Trout Fly Fishing Techniques

One especially productive trout fly fishing technique that is often used is a term called 'dabbing'. Dabbing is highly effective in small streams and in areas where the fly caster can't toss a line. And as the name implies, dabbing is merely dancing or dabbing the fly on the surface. Only enough line and leader is paid out so that it extends from the rod tip to the water. By lowering and raising the rod tip, the fly will literally bounce on the surface.

A good practice is to use dabbing during the late season where you can stalk a fish, reach from cover and drop the fly over its lair. A fish will invariably hook itself when striking a dabbed fly and one must watch that the fly is not neatly snipped from the leader, from a trout's sudden rise.

Large variant and spider dry flies will produce excellent results as well. Variant and spider flies work best in long, quiet summertime pools, where a standard dry fly, regardless of how carefully it is brought to the waters surface, will spook these late season fish. The long hackled spiders and variants literally parachute to the water's surface and should never be underrated.

Skittering flies will often stir summertime trout to strike. Here, the variant or spider fly is cast downstream. Hold the rod tip high and retrieve the fly in short skips-hops-and-jumps. It will merely bounce the surface, many times enticing wary fish.

Big River Trout

Big rivers contain big fish that are predominantly minnow feeders. And these lunker-sized fish didn't become large by being stupid. It takes considerable effort to creel one of these giants, but the effort is rewarding. In fishing big waters, the angler must turn to long rods in the 9 foot class and matching torpedo tapered or weight-forward lines to be able to reach the feeding fish. Long casts are required, since big waters usually sport heavy currents and an angler simply can't wade these areas.

Since big water trout are primarily minnow feeders, the fly-rodder should use large, heavily-dressed streamers or bucktails or large, bushy-tied wet flies. Big water trout fishing, however, was made for the spin angler. He can cover far more suitable fish haunts than the fly caster. Spinners and spoons work well here in all there many varieties as well as miniature minnow plugs of the deep-running type.

These special trout fly fishing techniques will produce. Be sure to fish in front of and behind every glacier-strewn boulder and along the shores. Be ready! A fish taken here is not going to be minnow-size!