Ninjaing Up On Trout

[darrinhurst]

I was out at 22X at Fish Creek yesterday morning before work, and basically got skunked again. Might have had one strike on a nymph rig, but not sure. Anyway, while I was making my way back, I was crossing a small inlet and that was where I saw a nice little trout sitting calmly facing away from me waiting for his lunch to come his way. It was a gorgeous day so the water was nice, I am assuming an amicable temperature for the fish. I had a hopper pattern tied on as I was trying the hopper for the first time, with no luck I might add, and tried to drop it in front of said trout. First cast, to the left and behind him....not so good. Second cast, kinda beside him, again to the left. Third try pretty much right on top of him, but he didn't even move. I don't really think that he noticed. Not sure if it was my fly that spooked him, or my shadow from false casting, but he moved off none the less. He didn't dart off, just kinda moseyed on his way into the stronger current. Lost sight of him, but I tied on a parachute adams (something I have had some recent success with) and made some attempts blindly casting to where he MIGHT have been. Didn't get much other than some more casting practise in.

 

For future referece, what could I have done differently? I know I need to place the fly in front of him, but I was more concerened that with the calm water and the bright sun, my line would have either spooked him cause he can see it, or being a five weight, may have splashed down too hard on top of him.

 

Is there anything that I could have done differently? Different fly pattern? Different technique? I am still learning, but being a trout ninja was kinda new territory for me.

[Teck71]

In that situation I ussually try to place the fly 4 to 5 feet in front of the fish, and let the drift take it to him, that has worked for me in the past. but then again I too have only been fly fishing for 1 season more than you.

 

Teck

[DonnieM]

I think the biggest mistake was to not just sit there a few minutes and watch him, seeing exactly what it was that he was munching on. Trout can be really selective and if he was sittin there just munchin on nymphs or emergers a big ole hopper probably wont get his attention. Or if he was gently sipping mayflys same thing, going with the parachute first might have been a better idea, and even if you mess up a cast with the parachute adams chances are you probably wont spook him as much as you will with a gignormous hopper pattern. Just some thoughts, good luck, and trust me one day it just all comes together and gets easier!

[darrinhurst]

Yeah, I kinda figured the hopper would be a tad large, but didn't want to lose the opportunity by tying on a new fly.

 

I did watch him for a bit, he was just sitting there. Not really doing much, relaxing, enjoying the weather. If he had a beer, he woulda been living the dream.

[bigbrown]

Couple things,

if he just sidled off, he saw you, and was tired of you looking at him. A fish will not move from a feeding lane unless it is interrupted or made nervous. Chances are that it saw you, stopped feeding..then got tired of these bugs that had string attached coming near him. If you were wading, the pressure waves under water could have caught up to him by the time you made that third cast, so again, he noticed you, and wasn't comfortable.

 

Also, you need your first cast to be bang on, the first cast is your best chance before the fish gets on your game. This late in the year, that fish has had lots of bugs over top of him and has probably learnt from his mistake.

 

try a small caddis next time, don't rush the situation. If the fish hasn't seen you, it's not going to leave just for the hell of it unless something makes it

[rusty]

Cardinal rule of sightfishing: if you can see the fish, he can see you.

 

Either sit there super still until he gets comfy with you there, or back off to a spot where you can't see him.

 

Big trout in shallow water are usually on Defcon 3 before you show up, so the odds aren't exactly in your favor to start off and begin with.

[acurrie]

Just like if you walk within 10 feet of the Crownest river they split like they saw a ghost, have to basically crawl to the rivers edge.