How big is too big?

[fishin' fool]

I love to fish a well known and often times very frustrating river that generally speaking, near home. I don't want to name the river in fear that trophy and meat hunters visit these pages. I am sure that this scenario plays itself out countless times on countless bodies of water across our country from year to year. The river of which I speak has a good number of very large trout that like to call it home. By very large Imean that they measure in pounds not inches, and can push the edge of 10-15 pounds and up. These trout can be caught on dries and nymphs, but what the really prefer is meat, aka. streamers. So far the best way to raise and hook into these fish has been to use spinning gear (I know, I'm sorry) and to throw rapalas that measure 3-5" at them. Before I continue I want to apologize to the purists, but I will have to deal with my sins and guilt. I am now hell bent on catching one of these monsters on a fly rod. To date I have been unsuccessful with dries and nymphs, another personal flaw that I am trying to remedy. I figure that the best way to tilt the odds is to start tossing some BIG streamers at them. I am thinking more along the lines of flies generally tied for bass and saltwater fishing. Decievers are my numberone choice right now, and I have a few other ideas as well. How do I know when fly is just too big for trout? I think that if a fly measures around 4 inches it should be about the size of the lures we were casting, and shouldn't be too big. Any thoughts? Does anybody have any other suggestions for large flies to try for these brutes?

Jeff

[DG]

Do whatever you want. It gets a bit interesting throwing flies that big, and as far as I have determined it is not usually NECESSARY to use big streamers. One big one I have used with success in the past is a string leech. Basically one hook snelled behind another with spiderwire or dacron, front hook cut off. One long rabbit strip on top of the whole harness, lead eyes, and you are good to go. Worked for me many times, and you can even cast it with a lighter rod (kinda sorta).


Dennis

[Flyrodde]

You can throw anything you want at them. Sometimes they will hit, other times not. I am sure that those large fish have on occation snatched up an 8"-10" trout, shiner, or sucker. Big fish can eat suprisingly large critters. If I was fishing there, I would stick to imitations around the 3" mark, for easy of casting. I like Marabou flies for shallower water, and Bunny patterns for deeper water. However, if you ever can spot a larger fish before he see's you, try a few different sizes and check out his reactions. Use a spotter if you have too. Also, hooking a 10-15 lb trout on a dry would be fun, but how are you going to land and then relese that fish on 7X? It just isn't practical. You will have to use some though tippet with these streamers. No less than 6lb and probably closer to 8 depending on current, if you really want to land them in enough time to release them.

I fish the Salmon river all the time and there are some people there that say the fish are leader shy. Well the salmon are not, plane and simple. The trout can be, but not to the extent some people say. For trout I never drop below 3X grand max flour, which I beleive is 9lb and change. For salmon I use something just lower in breaking than my fly line. Usually between 12 and 18lb depending on current and deph I am fishing and I still break fish or they cut my line.

Your search sounds fun, and don't get frustrated either. The rewards will be great and many when you finally land one on a fly. Goodluck.

[Sagittarius62]

This sounds like [url=http://www.amazon.com/Streamer-Fishing-Trophy-Trout-Galloup/dp/B0006OA992:c91b8]Kelly Galloup[/url:c91b8] territory to me. I remember from his appearances on TV that he is not afraid to throw a 3 or 4 inch streamer out there. Here is YouTube video of him tying a HUGE streamer. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWq95R0vv24:c91b8]Kelly Galloup Ties A Yellow Streamer[/url:c91b8]

[LadyFisher]

The Zoo Cougar is also in our Fly of the Week Archives - Kelly's former partner in the shop in Traverse City tied it for us while we were there. Then it showed up in the book on using big flies for big fish. I do believe the
theory on HOW to fish the fly is as important as the fly.

[fishin' fool]

Flyrodde, I wouldn't even try to catch one of these fish on a 7x tippet. If I were to land one, I don't think it would healthy for the fish. I have only tried dry fly fishing with drakes and such so I was using 4x tippet. As far as tippet for the streamers, I was thinking somewhere in the 10lb class.

DG-I assume from your post that you're not a fan of the big bait big fish theory.

LF-I understand the "how" that you're speaking of. I am planning on trying this out too.

[DG]

I am not saying that you cannot catch big fish on big flies, I am saying that I have not, in the 30 years I have been flyfishing, found it NECESSARY to use big flies to catch big fish. I used to live near a river where the accepted method of catching big browns was to use an 8wt and the biggest sculpin patterns you could throw. Amazingly, I caught those same fish on #10s on my 3wt. And occasionally on BWOs and caddis and so forth. Big fish do not eat JUST big food. I have seen double-digit fish sipping midges like a 6-incher.

Try the smaller streamers in your box before investing in a box of 4/0 hooks. You might be surprised.

Dennis

[Night Angler]

Want a big fish...

fish at night (If Allowed in your state)..

DG is right not all big fish will hit big flies..
The biggest fish I caught last year was on a scud

My suggestion to you would be watch them for a few days... see what they are doing and how they feeding... upper water, middle, or on the bottom....

after watching them for awhile... try to sight fish for them...

Leonard


Flies for thought..
stoneflies (dry) right as the sun is going down..
leeches
sculpins
PTN
and of course a pine squirrel..

[raw69]

FF - Definitely check out Galloup's DVD on the "HOW TO". He uses a 6-wt. and his technique will keep your arm from falling off.

[William Fitzgerald]

If you want BIG flies learn to tie tube flies--you can make them as big as you wish by adding fly after fly on your leader with a small hook (single, double or treble). Less weight than a large streamer or stinger style hook. I tie mine on Q tips for large trout pike or musky BILL