Trout Reactions

[mute]

We'll ill start off with some odd behavior. Over at a local stream, the trout are just about to die, from the heat, low water, targeting stress, etc. Its funny the few fish that are left are mostly big ones. 17in about. But theyre so spooky and agressive it seemed. They were like fighting almost. But also they seemed to sit in the shallow sunny water, when there are deep shady pools nearby. Odd? Another thing is when fishing a wooly bugger, and your twitching it in, and you get a quick agressive swim to it, do you stop or what. I was twitching it in, then id get a look and id stop then he couldnt care less. Then id start again but if i kept going he wouldnt bother going after it.

 

[CaptMatt]

Keep stripping and on the next cast change the strip up a little. Snook and Tarpon do that all the time. They'll chase chase chase until you get near the boat and then they turn away. On the next cast I'll have my people change the strip. A little faster or slower, shorter strips or longer strips etc... Usually thats all it takes.

 

[shipnfish2006]

I agree with CaptMatt. One thing I do the a couple times this year has been deadly is strip- strip -pause 1-2, strip- strip pause 1,2. Most of the takes were on the pause. Kind of the same thing you'd see out of a dying bait fish.

 

[afishinado]

mute,

not looking for your secret spot, but what stream in PA is too warm for trout, given the cool air temps at night up to now?

i don't believe any trout stream has been over 70*, at least for a prolonged period. it sounds like you've just found wary trout in clear water that have become educated by the pressure. The warm weather predicted this week may push some streams into the danger zone for trout.

Put away the wooly bugger away andtry sight fishing with a small nymph or midge pupa. Start with a #18-20 BHPT. don't use an indicator and watch the fish for a reaction when your fly in in his zone. it's a fun way to fish. good luck.

 

[mute]

afishinado, Stony Creek in Norristown pa. The water is low and well i guess the water isnt warm, just the water conditions making hard takes. Because the fishing was Great only a week ago, i was always nailing them on variations of drifting PT's HE's and little midges. The water was alot higher and it was shadier and cooler. They're just really spooky and seem more concentrated on jolting around then feeding. Id estimate the water 1-2 weeks ago was about at its normal 3-4feet holes. Now those holes are probably 1.5-2

 

[jayL]

zebra midge!

That or some soft hackles should do the trick.

 

[Squaretail]

My experience when fish follow like that is to make it more of a frantic, eratic retrieve but only when the trout start homing in just like a real minnow would do. Its hard at first not to try and let the fish catch up.