favorite dries for small streams

[Wulff]

My fav is the Royal Wulff. However, try a Hair's ear Parachute. Killer in pocket water.

 

[Chaz]

Royal Wulff and Stimulators and green inch worm.

 

[Chaz]

Maybe the brookies had moved to spawn, but I have seen sun on the water in the wrong places keep fish from biting. Always consider where to sun is when fishing a stream, reflections, and shadows are troublesome to all trout.

 

[just_jon]

Size 14 Royal Wulff hands down.

 

[dryflyguy]

I use beetles on small streams. You can plop them right over top of the fish without worrying about spooking them, and they work quite well

 

[afishinado]

dryflyguy wrote:
I use beetles on small streams. You can plop them right over top of the fish without worrying about spooking them, and they work quite well

+1 for beetles spring thru fall. The foam ones float forever. I tie them with them with an orange or chart. poly yarn post for visibility.

 

[fritz]

Royal Wulff. Small buggers and wet flies when the water is high. This past spring I tried some coachmen streamers that worked real well.

 

[rrt]

1. Ginger Wright Caddis
2. Adams
Another thing that could have happened on the trib is that you could have been fishing behind another fisherman, though you didn't see his car. I agree with what Frank Nale does when he doesn't catch a fish in a half-hour when fishing that kind of stream: go somewhere else b/c it is likely that it has already been fished and the fish are spooked, at least for a while. As for comments about sunlight: I often prefer sunny days to fish brookie waters, finding that the fish are pretty active on those days unless water temps are high. Now, for browns, overcast days seem to be better most of the time.

 

[FrankTroutAngler]

rrt wrote:
1. Ginger Wright Caddis
2. Adams
Another thing that could have happened on the trib is that you could have been fishing behind another fisherman, though you didn't see his car. I agree with what Frank Nale does when he doesn't catch a fish in a half-hour when fishing that kind of stream: go somewhere else b/c it is likely that it has already been fished and the fish are spooked, at least for a while. As for comments about sunlight: I often prefer sunny days to fish brookie waters, finding that the fish are pretty active on those days unless water temps are high. Now, for browns, overcast days seem to be better most of the time.

I'd like to add that the other "fisherman" could easily have been a great blue heron. Twice during the last two weekends I fished small mountain streams where the action was great for hours. Then all of a sudden the action died completely. In both instances I continued fishing for a little ways and flushed a great blue heron. That's the reason why the trout were hiding.

Based on many all-day (8 to 10 hours) fishing outings, my experience is that trout feed all day. The number one thing that stops them from feeding is disturbance from anglers, including herons.

 

[Fishidiot]

FrankTroutAngler wrote:
I'd like to add that the other "fisherman" could easily have been a great blue heron. Twice during the last two weekends I fished small mountain streams where the action was great for hours. Then all of a sudden the action died completely. In both instances I continued fishing for a little ways and flushed a great blue heron. That's the reason why the trout were hiding.

Based on many all-day (8 to 10 hours) fishing outings, my experience is that trout feed all day. The number one thing that stops them from feeding is disturbance from anglers, including herons.

Good point (and interesting).
I think I've seen this effect on a few occasions too. The fact that heron numbers seem to be increasing has been a point of discussion here from time to time and I'm definitely in the camp that thinks these birds are much more numerous than a generation ago. It wouldn't surprise me that some streams in particular have become much tougher for fishermen simply due to the almost constant presence of herons.

Anyway....back on topic: I like terrestrials for small mountain streams and do a lot of searching with a large, bright green, foam beetle.

 

[csoult]

FrankTroutAngler wrote:
I'd like to add that the other "fisherman" could easily have been a great blue heron. Twice during the last two weekends I fished small mountain streams where the action was great for hours. Then all of a sudden the action died completely. In both instances I continued fishing for a little ways and flushed a great blue heron.

I just observed this on Slate Run, it will definitely put them down.

 

[Darryl]

Parachute Hare's Ear
Stimulator
Elk Hair Caddis
Parachute Pheasant Tail
Crackleback

 

[Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah]

Darryl wrote:
Parachute Hare's Ear
Stimulator
Elk Hair Caddis
Parachute Pheasant Tail
Crackleback

Those are some great patterns that will do justice on big rivers as well.

 

[Deuterium]

White Wulff