Live the fry life
I’VE heard this being called a late summer for folk that don’t want to give up on the good weather.
It felt like autumn this morning though but through late August and September fry start loitering in the margins close to structure on big reservoirs.
I’ve got a boat booked for next weekend and I’ve got some pattern to tie in advance, filling up with some 90s classics like Bob Church Appetizers, The Humungous and from the catch reports I’ll need some Sparklers and Dunkelds.
As the fry shoal up around the likes of rocky dam walls or weed beds, the big grown trout show up to take advantage of an easy high-protein meal before winter.
I have not managed to get down for fry time on the huge English waters like Grafham or Rutland, that are for producing huge fish at the back end of the trout season.
We’ve got our own big waters though, Menteith and Loch Leven hold plenty of awesome fish and it could be your best chance of tempting a seasontopping trout.
If you can time things right – and the fish are on fry – then you’re in for some of the most exciting sport of the year, with big fish aplenty.
Early morning offers the best chance of success but sport can come in bursts throughout the day as the fish switch on and eat their fill quickly.
The important thing is that you are ready, armed with strong tackle, floating or intermediate line fishing a single fly with at least 8lb leader, preferably 10lb. Patterns that looks like a small fish are the order of the day, mix it up and match the hatch to the fry in the water depending on whether it’s perch, stickleback or other little fish.
It’s a really visual and exciting type of trout that can be seen ploughing into the quantities of fry, making them shower into the air, creating exciting bow waves and vortices in the water.
Rainbows have been known to herd the fish by hunting in packs then surging into the shoals, smacking them with their tails then returning to hoover up the stunned fry.
Check for activity on the surface. As trout chase them, small fish can be seen jumping clear of the water in an attempt to escape the feeding frenzy.
This is a good time to use a floating fry imitation dropped into the active area and erratically twitched back, then hold tight!
When there is no evidence of surface action your best bet is to fish a sinking fry pattern.
Keep the retrieve sporadic though mixing up fast and short pulls on the retrieve and don’t forget to pause the retrieve to imitate the easy pickings of an injured or wounded fish. If there is a lack of structure on the waters you fish, the margins are a great place to start. Happy fishing!