Or you may be in it for the simple thrill, a catch-and-release affair.
Whatever excites you about fly fishing for trout, it’s best to know a few things about the species first.
There are many species of trout of the Salmo, Oncorhynchus and Salvelinus genera. But four species stand out: the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), brown trout (Salmo trutta), cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
rainbow-troutHaving the reputation of being the most difficult trout to hook, brown trout are brownish-yellow in color, with dark and red spots on an olive background, and square tails that have few spots or none at all.
These smart browns are almost impossible to catch once they get settled into a stream. They rarely even nibble, giving fishers the impression that there’s nothing in the stream.
Don’t get outsmarted by these browns. If the stream you’re in is slow flowing, has lots of minnows, and has a temperature within a range of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit – conditions that would not allow other trout species to thrive – they may be just hiding, waiting like you. But one of them is bound to get fooled, you must believe that, or what’s a fly fisher for?
Mature brown trout eat medium-sized minnows, chubs, large crayfish, even small rodents. Really big browns can feed on smaller trout, bass, perch, and other smaller game fish. Fly fishers can use dry flies, streamers and stonefly nymphs. If you want a trophy trout, the really big ones, it helps to know that they usually feed at night and are choosy. The question is – how badly do you want a trophy?
The brook trout or ‘brookie’ has brilliantly-colored scales, with white leading edge, backed by black, on its lower fins. They thrive in cold (52 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit), clear freshwater streams of the mountains. They are good indicators of the water’s health in fact. If a mountain stream doesn’t have them, chances are it’s polluted.
Brookies travel in schools, so if you hook one, there are plenty more nearby. They eat aquatic and terrestrial insects, plankton, snails, and leeches. You should use a small spinner and cast your line into the shallows. They’re ideal for fly fishing. Fly fishing with bucktail on a sinking line will keep them biting.
Cutthroat trout are so named for the bright red slash mark under the jaw. They have golden yellow scales and have dark spots on the body, dorsal, and caudal fins.
They are usually found in stream-fed lakes and tributaries, feeding on insects while young then eating other fish upon reaching maturity. A cutthroat can grow from 24 to 28 inches, weigh 8 pounds, and live to be over 12 years old. The big ones often swim with sockeye salmon in large lakes and rivers, with a preferred water temperature range of 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cutthroat stay at the bottom of pools but are known to be aggressive feeders. Fly fishers can use both dry and wet flies to land trophy cutthroats.
Noted for spectacular leaps and hard fight when hooked, rainbow trout are the most encountered species of trout. They have glowing rows of black spots on the back, sides and tail, with pinkish (rainbow) band on both sides.
Rainbows thrive in cool, clear streams and rivers but have been known to survive in warm silt bottom streams, preferring a water temperature range of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
They mainly feed on crustaceans, plant material and aquatic insects in the first three years of life, then swim away to larger bodies of water to feed on fish, large insects, and even small rodents. Flies like mudders, streamers, nymphs, and egg patterns will likely get these rainbows biting.
Fly fishing is a rewarding hobby, offering stress relief by bringing you close to the natural environment. You’ve just learned a few things about trout, but there are a lot more to know. At least now, you won’t be clueless when you cast your fly.
