Mice, Frogs, and Streamers

Stocked trout are notoriously easy to catch early on. When I fish for them, I like to go to great lengths to make sure I can catch big ones, and I like to fish for them with monster flies. For me there is really no point in fishing for them with nymphs or small streamers like most people. I'd rather use technique that are not viable for the wild trout in the area. That is why I fish the Salmon River using mice, frogs, and giant streamers. It gives me an opportunity to catch big fish and to see amazing predatory behavior. That's why I chucked the meat for five hour straight yesterday, until well after dark.

As you can see, it doesn't always work. This dinker had to eat the Mongrel Meat and there was no stopping him.

Strip, strip, strip, bam!

 I had a hard time getting fish to take a mouse well enough to get hooked so I changes to a pattern I use to imitate frogs. It worked pretty well for brook trout! There is nothing like seeing trout act like sharks when presented with a big ugly fly.

I did manage to get a trout slam, too. It was quite an excellent night.

Just after twilight I went to a pool that I knew was harboring a few huge browns and rainbows. I tied on a big mouse and began swinging it across the current. I was starting to get a bit frustrated with the lack of takes when I changed up. I threw a cast up and across and slapped the mouse down a few feet from the bank. Three strips in there was a gigantic explosion and I watched a monster rainbow throw the fly a few feet in the air. I couldn't help but laugh. I don't mind missing a shot at a big stocker that much and it was just awesome to see one go bat crap crazy for a mouse.