I am leaving saturday for northern New Mexico to fly fish for trout. I go every year this time and my favorite thing to do is to fish the small meadow streams. These 2 streams flow into a reservoir with bigger trout. So in these streams are lots of little fish that are a blast to catch and eat anything. However, I have caught a few bigger fish. The smaller fish hit a royal wulff all day long. However, if I wanted to catch the bigger ones, what would you throw? Hoppers work well on the small fish as well. I’m thinking of stripping a wolly bugger underwater, what are your suggestions. I tie my own flies so any patterns would be awesome. Here is a google maps link to the valley with the 2 streams. This is located in Vermejo Park Ranch. http://www.vermejoparkranch.com. Zoom in on the northeast side of the reservoir to see where the 2 streams enter the reservoir. They go about 5 miles up from there.
You might want to try a streamer type fly fished on dead drift. The trick is to get the fly down to the bottom of the deeper holes. Here is a pattern that has produced for me.
For medium to big size trouts you can try scuds patterns (#14), specially in meadows!! You don’t always need to use bigger flies to catch bigger fish. Small woolly bugger tied in size 10-12 are a blast too.
Don’t have any sinking lines. Sounds like a good idea as I am afraid anything I throw will be nailed by the smaller fish on the way down. Sounds like I’ll try a smaller bugger and maybe some bigger heavier nymphs. They may get down fast enough. Thanks for the replies. Anyone else with any suggestions?
Cameron
Go Bigger! I’d use larger buggers, double bunnies, sculpin patterns etc., Those big flies usually scare the little fish away. Getting down into those deeper holes usually helps too. You can either weight the flies with lead core, tungsten cones, beads etc., You could also use the different sinking leaders, out there. Just attach them to your floating line and you’ll have an instant sink tip. I use them quite a bit and have found them to be far more versatile than the sinking lines. Worse comes to worse, just add shot to your leader.
[b]Good answer Paint. Whatever it takes, get deep, but I have caught the bigger fish on Small flies.
I do wanna add (for Trout anyway) as the summer heats up and the Hatches dwindle, smaller flies fished deep can be more effective. The 34" Hybrid I caught last year was taken on a #12 woolly. One thing I learned also is the Hybrid at Henry’s lake are NOT meat eaters so to speak. When they were cut open, there were no signs of other fish, but rather a lot of snails and scuds. I know this isn’t typical, but something to think about.
When I fish Rivers I actually do well with a #16-#18 Copper John. There are other times of the year I will agree to go big like the Stonefly Hatch, Cicada’s, ETC. but like I said the hatches aren’t as thick when it gets HOT.[/b]
One of the most consistent big fish producers for me, both guiding and personal fishing, is to drop a small soft hackle behind a bigger, very heavy bugger. Try to dead drift first, then let the bugger swing down the seam lines and under the undercut banks. Basically, the heavy flies get the smaller ones down deep, into the best holding lies. Oh yeah, big fish will often hit the bugger too.
