Patterns for Bulls?
In several weeks I’ll be helping catch Bull Trout est 14-25" for transceivers, clipping, scale samples etc. After the spawning season. Bulls haven’t been doing well for quite a few years.
Rest of the crew used spinning which worked poorly in the warm water of recent weeks. They decided not to electro shock.
I caught a few to 21" on smallish Clousers, my sculpin and buggers which is all I happened to have – didn’t know we were going to fish. I’ve abstained for over 15 yrs-- knowing the situation.
Plan to use size 2-8 dark and lite streamers (and a few large nymphs) mostly weighted on sink tips. Hit them hard near dusk in the pool tail outs and otherwise at the head of the pool.
Anyone with relavant experience?
?Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children??
?Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!?
The only bull I have ever seen was on the Thompson in Montana. A friend of mine caught it in a deep pocket. I think he was using a large hairsear nymph and had several pieces of splitshot on.
Peach over white double bunnies work well(if you want the best ones around talk to Salovin, I made him tie me 2 dozen because he’s the man). Also red and white MOALs are supposed to work very well. I have caught them on those patterns as well as Kyle’s Super Yummy and Bighonrn buggers. I wouldn’t use anything smallish if I intended to target bulls because they aren’t shy and I’ve seen them try and eat fish half their size from the end of my line. The only nymph that I think they really like is the San Juan worm but I have caught most of mine on streamers. Sounds like a decent job. What river are you doing this in?
Just wanted to say thanks for doing this; sounds enjoyable but it is important work. I don’t have much advice, though. We’ve only accidentally “caught” bulls on the cutthroat we’d tempted with caddis.
I’ve caught them on sunk muddler minnows.
Also mice right after dark… You can use a mouse pattern I’m sure. There are a couple in the Fly of the week Archives.
After dark anything that makes a wake across the top of a pool. Cast to the far bank then strip them back in.
Hi, i live out in southwestern washington state, and i have only cought 2 bulls. The largest one was 29", but i cought it on a worm, cause at that time i only knew how to fly fish with dry flies, and they didnt hit those, and the other bull was on a lure that looked like a fish, so i think they would hit fish patters, like the double bunnie, and a clouser, etc.
My limited experience with Bulls and Dollies is that they seem to like flies that are big, with lots of movement. I’ve caught most of mine on Marabou leeches, bunny leeches and that sort of thing. Bulls and Dollies are carnivores of the finest order. Anything that looks like it was or is alive will get a hit from them.
If you should need some assistance with that horrible task your about to start, let me know. Always glad to help out in the name of science.
A 5 1/2" long black bunny minnow with lead eyes, a sparkling red throat and a sparkling blue belly caught one last week at about 10:30 a.m… A 2+ inch long foam hopper fooled two that same day at 5p.m… About four days later, one was hooked on a black stonefly nymph at noon. At 6:30 in that evening, I hooked one on a size 12 green drake, after a long fight, the bully won, tho he wears my drake on his nose.
The topwater takes were all BIG surprises, I was aiming at cuttys in shallow water. Night or day, if the bully wants what you’ve got it will take it at first glance. If not, it will lay on the bottom and fin it’s nose at you. And if you are like me, you will try fruitlessly for a long time, learning nothing but the limits of your own patience. Or foolishness.
This was somewhere in Canada, your miles may vary.
Benjo-- because the river is only 400-500 cfs and near a few million people and fishing in it has risen 500% in 20 yrs and only recently been changed to c&r and the catch and gobble guys persist in a minimum enforcement situation and their techniques are particularily effective on Bulls and it is possible to fish-love a river to death and FAOL is so popular I’m going to pass on identifying the river.
Some of the protecton organizations are on to it.
?Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children??
?Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!?
White or white/black or white/brown closers with red eyes. Strip them VERY erretically, and make that streamer DANCE, and you really shouldn’t have a problem getting them. You have to awaken there predator instinct, so make sure your presentation looks hurt and injured. They won’t give chase to a gentle movement, it really needs to be fast and choppy. Good luck!
A couple favorites of mine are the Royal Coachman tied full and in a long shanked bucktail style with white goat and jungle cock eyes. For deeper water make it a Clouser similarly colored. These have taken a number of Bulls in the NW. I actually hit on the effectiveness of this fly chasing Landlocks in Maine years back and had lots of confidence in the fly. Tried it on Bulls and found it to be a good one for sure.
Any places to catch bulls around Jackson, WY, or is that too far south? I’m visitting family up there next week, and I’ve always kinda wanted to go after them.
Ron (Ron Eagle Elk)–
–It’s OVER 10 miles backpack to the location with gear.
–I’m by invite.
–And that even tho’ I am/was a ranger in the area for the summer, I’m the only non-professional involved and that’s because of my passion for the entire river system, commitment to it and substantial (amatuer) relevant experience and knowledge.
–(And have the keys to the local ranger cabin with a wood stove, can cook, and play a tough game of poker)
I recall our EM exchange of a few years ago and if you still want to go and I can get another person in, will let you know. Early Oct.
Also did a FAOL search on bulls and see you’ve fished the Quinault etc – that’s not the river btw.
Been gone and in this area since last post.
TA
Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children? Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!
Wish I could join you, but I’m going to be extremely busy during the month of October. Do me a favor though, when you feel that pull on the rod, just think of me.
Good on ya for doing something consstructive for our river systems.
