I always love the opening day of the season on the river. I’m usually there mid morning, after racing though the work e-mails. The best of the early season fly fishing at this time of year can often be when the sun has risen in the sky, so mid-day is ideal. This year I resolved to give more time and attention to streamer fishing, a method that targets brown trout with larger flies designed to imitate small prey fish. Armed with some interesting new streamer fly patterns, I eagerly made my way down to the river to give them a try.
From previous early-season fishing, I learned that getting big flies down to the required depth in fast, deep, coloured water was a challenge. This time I loaded a Di6 sinking line to cut though quickly and, hopefully, get the streamers into the trout’s line of vision.
For the first hour, my favourite streamers failed to get a hit and I needed to figure out what changes were needed. There is always a solution when we’re not catching, the trick is figuring out what it is! Anyway , thinking the fish might need help in spotting a fly in the murky March water I put on a “fire tiger bugger” (Fire tiger patterns can often get things happening for any species of predator fish). This has a bright red cone head to boot, so I hoped it might stimulate a trout to grab it out of hunger, curiosity or just plain annoyance.
Would you believe, first cast with this colourful creation and I’m in! Not a big fish, but that first take of the season on a bitterly cold March morning is always special. A welcome thrill after months of waiting. A quick pic and the trout is carefully returned to the icy river to continue feeding and, hopefully, grow bigger.
If you’re interested in adding some streamer flies to your collection, take a look at http://www.streamerfishing.com , a good place for tips, expert advice and to buy hand-tied streamers. It’s worth noting, these large flies are not just for early season fishing. Streamer flies can be used throughout the season, and can be especially useful in high water conditions.