What do you do when a trout won't commit?

[DBspecial]

So why is that I have such terrible luck streamer fishing........Do you feel that streamer fishing is better suited to larger rivers? I fish rivers that are only 30 yds across at their widest points and the streamer is back to the bank in two strips. Now I do drift buggers with lots of luck but never did real good with streamers. Perhaps could also describe the rod size and line along with leader set up. Also, would you discuss the times when you feel streamer fishing is its best to try? Like high water, medium water, low water, before a storm, after a storm, midday, morning , night etc. Id really like to have more success with streamers but I do not have any confidence in them.

[frankm205]

DB, I have been fishing smaller streams with streamers and have had some pretty good success. I don't strip the line in but use the rod to employ the action. Kind of like keep the rod tip low and give 10 inch or so flicks back towards you keeping the streamer going across the stream. Obviously I am using smaller streamers say up to 3 inches or so. It takes a bit to get the hang of it but it works. It really dosen't matter if the water is high , low, sunny, ect... Another thing is to really splat that streamer into the water, sometines you will get a quick reaction strike. As far as a rod I use a 8ft 6 inch medium fast rod with a 8ft level leader of 1X. Have fun with it !!

[H Dot Verseman]

I am with frank here, in that I fish many NJ streams and they are not extremely large at all. I fished Brandon's 7" monsters in the muskie the other day with tremendous success. I like frank, use the rod tip to provide action to the streamers, more so then a classical strip retrieve. you can vary the action to give it darting action, or an undulating action, etc.

You will not make many friends throwing huge bass sized lures into otherwise quiet pools, but it works. My streamer rod is an 8.5' rod, and its a 5 weight. I want to get a 9 or 10 foot 8 weight for my streamer/steelhead rod. I throw floating line more often then not, because with the flies I am using, they are on the surface or within the first 2 inches. They are not designed to dive the depths to get strikes, but rather elicit reaction strikes similar to bass, pike, etc. I use a straight flouro leader, no taper. I have also used furled leaders to some success.

[DBspecial]

Thanks gentlemen! Any suggestions on good patterns that you have had success with. I carry a grey ghost, royal coachman, large olive zonkers and a muddler. The muddler is the only fly I can even stand to tie on as I have done well with it when the water is up just a bit. I visited the Youghiougheny river and a gentleman there gave me a zoo coagar. It is pretty light though. Would you say that you prefer weighted or weightless streamers?

[frankm205]

Check out Loren Williams site on tying tutorials. He has some pretty cool streamers especially the rat bastard that works well in smaller streams. Wooly buggers in olive, ( I have yet to get one on a black one for some crazy reason) slumpbusters, Zoo cougars are all pretty cool also. In the smaller streams with floating lines I use weighted streamers.

[DBspecial]

On the Lackawanna the large browns love silver tungsten bead black buggers. Ive fished olive and they wont touch em. Anyhow thanks for all the advice on streamers and how you guys fish em. Ill def be checking out Loren Williams site. Thanks again.

[H Dot Verseman]

yea, don't worry if Loren's site is spotty at the moment, he is in the process of updating it and transferring all of his old material onto the new site. He is definitely a great guy in fly fishing.

I carry all the classic streamer patterns, but they rarely see water. I fish the newer style, galloup-esque streamers, as well as the slumpbuster and wooly bugger.

Sex Dungeon, Butt Monkey, Zoo Cougar, articulated zoo cougar, loren's rat bastard, peanut envy, etc. I"ve yet to catch a fish on an all olive wooly bugger. check out kelly galloup's websie, the slide inn.

[H Dot Verseman]

as for weighted and weightless, you'll find that most of kelly galloup's streamers are unweighted, to really impart action towards the top of the water column. the deer hair helps throw water during false casts to really keep it up for reaction strikes. I do carry heavily weight streamers as well, buggers, articulated buggers, etc, but they are fewer and farer between these days.

[frankm205]

With all this rain we're getting tonite it looks like a streamer weekend!

[Esopus Guy]

D the stuff I just tied for you should get you a bit deeper. I had an issue with one of my Stainless connections on a streamer last week. It was just twisted to hell after like the 5th 20in + fish. I think I remedied the problem but worry about the trailer fouling up. If they suck LMK but I think daddy is going to like..lol You might need a bigger rod for a few of these!!!

DB I used to dismiss streamers all together until my buddy out fished me with streamers while I was nymphing last year. Remember a trout can eat half it's body length. So when I'm running otherwise unthinkable sized tandem 7in 2/0 flies I still catch 15in fish and even chubs. The day you see a 15in chub in a Brown's mouth as he rips and head shakes on it like a Pit Bull on a rope your whole concept of streamer fishing will change. While I can't dismiss the use of floating lines and only having the fly a few inches below the surface i find that I have better luck and bigger fish take when running deeper. I think this is somewhat related to how and where big fish take dries. Most of the time the larger dry fly fish are taken in quit shallow water where less energy is spent to obtain a food source. In this situation a floating line busting the banks can pay off. If these fish are not staged up to feed in this manner toward the bank a sinking line that will get down to the fish in holding lies is where the money is. Shure you can have a ton of fun with the little 18-22in fish that will come up and chase stuff but if your trophy fishing you need to put the fly right through the dining room. To have confidence in this game the first thing you have to do and probably the hardest is to leave all other gear behind and JUST streamer fish. It WILL pay off.