If you could give someone a single piece of advice when it comes to fishing spring creeks, what would it be?
I ask because I plan to try fishing the Mad River here in Ohio in the next few weeks. I have read lots of articles and a few books already, but never trout fished before so I’m just curious what everyone here thinks is the most important thing to know going into it. I’m hoping this starts an interesting discussion that everyone can learn from.
Think about presenting the fly downstream.
Observation…
“The beginner must look with eyes that see. Occurrences of apparently little
importance at the moment may, after consideration, assume proportions
of great value”
From The Dry Fly And Fast Water by G.L.M .La Branche :tieone:
Photo: Staking out a lie on my favorite spring creek at it’s infamous Bay of Pigs,
Care to guess the location?
Observation…
“The beginner must look with eyes that see. Occurrences of apparently little
importance at the moment may, after consideration, assume proportions
of great value”From The Dry Fly And Fast Water by G.L.M .La Branche :tieone:
In the spring you should consider SAFETY FIRST, watch the footing very closely, and be very very aware of hypothermia, don’t stay in the water too long.
I have my favorite spring creek I fish about 80% of my total trips each year. Two things: wade quietly and very slowly - sight fishing works if they don’t see or sense you first. Present your nymph at the depth exactly where they are holding - I use a Parasol Emerger and drop two nymphs, with the first a bead-head measured to the depth of the holding water, trailed by a smaller unweighted offering (usually one of my special spring creek scuds in size # 14). It works great.
This is a picture of a typical fish from my favorite spring creek and the water I fish in the background:
Another great fish from the same water:
A great shot of the water last year:
Anyway, good luck.
Parachute cast
presentation, presentation, and did i say presentation.
tippit size, fly size, wade carefully
Or better yet, not at all.
If it’s possible to fish from the bank, do so, preferably from a kneeling position. When walking along the bank, stay back from it.
Don’t forget your sinking lines and streamers.
It seems that most of the literature on fishing spring creeks deals with floating line dry, emerger, and nymping tactics. A couple of guides that a I fished with years ago at a Northern California lodge asked me if I wanted to learn some often overlooked spring creek tactics. I worked with both guides on different days fishing intermediate, sink tip, and full sinking lines with leech, crawfish, buggers, and streamer patterns. We caught alot of fish, and the average size was bigger too. It was not as simple as just chucking and hoping for the best. I learned severa presentations, including upstream sinking line presentations.
Thanks for all the replies so far.
I just got back from listening to Kelly Galloup present his modern streamers concept at Mad River Outfitters here in Columbus and the owner said he had his best day ever on the Mad using those techniques so I’ll definitely be picking up a full sinking line this weekend and tying up some more big streamers.
Of course thats a big fish strategy and goes against most traditional trout fishing docrtine, so I’ll probably start with the small stuff and being as stealthy as possible until I get the river figured out.
I would say the same as above as everyone else, but make sure you start at the tail of the pools as since it is really your first time for trout. Then work your way to the head of the pool. Fish are pretty finicky and it you have a bad cast or drift to far could spook fish your not even after.
tightlines,
Mike
face upstream and examine the cuts on the banks upstream of your fishing area. Also take note of the banks that you have passed by already.
The reason you are looking at the banks and actually checking them is to see the typical pattern of wash out from high water…
wash out equals hiding spots for big fish.
I have only been on 2 fly fishing trips, but I am hooked for life already. I can’t give you alot of tips on the fly fishing part, but I grew up wading and fishing the creeks and small streams and there are 2 tips that are very important to me. I suppose everyone will laugh at this and it is funny, but I am sincere in this as well. 1st go to the bathroom before putting on waders and 2nd pack some TP with you. It may not help on this trip, but sooner or later you’ll be glad you did.
hNt
those picky trout in clear water with lots of little micro-currents drive me nuts. my answer is wet flies. maybe the fish haven’t seen so many, or maybe the flies are less subject to drag, but they work better for me.
Stealth. Don’t let them know you are there until the hook-set.