Dealing with Summer Fishing Challenges
As many of you know, all the great hatches that we enjoy as anglers have ran their course. However, there is the Trio hatch that will be coming up shortly (keep in mind that some rivers and creeks will have this while others will not). The trico hatch can be a tricky one to fish and I’ll cover this a little later in this blog.
One thing will be consistent regardless of where you Fish – the fishing is not done for the year. However, us anglers will need to make some adjustments to our tactics, adjusting to the way fish behave this time of year.
First is timing. For the most part, evening spinner falls and most hatches are done for the year. The best time to fish during the summer is in the summer and the big reason for this will be water temperatures. It is not unusual to have a 3 to 6° temperature swing in our trout streams with temperatures in the morning obviously being the coolest.
The next challenge is going to be dealing with low water flows. This is typical summer water conditions, especially in years where we are low on rainfall (which happens to be the case in 2023). Add to the fact that we’ve been picking on these trout since the spring. These fish know the game so it’s time to be sneaky.
Here are a few tips on how to up your chances against trout in the summer.
Dress in earth tone clothing (bright colors and light colors will cause you to stand out like a sore thumb and the trout will pick up on your movement.
Walk carefully and softly along the stream banks and in the stream (it is amazing the distance at which trout feel the vibration of you walking on the stream bank not to mention wading in the water)
Keep in mind the trout are definitely dialed into the “death from above factor” (I.e. airborne predators)
Pay attention to the bug life.
If you do have a study hatch of summer mayflies in your stream and are having a hard time approaching the trout, take note where the pods of feeding trout are. Then, try and position yourself before the morning spinner fall happens. Often if you are there before the bugs are on the water when the trout start feeding, they will tolerate your presence, or even ignore the fact that you’re there.
If you do not have a steady hatch of summer mayflies, consider fishing small woolly buggers (size 10) in the colors of brown or olive. This time of the year, the stream bottom can be covered with baby crayfish which is an important food source for larger trout.
Summer trout fishing definitely comes with its own challenges. If you are not having any success, be persistent and keep trying something different. Eventually, you will come up with a solution for your specific piece of trout water.
Good luck in a good fishing,
Jay
