Articles With the Tag . . . Big Trout

Streamer Presentations — The Super Pause

Quite simply, the Super Pause is a lack of animation to the streamer for a long time. But that pause usually follows some kind of movement. Last fall, on our podcast about streamers, Bill surprised all of us by saying he often didn’t move the fly for five seconds. That seemed like a long time to all of us. I remember saying that I didn’t know if I had that much patience with a streamer. Dell did, and I didn’t. But I do now.

As Bill told me the other day, getting big hits and bigger fish at the end of the line can make you pretty patient.

Good point . . .

The Tracer Streamer Concept

The tracer streamer keeps the visuals in your streamer game and catches a few trout while doing so. But getting the most of a two-streamer system requires a little forethought . . .

Streamer Presentations — Let Them Eat It

“Let them eat it. Don’t take it away from them.” I’ve burned that simple message in my brain. For many years, I focused obsessively on the motion I would give to a streamer, I now focus equally on where and when I will pause it.

Attract them with motion. Then let them eat it. Streamer fishing for trout really is that simple. But the variations within the framework are where artistry arises . . .

Streamer Presentations — Your First Move

Streamer anglers will tell you that most of their hits happen within the first few seconds or strips. Trout see the fly enter, and their decision whether to attack, chase or ignore your fly is often determined by your first move after entry.

. . . Trout don’t miss much in their field of vision, and they surely notice anything the size of a streamer landing in their zone. Therefore, what that fly does next either entices, dissuades or spooks the fish . . .

Streamer Anglers — Be Like the Drift Boat

Streamer Anglers — Be Like the Drift Boat

You can’t change a trout’s mind by showing him a streamer five times. If a trout doesn’t take the streamer on the first cast, he’s probably not going to eat at all, so streamer fishing is best when you show the fly to hundreds of fish every hour. It’s a different game...

Streamer Presentations — Quick or Smooth?

Streamer Presentations — Quick or Smooth?

A few years ago, Bill Dell and I floated a favorite river from dawn to dusk. It was one of those great days with a friend, with no pressure to put fish in the net and nothing to prove. Everyone wants a fishing friend like Bill. Both of us are dedicated to catching the...

Streamer Presentations — Jigging the Streamer

Streamer Presentations — Jigging the Streamer

Jigging is a time-tested tactic that produces across all fishing styles. Moving the fly, lure or bait up before allowing it to fall has fooled fish from the beginning, everywhere they swim. In fact, jigging might very well be the most primeval presentation. Dunk the...

Fighting Big Fish With Side Pressure — What It Is, How To Use It

Fighting Big Fish With Side Pressure — What It Is, How To Use It

Side pressure pulls the trout from its lane. While the fish faces the current and tries to hold a seam, side pressure moves that trout from its comfort zone and forces it to work against the force of our bent fly rod — all while keeping the trout low. And while we never want to play a trout to exhaustion, the art of a good trout fight is in taking them to the point where we have more control over their body than they do.

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Streamer Presentations — The Touch and Go

Streamer Presentations — The Touch and Go

Want to get deep? Want to be sure the fly is low enough? Try the Touch and Go.

Sometimes, I don’t drift or strip the streamer all the way through. Instead, I plot a course for the fly, looking through the water while reading the river’s structure. And I look for an appropriate landing zone for the Touch and Go . . .

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Streamer Presentations — The Tight Line Dance

Streamer Presentations — The Tight Line Dance

On a tight line rig, things are different. We keep line off the water — so it’s the rod tip that dictates the actions of the fly. Direct contact with the fly lends us ultimate control over every variable. With line off the water, it’s the rod tip that charts the course, the actions and all the movements of the streamer. And that . . . is a very big deal . . .

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Stop Trying to See Your Streamer

Stop Trying to See Your Streamer

Watching your streamer is fun. It’s educational, and it helps to dial in great action on the fly. But if you’re not careful, you’ll start moving the fly so you can see it instead of moving the fly to attract a trout . . .

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Lost Trout Are Your Fault — Streamer Fishing Myth v Truth

Lost Trout Are Your Fault — Streamer Fishing Myth v Truth

A good streamer bite comes with a shot of adrenaline, especially when the strips are fast and aggressive. As we see a wild trout attack the fly, our natural reaction is one of excitement. We set the hook, and all too often we continue the fast and aggressive motions of our retrieve. The trout never has a chance to get back down through the water column, and we mistakenly fight the fish fast and near the surface. Unfortunately, that’s the worst place for a trout, if you want it to stay attached.

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