout whack strike indicators, I'd say a popper is an option.

FWIW - I tie "strike indicator" flies for brookie streams I frequent. They are just short pieces of foam lashed to a hook.

At times, they are all I need.

 

[Dave_W]

Agree with the posts above. ^

I hooked a large trout on a popper once when I was bass fishing.

This time of year there is some overlap with warm water species and trout as both are likely to be found in many of the same spots and are on the feed. Conversely, you can expect to catch some bass and panfish on trout flies this time of year as well.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

I've taken them with a popper before while fishing rapids.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

When I first started fly fishing back in the early 80s, I caught a couple of trout on a panfish popper on the Little Lehigh within the Heritage Area. I went there armed with a blister pack of cheap wet flies and panfish poppers to go with a few store bought trout flies from Angler's Pro Shop in Souderton. If a trout is hungry enough, I learned that they will eat it.

 

[JeffK]

I know a guy who has switched to panfish poppers for night fishing in low clear limestone streams that are tough in the day. Used to tie all sorts of elaborate night flies, but inexpensive panfish poppers did the trick so he switched.