Trout of luck
BY LOUIS FEROX THE recent deluge has put some decent water into the rivers. The summer grilse and sea trout anglers should have a superb chance at the moment.
When I got the chance to grab a couple of hours on the river this week the conditions cried out for my spinning rod and some Flying-Cs to chase a salmon.
I was down with my trout gear hoping for clear(ish) water curling past gravel bars, running around islands and gurgling through riffles not resembling a torrent of mocha from Costa.
As always when you’re out the first step is to find the fish.
Common trout tactics and tackle are honed for more ideal fishing, in the summer you can often spot rising fish, use stealth to avoid spooking them and sight fish or by using a bit of watercraft work through likely spots to pick them up when they’re feeding down in the water.
In high water, though, they’ll be less keen to show themselves or be grubbing around in the main flow.
Trout don’t need to waste the energy necessary to fight strong flood currents. They will look for structure that offers shelter and that means they move out of the middle and into slacker water.
Friction plays a part in where fish lie in heavy water. The current is slower on the bottom and along the banks as the immovable object slows the irresistible force.
Fish the edges often within a foot of the bank and within inches of the bottom because that’s where fish hold.
Current seams and breaks are important edges. Look for those spots where the main current swirls around an island, then is rejoined by the slower side seams.
Where the two currents mix, you’ll find fish holding in the softer water. Looking for food streaming past. Upstream, edges of islands will hold fish as well.
Needing to get down in the water meant my fresh tied box of wets and spiders weren’t going to be much use.
Even though I was almost certainly on a blank as soon as I left the car there’s no need to ignore the conditions so I had a dig around to find a tungsten-beaded nymph to fish on the point of a team at short range down the inside bank, around the edges of the flow and close to submerged boulders and trees.
I reckon fishing half a lobworm on a short line and bouncing a weight on the bottom as it tumbled down the flow would have been more likely to produce but don’t dismiss the river when it’s not ideal.
Trout can feed hard in high, rolling water where the increased current dislodges a myriad of foods and it’s definitely worth trying to find them.