| The term "streamer" means different things to | | | | last strip of two when a trout will appear from |
| different people in the world of fly fishing. For | | | | nowhere to dash at your fly. |
| some, it's a "classic" pattern such as a Mickey Finn | | | | Brown trout are known for the nocturnal |
| or Grey Ghost, but to others it can be an entirely | | | | behavior, preferring to come out in search of |
| different beast with no limits put on its creator. | | | | food in low light conditions or when dark, at night |
| With today's varied and fascinating fly tying | | | | time. This doesn't mean that it's not possible to |
| materials, the imagination is the only boundary and | | | | tangle with quality brown trout during the day. |
| many have pushed that envelope farther than | | | | When heavy rains pass and add some color to |
| their predecessors ever thought possible. Any | | | | the river, that's your best time to entice a big |
| who have an absolute passion about fishing big | | | | brown. Knowing that they prefer dark, deep, log |
| streamers for big fish and tie their own flies, will | | | | jam filled holes and runs, I focus most of my |
| most certainly be a candidate for this category of | | | | time and effort NEAR such habitat. Consider not |
| fly fisher. | | | | only casting to such areas of heavy cover, but |
| With so many cold water rivers in the Midwest | | | | also the opposite site of the river, often an inside |
| for the fly fisher to choose as their hunting | | | | bend. The retrieve should mimic the action of |
| grounds, it's also true that different techniques will | | | | wounded prey, regardless of whether it's a big |
| be used accordingly. Smaller streams will require | | | | leach, baitfish or crayfish. Cast towards your |
| different techniques and often downsized fly | | | | target area, allow the line to sink to the |
| patterns, compared to those used on larger | | | | appropriate depth and strip back in VERY erratic |
| rivers. Fishing still water - lakes - can require a | | | | lengths and motion. This can be a 6" strip or a 2' |
| completely different approach due to the lack of | | | | strip, both followed by a pause and then strip |
| flowing water and the forage base of your | | | | again. |
| quarry. | | | | Strategy |
| Equipment | | | | Streamer fishing is often a matter of forethought, |
| Your choice of rod, line, leader and fly can and do | | | | timing and casting location. Forethought being the |
| change with different streams, rivers and lakes. | | | | weather forecast. Timing is the BEST time of |
| The kind and size of fish you're after plays a role | | | | year for tangling with a trophy Muskegon trout |
| as well. For streamer fishing the Muskegon river, I | | | | and location is where you place your cast, given |
| like using 2 different weight rods and lines, for | | | | the water and weather conditions. |
| different times of the year and related water | | | | Look ahead and try to plan your fishing day when |
| flows. During our typical high water spring on the | | | | the weather pro's are projecting at LEAST some |
| Muskegon river, I prefer a 7 or 8 weight rod, 9 | | | | cloud cover. If it's a blue bird day, consider |
| or 10 feet in length, matched with a 250-300 grain | | | | nymphing or dry fly fishing. Timing for the |
| sink tip line . My leader will about 3 1/2-4 feet in | | | | streamer fly fisher is most associated with time |
| length, tapered from 25#, down to a 10-15 # test | | | | of the year. Ultimately, we'd like to get our |
| tip, depending on water clarity. Under these | | | | streamers in front of fish before they've had a |
| conditions, we're after large trout.......by large, I | | | | chance to gorge themselves on the nymphs and |
| mean trout that EAT trout or other sizeable fish. | | | | dry flies of prime hatch time - around early June |
| Since the flies being casted can range from 3-6" | | | | on the Muskegon river and in the Midwest. |
| or more in length, it's necessary to have a | | | | Additionally, if it's at all possible to plan a streamer |
| heavier weight rod to cast both line and large flies, | | | | trip shortly after some fairly heavy rain showers, |
| especially if you choose to cast a tandom rig. | | | | that too can be an ally if the river levels come up |
| Once water flows return to more normal levels, | | | | a "bit" and the water gets some color to it. Best |
| trout too will return to more traditional lies than | | | | time is the first day or two after the river has |
| they would during high water, which is usually mid | | | | reached its highest flows and is beginning to drop |
| summer and beyond. Under these conditions, I | | | | towards normal conditions. A key here is, try |
| drop down to a 5 weight rod and match it with | | | | fishing inside bends that are ACROSS from deep, |
| 130-200 grain line and a leader of around 4', | | | | dark, wood filled bends of a river. Both Brown |
| tapered down to 6 # test or so. | | | | trout and Rainbow trout will abandon their |
| Techniques | | | | preferred lies in favor of softer currents that |
| On a larger river such as Michigan's Muskegon | | | | aren't chock full of twigs, leaves, branches and |
| river, we're constantly working with different | | | | other debris that's the result of heavy rain |
| currents and seams, which play a big role in how | | | | showers. |
| our offering looks in the water. Therefore it's | | | | Casting location goes hand in hand with the post |
| critical to be proactive when streamer fishing such | | | | rain shower scenario perfectly, but also applies to |
| a river due to the current differences and how | | | | normal condition streamer fishing on the |
| they play a role in putting our fly in front of fish. | | | | Muskegon river. Obviously, if a deep, dark stretch |
| By "proactive", I mean determine where you | | | | of a river that would typically be home to nice |
| want to present your NEXT cast, either at the | | | | brown trout has all kinds of "junk" flowing directly |
| very end of your retrieve or during false casts. | | | | into that deep, dark run, they will take up short |
| It's not necessarily a different "technique", but | | | | term residence elsewhere, but not too far from |
| rather fishing smarter, not harder and not feeling | | | | what they call home. Think of it this way; if it's |
| like you have to always be beating the banks with | | | | close enough to be a few tail kicks away from |
| your flies. Picking and choosing the right spots to | | | | their home turf, in soft enough water to NOT be |
| focus your efforts will yield greater results than | | | | in the travel path of all that junk, near food that |
| simply casting feverishly over and over again. | | | | may also be living on such an inside bend AND |
| With such a large river system as the Muskegon, | | | | have just enough depth to provide perceived |
| half of the battle is picking and choosing the | | | | cover, you have your high water, brown trout lie. |
| MOST likely spots to cast, for the kind of fish | | | | During normal conditions, I like to work the front |
| you're pursuing AND the time of year. Rainbow | | | | and back ends of the big log jams and the front |
| trout will like faster water, browns prefer low light | | | | and back ends of longer stretches where river |
| and live in dungeon like holes, troughs and log | | | | bottom contour changes quickly on the Muskegon |
| jams, steelhead prefer different "lies" for the time | | | | river. The cast itself can be changed up a bit as |
| of the year that they're in a river such as the | | | | far as which direction you send your offering, but |
| Muskegon. | | | | keep it perpendicular to the bank for the most |
| Here is how I would approach each species of | | | | part. The worst scenario on a big river like the |
| fish, during hypothetical conditions such as late in | | | | Muskegon would be when your cast goes too far |
| the month of May, moderate/average water | | | | downstream and a majority of your stripping is |
| flows, partly cloudy skies and water temperatures | | | | bringing the streamer UPSTREAM and often at a |
| around the 50 degree mark. | | | | rate much faster than it should be. Smaller baitfish |
| Rainbows will still be hovering in the areas of high | | | | can only swim so fast due to size and strength, |
| oxygen, such as riffle water and I would cast my | | | | keep this in mind when trying to mimic a natural |
| offering directly towards the bank and strip back | | | | food source. |
| to center river in short, erratic strips of 4-6" at a | | | | These are just a handful of thoughts, ideas and |
| time. This will allow the fly to jump and jerk | | | | technique preferences that I employ myself and |
| through the various seams that are a given in this | | | | when guiding during streamer trips on various |
| type of water. Don't give up on your retrieve | | | | rivers in west Michigan. They can certainly be |
| when fishing in water like this, or most any time | | | | expanded on to better suit your own fishing |
| streamer fishing for that matter, as it's often the | | | | conditions and situation. |