So far this winter my nymphing game has been a little off — the numbers aren’t there. Maybe it’s me and maybe it’s the fish, but either way, my best efforts to recreate what I’ve gotten used to in the winter haven’t produced. So on many days, after receiving the message that the trout would like something different, I’ve had better results going to streamers. Not just any streamer tactics though — old school streamers.
A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the changes that streamer fishing is going through. The streamer game is on a new path. Galloup’s Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout started the ball rolling with a trout-as-predator concept and a big-flies-fished-fast approach that’s captured the enthusiasms of fly fishermen. It’s fun. It’s visual. It’s exciting. And it produces — sometimes and in some places.
The modern streamer approach asks trout to get up and chase something down, to kill it and eat it, while the old school streamer game presents an easily available chunk of protein to the trout. It doesn’t ask the fish to chase very much. In essence, old school streamers come to the trout, and modern streamers flee from the trout.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes, the modern streamer game is too much for a river. In low, clear, sunny conditions I have zero confidence that I’ll get fish to chase and eat a big streamer. And sometimes, even with perfect flows on a big river system, trout prefer the easy meal over something they have to chase down. My own preference is to fish the old school style while wading, and the modern streamer style from the boat. Although, even on a productive float, I like to mix it up and see which tactic might deliver the best trout to the boat net.
Photo by Chris Kehres
Photo by Chris Kehres
Streamers as an Easy Meal
When I talk to guys about fishing streamers this way they often shrug and tell me, “Yeah I dead drift streamers sometimes too.” But there’s a lot more to it than just nymphing your streamer, and through the years I’ve learned a set of subtle movements that seem to trigger trout into action. The streamer game can be just as technical as the nymphing game if you want it to be.
LISTEN: Troutbitten Podcast | Breaking Down Streamer Presentations
The Rig
When fishing the old school streamer style, I always use the Mono Rig. It provides more control over upstream presentations — I’m in better contact. I can put the fly wherever I want in the water column and move it however I like. The Mono Rig also works well if I choose an across or a down-and-across presentation. So I can still sling the fly to the banks and bang out of few jerk strips.
Most of my streamers for the old school style are between 1.5 and 3.5 inches, and I like weight in the fly. All of my favorite streamers have built in weight, and if that’s not enough, then I add split shot to the leader. In bigger water, I often use large lead shot that we call cannonballs — they’ll get you down.
I usually run about 6 feet of 2X fluorocarbon tippet below a short, red Amnesia sighter. I like to add a small, white streamer on a tag about two feet above the point streamer (more on that below). I can easily change out this rig above the sighter and get back to my nymphing rig in about a minute — tying just one knot — by storing the pre-tied streamer and nymphing rigs on Loon Outdoors Rigging Foam.
READ: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations — The Crossover Technique
The Presentations
Generally, the cast is upstream or up-and-across. Get the streamer to the bottom, then bring it downstream. At short distances you can feel contact with the riverbed, but at long distances the sighter is critical. Watch the sighter to gauge the current speeds and to indicate when the streamer has paused on the bottom.
Overweighting the rig is often the best bet. You have more control over the system with the extra weight — you stay in better contact and can guide the streamer with or against the currents.
Give the streamer some motion, but not too much. Try to get away from the idea of stripping. Just work the streamer through the water. (Sometimes I think of it as an active nymphing approach, and I call this a crossover technique.)
I like to experiment with different speeds. There are a lot of options: you can run the fly downstream at the same speed as the bottom current; you can allow it to stall on the bottom, then hop or crawl it along; or you can give the line a good long pull every time the fly touches bottom and keep it traveling faster than the current.
READ: Troutbitten |Streamer Presentations — The Speed Lead
Often, the rivers I fish have too much wood and vegetation for me to ride the bottom without getting snagged or picking up salad every other cast. In those cases I use either faster presentations and lighter flies, or I resort to drop shotting. Yes, drop shot works with streamers too.
Sometimes I like to get real close to structure and put my streamers in there. Just get them in or around the structure and hold them in an area with light jigs and strips. I also like to run the streamer across lanes, through pockets and around rocks or logs.
The great thing about this rig is how you can easily visualize exactly where your streamer is and what it’s doing. With the extra weight, the Mono Rig, and the sighter, you have full control over the system.
Sometimes I let the drift finish out below me and swing around. Sometimes I cast to the banks and do the Galloup jerk-strip thing — but just a little slower. If one approach isn’t working, I try the next one. I try to consciously cycle through a series of variations before changing flies.
Remember, the old school streamer style is about presenting an easy meal to the trout. You are not trying to elicit a predatory or defensive response as per the modern streamer method. You are not asking the trout to chase anything down or exert much effort.
Photo by Austin Dando
Photo by Austin Dando
The Sighter Streamer
I first picked up this idea from Joe Humphreys.
I add a small, white streamer on a tag dropper about 24-30 inches up from my main fly. White is usually visible in all but the muddiest water conditions. And even though I have the red sighter six feet up the line, the addition of the white streamer gives me an amazing amount of information about what my rig is doing on the bottom. It’s another invaluable reference point that indicates water speed and direction. And on many days, the fish eat it — a lot.
I like to keep the sighter streamer small and streamlined so it causes less drag on the line. I use a weighted Shenk’s White Minnow, a white River Rat or a small Half Pint streamer.
The Big Rig
If you want to tie a couple more knots and catch a few more fish, then try what I call the Big Rig.
To the existing setup, add a nymph below the point streamer. You can tie it off the bend, but I prefer the Add-On Line method, and I usually run it on a 14 inch trailer. Yes, you now have three flies.
This idea takes advantage of every opportunity for a trout to strike. Sometimes they won’t eat a bigger meal. Even a two inch streamer may turn trout off, but streamers drifted through a trout’s area always gets their attention, so we might as well add a nymph to the rig and give them another option.
Keep the nymph unweighted, otherwise it will snag on the bottom too often.
My favorite nymphs for the Big Rig are a small stonefly (#10-14) or a tiny Zebra Midge (#20-22). One extreme to the other, I guess. I wrap foam around the hook of the stonefly (under the body) to keep it buoyant enough and off the bottom.
READ: Troutbitten | The Big Rig: The Two Plus One — Two Nymphs and a Streamer
Photo by Chris Kehres
Sawyer’s Pivot
One more thing. If you ever get to watch a good bass fisherman work their various baits and lures, do it. Get close, and open your eyes real wide to take it all in.
I’m dumbfounded by how little some fly fishers think about what they’re doing with streamers. Compare that to the competition bass fishing scene. Some of these guys are dialed in to a degree that is unmatched in the fly fishing world. And they have a literal boatload of tricks at the ready.
My good friend, Sawyer, seems to know all those tricks. He’s an accomplished fisherman, and yet he’s modest and happy to share his ideas. When Sawyer picks up the fly rod, he brings that same intensity for experimentation with him.
Sawyer with a trout that took on the pivot
We floated a big river the other day, and Sawyer fished the old school streamer style the whole time. As I back-rowed, I watched his technique with eyes wide open, and I saw that he was doing something different. As the heavy-headed streamer came downstream, he hopped it, then let it fall. Sometimes he let it sit on the bottom for a second or two.
But here’s the thing — his streamer pivots. The head of the fly faces downstream during the retrieve, and when allowed to rest on the bottom, it immediately turns 180 degrees in the current. The streamer’s tail catches the current and swings around while the head remains in place, and in one second, the streamer is facing upstream. Sawyer showed this to me as I peered over the side of the boat. It was consistent and predictable. The pivot happened every time he let the fly rest on the bottom. And it looked extremely natural.
Sawyer caught most of his fish on the pivot that day, and we saw it happen twice.
The first time, a good sized trout followed his streamer for a few feet. Most streamer fishermen I know have the instinct to keep stripping. “Never let the fly die,” they say. Sawyer did the opposite. As the fish continued to follow, he simply dropped the rod tip. The fly touched the bottom, made the pivot and S-L-A-M … the trout ate it.
I think there are a lot of subtle movements like Sawyer’s pivot that trigger trout into striking. And I love trying to find them.
Photo by Pat Burke
Photo by Matt Grobe
Good luck out there, everyone.
Fish hard, friends.
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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
I like Clouser style streamers…for all the reasons you give…especially when I fish slow on the bottom. I learned the nymph behind the streamer from a western guide on the Ruby river…it can be deadly.
Nice. What size Clouser, usually, Bill?
Very fun post. I don’t try the old school streamer method enough. I have the same issue as you described with getting my rig snagged. Nothing is more descouraging than losing your huge articulated streamer to a snag under water. You do that 2 or 3 times in a day and you get reluctant to go deep.
Right on. Most of my old school streamers are simple ties, for two reasons I guess: One, because you lose them more often. Two, because I think trout get a longer look at what they’re going to eat this way, and too much movement and too big of a fly turns them off.
Thanks for reading.
I have to admit, I learned a lot. It’s new to me, and you answered a lot of questions I thought about streamer fishing. Thanks,
Sounds excellent, Alex!
How does Sawyer make the streamer pivot?
Hey Joe,
Sawyer’s streamer is built on a ball head jig, so it pivots very easily. I’ve seen other heavy headed flies do it too (coneheads, dumbell eyes, large beadheads), but not nearly as consistently as the ball head jig.
Additionally, you can make the same thing happen with a heavy split shot and a lightweight or unweighted streamer. Mount the shot about 6 inches above the fly. Bring the rig downstream, with the head pointing down current. Then allow the shot to drop to the bottom; the streamer will swing around on its 6 inch leash and face into the current.
If you watch this happen, you’ll see how tantalizing and natural it is. Of course I’m not saying that it convinces a trout to eat every time, but it’s another thing for your bag of tricks.
You also have to find the right water speed: too fast and the streamer can’t settle down; too slow and the current won’t push the tail around. However, there’s a pretty wide range of currents that will work.
Good luck out there.
>I will try some of these tips. I dont throw enough streamers.
Also, glad you showed a picture of Sawyer- I thought he was an old guy!
This sounds a lot like the techniques they use in Alaska with flesh flies… I suppose this works on a similar concept. Have you ever tried using the same style of “flesh flies” around here, or anywhere where the fish don’t benefit from tons of rotting salmon flesh flowing downstream?
Noel, no I haven’t, but now I might. And you should give it a try and report back!
Your excellent post set me to thinking. Have you ever used a white streamer on a tag as an underwater indicator for a nymph? I imagine that in clear water, it would be quite visible.
Alex, the way I think about it, the white streamer on a tag would grab too much current and cause too much drag on the nymph underneath — in many situations. As I wrote above, I like the white “sighter streamer” for a streamer rig, but I don’t think I’d like it as much for nymphing.
BUT … I often use a small, orange Backing Barrel on my tippet section for just the purpose you described.
https://troutbitten.com/2014/11/05/the-backing-barrel/
I always feel like I’m a little bit more informed; and I’m seeing the purpose and rationale for a given technique with a bit more clarity after reading one of your tactics entries. I really like the little white indicator streamer idea and will be trying this soon.
Thank you for another great read.
That’s a nice comment. Thanks, Bill. Glad that some of this is useful. Hope it helps.
I like to keep the sighter streamer small — #8-#12 range. It does introduce some drag to the system because it’s usually in a different current speed than the point streamer. So, it can cause a little drag on the point streamer. But drag isn’t always bad with streamers, as we know. And, if the point streamer is heavy enough (or you’re using enough shot) then it is not pushed or pulled around much at all by a small sighter streamer.
Make sense?
Been reading all your stuff Domenick, and I dig your style.
Been using the mono rig for a while now and it’s been great for my nymphing game.
I tied up a buncha bunny bullets, and went to the Deschutes…..got some toad redsides to eat….keep up the good work!
Just try everything on each retrieve.
Well, that’s kind of impossible, brother. Just too many options. I do a lot better when I focus on one style of retrieve for at least five minutes or so. Then you can really see what might work.
Cheers.
Thanks. Love your reads…and you discuss all options without creating arguments…great readers here too. Fished a guided float trip on a medium size river here in SW MI. I fished one way and guide bugged me to fish another…life is interesting
Hi Domenick, just stumbling across your encyclopedia of tactics and I can’t get enough! I’m grateful for the resource.
I’ve had much success with the mono rig on a 4wt setup nymphing in the GA “mountains” and am curious about your streamer hardware for bigger fish. I have the ‘hooch as an upcoming excursion and want to try what your article discusses. I have a good arsenal of rod weights to choose from, but I’m unsure about the reel. My mono reel is an old click reel that was my grandpa’s, so I’m wondering if a drag system is needed or not.
Suggestions on how to go about this?
Thanks!
Hello Tyler,
Thanks for the kind words. I enjoy writing and putting all this together. I’m also thankful for the audience that supports it. Cheers.
Do you mean you have or have not yet fished streamers on your Mono Rig yet?
If not, I think you’ll find that your 4 weight will handle it quite well. Since the rod doesn’t have to cast weight of a fly line, the weight of easy a big streamer doesn’t add up to enough to tax the rod. It’s a lot of fun.
About the reel. I’d say screw it. Fish that same click and pawl from your grandfather. Then the memory of your biggest trout will be even sweeter. I landed the largest wild trout of my life on a click and pawl reel. True story. I love those reels. It adds another fun element back into the game.
Good luck.
Send me pictures.
Dom
Once again just in the knick of time. I won’t say I was glad to here nymph fishing was slow but interested.My tried and true winter nymphing techniques aren’t working as well ,egg patterns ,midges.etc.Ive tried changing rigs,flies,egg patterns,poles,the works just seems slow this winter.Im excited to tie and try some different steamers and tactics.By the way when I’m fishing I think what would Dom do.Thanks for another great arrival. Pete
Nice
Cheers
My go to method for early season and other times when trout are in or near their sanctuary. I will use a Jig Bugger or Jig leach and do exactly what you have outlined. Thanks Great Blog
This gets me excited about 2022. California’s Sierra Nevada actually has a good snowpack and 2022 will be a good streamer year. I think switching retrieves is so essential. I like your (and Joe’s) sighter suggestion as well. My largest trout ever was via slow and deep twitches in a deep run (articulated streamer – similar to some of the Galloup patterns); almost fished like a rubber worm (your bass angler reference). My biggest lost trout (sad story) was using an incredibly aggressive approach and slapping a streamer on a thick mat of foam to see have the beast under the mat attack viciously … then, to mix it up some, on a large lake, I had takes just a few weeks ago while the streamer was on the sink. In closing, for kicks, I sometimes throw an old-school Mickey Finn. or Black Ghost type pattern to pay homage to tradition. Anyways, good stuff. Keep up the good work. Love your blog.
What was so interesting was comments about nymphs not doing their normal job,finding exactly same thing on Truckee,so more and more finding the bugger doing the job,between walking down river,or traditional swing,fish still loving the bugger. Gonna try that white lead streamer,since white Zonker great fly.
I really related to this story as someone who was a spin fisherman for many years and have only started fly fishing this year. So originally being a bass guy who was in love with big lures , I finally fell in love with fly fishing and being able to tie and use new streamers everytime I went fishing. I used to classify myself as someone who loved fishing with streamers so much that I would do it even it wasn’t working. I knew the chance of catching a big bass/trout was was always possible but that comes with a lot of getting skunked on my home waters. Then after an entire year of jerk pause jerk pausing streamers it hit me like a ton of brick, whenever the going got tough with a baitcaster I would turn to dropshotting big worms or swimbaits. Anyways long story short, I use floating line, 8ft to 3-6″ streamer then for my dropshot weight I use weighted carp flies that ride hook up.
Good stuff