Abundant insect hatches combined with the presence of crustaceans and minnows means big trout can feast on high calorie prey. Because of this variability, trout can go from being entirely clammed up to voraciously opportunistic in a matter of minutes. Many famous trout fisheries in places like Montana, Patagonia, and New Zealand are actually spring creeks or have significant spring-fed contributions. It was a beauty! Sensing a trend here? Cast your line behind logs, rocks, or vegetation since trout … On the under hand if you are fishing in small river or stream a lighter lure would be ideal. They have plenty of 12-inch fish – and lots of smaller ones. It is a blast to catch even a 12-inch trout on light tackle in a creek. But I firmly believe every small stream out there holds bigger fish, and more of them, than you think. It indeed can be that, and most of my small stream fishing consists of this. We like to fish Rooster Tails perpendicular to the current or slightly upstream depending on the stream conditions. It seems ants don’t swim very well. It may take several bobber adjustments to get this right for each location you’re fishing. Cunning, shy and coy, big brown trout seldom show. I like to look for structure like these logjams, and fish the seams around the whitewater in plunge pools. Sculpzilla can be used to fish brown trout in both big rivers and small streams. The first lure we grab for any stream is a small 1/16 to 1/8 ounce Rooster Tail. I have fished some freestone streams in southern Chile that are almost devoid of any resident insect life in the channel substrate, yet they hold massive brown trout in thin water. Trout need more oxygen-rich water than average fish. These fish are everywhere, and often times they can be tricked easier in a smaller pool. Small creeks, of less than 4 miles long, seldom have the food to produce big trout. A single medium-size beadhead with an unweighted emerger pattern as a dropper can be very effective, and one of my favorite tactics is to use a small bicolored dubbed fur ant below the point fly. For more serious anglers, the pond is also home to some big, wily catfish and bass. Smallest is best. In small streams this is actually a benefit. What is considered a “small trout stream” is somewhat a function of the region you live in, but in my neck of the woods, I’d say that anything in prime shape at under about 20 cfs qualifies. Even narrow streams are attractive to wild trout, as long as they are deep. Understanding the biological mechanics of tiny streams is a key to success, and there are three primary drivers: temperature, turbidity, and wind. The terrain where a stream flows has a huge impact on the quality and size of the trout in it. Try drifting streamers or larger sinking flies. Casting problems created by wind are generally reduced in very small water. Fish in streams and rivers have two primary survival motives: 1) Finding shelter from the current and from predators; and 2) maximizing feeding opportunities. Photo by Phil Monahan In its most basic form, fishing for trout with streamers is one of the easier ways to catch fish with a fly rod: you simply cast across the river or … Small streams might lack numbers of large trout but usually more than make up for that with greedy fish in a more private environment. Try a brown and gold version for sun beaten days. Sunlight cresting a ridge upstream can raise the water temperature five degrees in the time it takes for you to rig up. When dealing with a direct downstream wind in your face, use short leaders to allow for fast turnover of bushy drys—in many cases, I am prone to cutting standard 7½-foot tapered leaders down to 6 feet or less to improve accuracy and give more fly line out the guides for energy transfer. 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