Limestone Tactics

**Brawla** · 08-02-2009, 05:58 PM

Hey Aaron and TPO crew, awesome website... So I have been fishing this limestone creek that is full of trout. The stream is around 15 feet wide and absolutely choked with vegetation. I have really been struggling to not just catch fish but going about catching the fish. So my question is what are the best tactics/methods I can use on this limestone stream and all classic limestone streams to increase my success and skill level.

Here is a picture of the streams, just choked with vegetation...

alanb_ct · 08-02-2009, 07:36 PM

It's hard to say exactly, but a few things come to mind. I assume you can sight a few trout in the water. The submerged vegetation must be home to lots of sow bugs. In the summer, there are probably some terrestrials (ants, crickets, hoppers, inch worms) and maybe damselflies. Try a fly like the Trout Crack or Little Guy underwater and a size 16-22 winged ant on the surface.

**JUICE** · 08-02-2009, 09:04 PM

Hahahahahaha! I have the perfect strategy. Pack up your stuff and find a stream that doesn't look like a jungle scene from Platoon. I could name a few things I could think of but aside from dry flies to rising fish, I don't see a tactic that doesn't involve picking weeds off your flies 10 times as much as catching fish.

**Brawla** · 08-02-2009, 10:06 PM

haha that's funny... you're right, I should pack my stuff up and go to a different stream, but i'm convinced that someone who's a better fisherman than me could pull a lot of trout out of there... I think one of the things that keeps me from packing my stuff up is the massive native brook trout in there..

**AaronJasper** · 08-02-2009, 10:42 PM

I can't see the pics on my phone...

Is this Big Spring that you are talking about?

Fish the pockets in between the weeds with dry/dropper. Get to know the stream really well. For example find all of the lanes where the fish hold and approach them cautiously and present your flies to the fish before they know that you are there. From peoples reaction, you can't find the lie and then present the flies. You can also go there during prime hatch time and fish for the trout when they are rising. You might also learn their positions in the stream for future trips. Being successful on tough fisheries means that you have to fish water types like that often. If you learn how to fish one, you will be successful on others. When I fished Big Spring and Falling Spring a lot it took me some time before I was successful all of the time. Also, with these types of streams patience is also needed as it can be downright boring at times!

**Kaz** · 08-03-2009, 09:01 AM

I fished a limestoner just like the pic yesterday. With the water cress and time of year, these streams make it difficult for nymph fishing including dry / dropper in most cases. Hope for Tricos or terrestrials, but yesterday neither happened. My suggestion, probably goes against most.
I would cover a good bit of water fishing mostly prime locations and fish the lanes, particularly under cut banks. If you can spot the fish, which is not easy w/o spooking them, try and drop the streamer a few ft in front of them and twitch. I try and stay upstream and fish down to the fish, so you don't line or spook them.
As Aaron says, if you know the streams, that helps immensely cause you can get to know the prime lies and then move on to a different limestoner or section if those don't produce. There usually are several close in proximity.
On the other hand, you may want to ignore my advice as I only hooked 4 fish yesterday, landing 3

Do follows count? Had a few of them too..

One last thought...if you do fish streamers, it may help you locate the better fish. Then you can go back and try a differ tactic at another time.

**VTflyfishing** · 08-03-2009, 08:05 PM

I would try some big bushy dry flies like Simulators or some Wulff pattern. You could try making some of your dry flies weedless by using a piece of mono. I would also use a 2 or 3wt rod that's 6 or 7 foot.

2nd option net out all the weeds and replace with rocks ;D

**Brawla** · 08-03-2009, 10:46 PM

Aaron, this isn't Big Spring, but everything you said makes perfect sense, I really appreciate it, along with the other's advice, thanks to everyone who replied...

I was practicing today on this stream and managed to catch a couple fish, so I feel I'm improving.. I'm using this stream as my preparation for the Letort