How do You Catch Trout in Salmon Waters?
Hello Everyone!
I was on the Muskegon River in SW Michigan yesterday doing a days worth of fishing. It was the first time ever for me on this river. My focus was to try out the new Sage Z-axis 6 wt on trout, and maybe if I got lucky a steelhead, but for this post I'd like to focus on the situation I came upon.
I was surprised that there were still post spawn salmon on beds going through the motions.
I came upon one bed with salmon and what looked like various sizes of trout tailing directly behind (5-10 ft). I would assume that the trout were feeding on eggs. At this point in time the salmon where probably "spent". I tried yarn eggs, nymphs, and even midge pupae. I even managed to snag a jack that broke off my tippet, but after an hour or so no trout came to the calling.
If anyone has been in a situation such as this, how did you go about it? What type of setup did you use as far as line, leader, tippet, and fly?
Also, do you guys and gals who fish salmon rivers find it difficult to fish for trout in general?
Catching trout in salmon streams
O.K. I'm going out on a limb and suggest something that is extremely contraversial and yet exceedingly effective.
Unless the water is fly fishing only, peg a bead, matched to the hatch for color and size, about 2" above a bare #2 hook. Use enough shot at 18" above the bead to occasionally touch the bottom. Fish nymph style with or without an indicator (another extremely volatile issue); then hold on!!!
I have found that glo bugs are indeed inhaled, but frequently ingested deep and in the gills.
I have fished beads extensively in salmon streams, almost always catch the fish in the lip (as long as the bead is pegged no more than 2" above the hook), and have never hooked a fish too deep.
Give it a shot...