Fall rains, cooling temps mean it's streamer season

Fall rains have recently blanketed much of the upper Midwest, riding in on the first serious cold front of the season. The comfortably warm temperatures that we enjoyed through much of September will now give way in early October to seasonably brisk days accompanied by overnight dips near or below the frost line.

Falling water temperatures will bring most fly hatching and surface feeding activity to a crawl. Mid to late afternoon hatches of small blue-winged olives (size 18-22) provide the best opportunity for dry fly fishing. Fishing these smaller dry flies requires longer, finer leaders (9-12 foot, 6x-7x), delicate presentation and longer drag-free drifts to be successful.

Throughout the year well over 90 percent of a trout's feeding activity is done subsurface, whether on aquatic insects in their nymph or larval stage, baitfish or smaller trout or crayfish and the like. Combined with the rapidly dwindling insect hatches, the increased stream-flow brought on by fall rains is a trigger that causes trout to more actively pursue swimming prey.

This is the time of year when lightweight dry fly rods are left are in the closet and the 9 foot, 5- weight to 7-weight fly rods rigged with a weight-forward line go into the travel rod and reel case to head to the stream. A 5-weight setup can throw smaller dry flies reasonably well if a hatch pops up and can also handle small to medium-sized streamers. The 6-weight and 7-weight rods are used for handling large and weighted streamers, particularly when sink tip or full sinking lines are employed.

For those who are unaccustomed to throwing larger weighted flies or sinking fly-line rigs, it will be time well spent practicing the cast before heading to the stream. Particularly with weighted flies or a weighted line, the casting stroke is significantly different from that employed when fishing dry flies. Think ... "rhythm"... and ... "feel" ... and ... "patience." "Open" your casting stroke up and slow it down. Rather than the rod tip moving from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock as when casting dry flies, open the stroke so that it more closely resembles 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock.

Even more importantly, on the back cast wait for the rod to "load" before starting the forward casting stroke. With a weighted fly or line, the rod tip will visibly flex or load on the back cast and the loading of the rod can be readily felt as well. Smoothly and steadily apply power to the forward cast; avoid an abrupt acceleration, which can cause a weighted fly or line to fall lower -- fairly frequently to just about head level! Stop the forward stroke at 9 or 10 o'clock, rather than bringing the cast to stream level; the line will straighten and fall to water with a degree of finesse.

When fishing streamers in water up to thigh deep, use a 7.5- to 10-foot, 2x or 3x leader. When more weight is required to get the fly down in faster moving or somewhat deeper water, many fly fishers add split shot or go to sinking tip lines. Adding split shot increases the chances of getting hung up on the bottom or obstructions. In water that is uniformly about four to five feet or more in depth, consider using a medium weight sink-tip line. Heavy-moving deep water often calls for a Type 5 or 6 full fast-sinking line.

In water shallower than four or five feet, go to a tapered sinking leader. These polymer-coated tapered sinking sections are available in lengths from 5 to 10 feet, which create leaders from 7 to 12 feet long when a 24-36-inch 2x or 3x monofilament tippet section is added. They are more easily and accurately cast than a standard monofilament leader with split-shot added.

Searching the water, cast across and slightly downstream, alternatively using a dead drift presentation and then a quick retrieve, stripping presentation. Cast near to or run your streamer in front of and alongside cover such as log jams or overhanging banks or drop it into the tail end of a riffle or run and let it swing into and through a deeper, slower hole.

A dead drift, essentially allowing the streamer to tumble in the current while occasionally imparting some action to the fly, imitates a wounded prey fish. Allow the streamer to drift a bit and then to swing in the current. Don't allow too much slack to form; it is essential to maintain "contact" with the fly in order to detect strikes. Periodically raise the rod tip or strip in short sections of line to portray the wounded prey as still showing some signs of life. Strip in a few feet of line as the streamer finishes its swing before making the next cast. Be ready -- strikes often occur as the fly turns in the current.

When making a quick retrieve or stripping presentation, you may either move the fly with the rod tip and then strip in the slack line or strip the line directly to impart the darting motion to the fly. In either event, vary both the rate and length of the streamer's movement, from a few inches to a couple of feet, faster then slower, then faster. Periodically dip the rod tip and allow the fly to drop or tumble for a few moments, then pick up the action again.

When a trout hits a faster-moving streamer, the strike is often sudden and serious, frequently accompanied by a flash of trout's broadside, a noisy splash or swirl and a head or back rising up above the surface of the water. It gets the heart pumping!

The take on a dead-drifted streamer is often more subtle, a more gentle but insistent tugging. Don't strike back suddenly, jerking the rod to set the hook. Rather, take the slack from the line by stripping gently or moving the rod tip away and upstream, allowing the trout to hook itself as it turns away with its just captured "prey".

If you don't hook ‘em on the first strike, do not pull the streamer out and away! Frequently a trout will run into and hit its prey to stun it before turning back to pick it up or the trout will turn back to take another pass if it didn't connect on the first attempt. If you've felt the strike but have not hooked up, drop the rod tip, allow the streamer to drift for a few moments as though stunned, then impart a few short darting actions to the fly and be prepared for more action.

Through the fall, woolly buggers, zonkers, leeches and sculpins yield the best results, though dipping into the box for one of the standard hair-winged streamers like a Micky Finn or Black Nosed Dace can be a good move. Black and/or olive, with yellow, orange and/or red added are a good bet. In higher, darker water, streamers with flash added will improve your chances.

Overcast days will improve your odds; brown trout, especially, are more active in low light conditions. Fishing on the leading edge of a rain can yield fantastic results. As the creeks begin to rise and flow faster, the baitfish and smaller trout get jostled from the traditional holding spots and are pushed out into the heavier water where they dart about trying to find a new spot to hold. The browns, more secure in the overcast and rain, aggressively move away from their hides to pick up the disoriented prey. This is generally the time to employ quick retrieve, stripping technique almost exclusively.

As compared to fishing with dry flies, streamer fishing is quite a different pursuit. It is a chance to be very active, requiring nearly constant motion of rod and fly. Much larger flies can be employed -- a brown trout will readily take a steamer up to one-third of its body length -- and larger trout will respond aggressively to a properly presented streamer. So put away the dry fly rod, get out the streamer box, hit the stream and be prepared to hold on.