Redds

[SilverDoctor]

Its that time of year to start watching out for spawning "Redds" if you are out wading. I've noticed a few already out there on large streams and small. Please be careful.

[bcubed]

And try to resist targeting bulls! They are already doing the dance (and have been for a while)

[zed]

it's also that time of year to watch our spelling, i believe it's "redds".

[SilverDoctor]

There you go

[WinstonConfluentus]

Hey SilverDoctor thanks for the thought; we can use all the help we can get this year! Things were bad enough last year after the flood, but it seems many of my friends didn't make it through the winter. The singles gravel bar was a sad and lonely place this year, sniff, sniff. Those of us that made it through have found a few good places left to spawn (Hidden Creek, my natal stream, is pretty much useless to us for now until at least some of the sediment breaks up), so every redd means the world to us this year.

 

I took a swim up Dutch Creek the other day to see how the neighbours made out and was saddened to find more quads playing in the creek where my buddies went to spawn. It's odd that the clean gravel turned up by them looks a little like a redd. That's what you nice folks should be watching out for; a "cleaner than the surrounding gravel" pit or depression with finer gravel trailing out the downstream side. We make them by laying over on our sides and banging the gravel with our tails to clean out the spaces between the rocks and build the little ramp on the downstream side. Then the fun begins... some of us even hang out for a while afterward to make sure everything is ok.

 

I know some of my friends are still spawning, but we should all be done in another week or two; come say hi then and we may even come out and play if you promise to be gentle.

 

Thanks again Silver...

 

Winston

[relk19]

And try to resist targeting bulls! They are already doing the dance (and have been for a while)

 

When is it safe to start targeting them again? I wanted to this weekend, but now I realize that might not be a good idea.

[WinstonConfluentus]

Hi Relk,

 

Thanks to you as well for the thoughtfulness. Those of us who have spawned will be moving out of the spawning areas and headwater creeks back into the main stems and large pools looking for something to eat. If you folks stay away from gravel beds (especially if you see groundwater welling in the area), and concentrate on faster water and pools you should do us no harm this weekend. Just remember we are a little weak and hungry so strike fast so you don't deep hook us. This thread really knows how to make a fish smile

[scel]

I have caught many brown trout near the city over the last couple weeks---including one big girl (super fat, 22"). I know they are definitely making their move.

 

I only think that I have ever seen a single redd. It was pretty obvious with the bow river bottom colour change at this time of year. After the flood, there seem to be fewer good spots.

 

My concern (which is hopefully inappropriate) is that the redds may be close together, and therefore, there may not be enough contrast to differentiate. So, how close will a brown tolerate another spawning brown?

 

I would like to learn what to look for. I have looked at a lot of pictures, but they are not super obvious to me. I would really appreciate if someone would take a picture of a Bow River redd and PM it to me. I triple promise that I would never be a mega-douche and fish for the brown on the redd.

[SilverDoctor]

I've seen Redd's overlapping, also seen Browns use a previous redd for spawning, scooping it deeper. They can also be very small and not the off color if there is no algae or silt covering the pea gravel when they start scooping, somtimes it light gravel over heavier. Spent a lot of time watching as its fascinating. Best to avoid any areas that look mildly suspicious, but that's just me.

[beedhead]

I know its hard to resist, but... I have watched the Bulls do their thing for a while now, I don't cast at them, just stand there and watch, pretty cool stuff. Good thread....

 

Cheers

[bcubed]

Bow should be shut above 22 to avoid the whole situation of trying to avoid redds. But NIMBY for losing a couple months of fishing on a small stretch of river.

 

Scel, when I was assisting on the Elbow Riv redd survey a few years ago, there was one patch that was probably 40 redds all together. Only so much good terrain for them to spawn, they'll make it happen where they can

[reevesr1]

I was pretty far up a Bull Trout spawning river in BC this weekend. We saw multiple (like many multiples) of redds, but no spawning bullies. Did see some single fish, but no evidence of pairs. At least up there it looks done. There were likely some we could have fished, but too busy chasing cutties to mess with the bullies.

[ParsonsBruce]

Hi Relk,

 

Thanks to you as well for the thoughtfulness. Those of us who have spawned will be moving out of the spawning areas and headwater creeks back into the main stems and large pools looking for something to eat. If you folks stay away from gravel beds (especially if you see groundwater welling in the area), and concentrate on faster water and pools you should do us no harm this weekend. Just remember we are a little weak and hungry so strike fast so you don't deep hook us. This thread really knows how to make a fish smile

[ParsonsBruce]

Oops here's my reply about hungry bulls. So I wanted to try out my new 3wt and had a few hours available today. I choose a nearby stream where I could target some 10-12" RBs. I hooked a 16" whitefish in a large fast running pool on an upstream cast. Worked it downstream of me when out of the depths came a large shadow that slammed the whitefish and drove right into shore and it saw me and headed back to the depths of the pool. What a great day to be on the water. Nothing hitting drys but was able the test the rod out on multiple RBs on nymphs.

[WinstonConfluentus]

Hmmmmm, yummy Whitefish.

[jpinkster]

Oops here's my reply about hungry bulls. So I wanted to try out my new 3wt and had a few hours available today. I choose a nearby stream where I could target some 10-12" RBs. I hooked a 16" whitefish in a large fast running pool on an upstream cast. Worked it downstream of me when out of the depths came a large shadow that slammed the whitefish and drove right into shore and it saw me and headed back to the depths of the pool. What a great day to be on the water. Nothing hitting drys but was able the test the rod out on multiple RBs on nymphs.

Reminds me of something similar that happened in July when I was on the Livi.

 

Was floating a parachute adam's through a pool and saw a small cutty slowly come off the bottom to come take the fly. The cutty got about a foot below the fly and got pulverized by a very large bull before it even realized what was happening. I counted it as a refusal and quickly tied on a different fly.