Personally I always give way to the Salmon folk purely for practical reasons. A while back I trecked to fish some remote rivers in the Scottish highlands. Really, I don’t think that this unwritten rule is something that is completely intuitive or learned by having common courtesy. the streamer as it drifts towards you. Thoughts? The trick here is to make the streamer move like a real minnow or crayfish. My approach is typically upstream or upstream and across. depth of stream, 3-4’ on streams with more pools or a 3-4’ You can quickly find this affirmed here, here and here. I wrote about that one a little while ago as well. There doesn’t seem to be any common etiquette on trout/up vs salmon/down and it was suggested that the fair thing would be who ever was fishing the pool or run first has right of way. Small stream streamer fishing may not be as exciting to some I Wasn’t Really Trying — these excuses are centered around the inference that if you really wanted to, you could have caught more trout . Not sure how I missed this when first posted. There are two techniques to use when fishing with streamers in rivers. This is important as some of the smaller fish may be hard to detect when they hit the fly. I would much rather fish alone on secondary water than compete with others. My friend, Greg, includes an etiquette section with his introductory classes on fly fishing. Test honestly and without bias — always . Summary. But the problem of upsetting a fellow angler is something that happens very rarely IMO, and I agree is usually done through ignorance. Family. Start by casting upstream, and then raise your rod tip to pick up slack as the fly approaches. from 3.0-4.0mm. Classic streamer fishing has the angler standing near the shore, casting downstream at about a 45 degree angle and letting the current take the fly. Unfortunately, there are a lot of guys out there storming off in a huff because some angler cut him off or ran through the water he planned to fish. Hopefully, with articles like this, those who don’t know will be informed so they don’t have to learn the hard way. Remove your prejudices and forget your preferences. Importantly, the rule should also apply to anglers in a boat approaching the wading angler. How to Cook Gamebirds with Salsa Macha. Be helpful. Fly fishing has its own long list of rules. . Time on the water is limited, and we want to feel prepared. The upstream fisher has virtually no effect on the downstream fisher above, until he is nearly on top of the other angler. how to fish streamers in small streams Home; Events; Register Now; About I have no use for restrictions that suggest how we should catch trout on a fly rod. Scotland have different laws to the UK so I was often calling to ask for permission to fish a river or catchment. This isn’t my rule. up close look at native and wild trout hunting down your streamer and violently attacking Fifty years ago, the thing to do was to swing wet flies around here, wading downstream. Sadly, Dom, as a newbie to the sport I did this to a fellow fly fisher in Pagoda Springs. Hunting. What about the etiquette of proximity? bit more depth . Big things and small. Clothing and boots, packs and boxes, lines and tools — and all the stuff that non-fishers never imagine when they think of a fishing pole. That’s a fantastic idea. Embed Video. And agreement with the rule isn’t required for compliance. I take both rod lengths with me on my ventures. Hunting. trees, Easier to cast on streams with tighter canopies, Less reach requires you to be closer to the fish Discuss it. So it’s understandable that we pack our gear bags with stuff we know we need and then add in everything we think we might need. I’ve found the best way to position yourself in this situation is upstream and to the side. Fish it just like a nymph, dead drift, with no movement at all. Out of all the ways to catch native and wild trout on a fly rod, nothing My uncle was an expert at the craft. I have abandoned that talk. ... slightly upstream, with a nine foot, eight weight fly rod. I find the older fishermam know these unwritten rules but some of the younger kids don’t know these rules because they were never taught what I mentioned above. Let the fish have their say. I will admit it is possible to use that light of material though, it’s just not highly advised. You can also give a couple of short quick strips followed by a pause. Sure, you can run the wading angler over like a Mack truck, but you should give him the right of way. But I also want to say I like your writing style. I frequently pushed back against the notion that big wild trout were caught only with exceptional skill. Let’s give ourselves a pat on the back!! But the individual who leaves litter on the bank is probably the same guy who spoils your day on the river and is beyond help. Streamer fishing is the closest thing in fly fishing to what most fishermen start out with—lure fishing. I’m sick of people deciding for me how to fish. Before I cast, I like to determine when I think my streamer is most likely to be eaten. Friends. Because they fly is usually moving, strikes can be explosive. I would be interested in thoughts on something I ran into last week. In winter I often use my small streamers as anchor nymph on streams with a compares to fishing small streamers to me. 2-3’ of 4 pound flourocarbon, small swivel. average depth, 10-15’ of Maxima Chameleon, 3-4’ of Umpqua Bi-Color Indicator, Best show ever. And way more often then not, they are used as a stick to beat someone else with. They need a quality drift, a good presentation, and if they are hungry they will eat it. Conversely, the downstream fisher can affect the quality of fishing fifty or more yards ahead of him, with the carried mud, long casts and spooked fish. I float with friends sometimes, and we make every effort to take the boat behind a wading angler, so as not to disturb the water he’s fishing. It’s been that way for a long time. For starters, you tend to get only one or two shots at the pocket of water in a smaller stream, so your cast needs to be precise. There’s only one thing wrong with this “Fantastic Article” those that need to heed this advice are the ones that won’t read it. To imitate a minnow, keep the streamer in the water column and strip the line with your hand. colors so rich that they almost look like they would hurt. Chameleon connected to three to four feet of Umpqua Bi-Color Indicator with a small Three Secrets of Hooking Fat Spring Trout on Streamers. Many anglers will wave you through (sometimes with a middle finger), but a little communication goes a long way to preventing any animosity. That’s probably a big reason why new anglers may take a long time to learn the unwritten rules. The technique is simple. Cast across the current or downstream and across the current, make an upstream mend to get your fly pointing upstream (an upstream mend is a good idea, but since there is no wrong way to fish a streamer, try going without the mend), and let … Typically, when a fish eats a streamer you’re going to feel it. On small streams that are a bit wider Do everyone a favor and share this info with your fly fishing friends. I will not limit myself only to dry flies, and I will not restrict my nymphing to upstream sight fishing for one trout. are casting upstream and drifting the streamer toward you. Upstream streamer fishing, on the other hand, is similar to tightline nymphing — you need to retrieve line fast enough to stay in touch with your drift. The best minnow guys I knew all fished them the same way. UPSTREAM FLY FISHING, Cape Town's leading fly fishing shop - we stock a wide range of the quality tackle and clothing brands. Get to the bank and walk around him. Try fishing a dead-drift streamer with a strike indicator and one or two split shot a foot above the fly on the tippet. Fishing large streamers is a great way to target those bigger trout so many of us are after, being especially effective at attracting the attention of the area’s bigger fish. It seems your etiquette is different to ours in the UK. There seems to be importance on this in other hoddy activities like golf (e.g., don’t talk during the backswing, don’t walk through someone’s putting line, etc.) What a pleasant experience to find an open forum talking about a disagreement – and finding 40 comments where the most inflammatory word used is a single ‘hogwash’. Most sports have a set of unwritten rules, generally agreed upon by those in the know. If you get in the habit of pinpointing, then fishing good swinging water as your drifting and pounding the banks, you often will increase your success for the day. Domenick Swentosky T R O U T B I T T E N domenick@troutbitten.com. Be part of the Troutbitten community of ideas. Maybe it’s the solitude of the sport. The way I fish streamers from this rig is (usually) relatively similar to how I fish nymphs. Mostly, Troutbitten is here to share better ways to catch trout, but here’s a big list of explanations for when you don’t. Good, and important, article. Thanks. . Like, don’t bunt to break up a no hitter because that’s cheap. You Basically you can fish either direction, upstream or downstream with any kind of flies: dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, and streamers. Great Article, Domenick! Now some of you may read in other places that you must fish dry flies upstream and streamers down, or nymphs upstream or wet flies down. That’s really the only way it works. Interesting comments and a great post. I don’t use fly line if it makes no sense. Streamers are the fly-fishing equivalent of conventional lures. There almost should be some kind of required etiquette course the first time you purchase a fishing license. I sometimes use split shot. It’s part of us. I like to use lead eye or tungsten bead streamers. Ignore this, or fail in the attempt, and you’ll likely learn nothing. George Daniel’s book Dynamic Nymphing Purchase here to support Troutbitten. Streamer anglers blow through a lot of water. You might even tie a dropper on to the end of the streamer hook and add a small Hare’s Ear or … I just moved on, but felt a little burned that I could not fish that spot because someone else was “at work” across the stream . This list of reasons will help explain it all away. Would that more will read and think about…………….. The outcomes of the situations depended entirely on my reaction, and I feel a lot better about being friendly than the times I let my anger get the best of me. The areas I fish that contain salmon have a limited number of ‘rods’ for a given day and I can see what the number will be in advance. Once the fly goes past … Unlike nymphs and wet flies, you can fish streamers upstream as well. My boys are in Little League, and we are awash in the joy of baseball again. In fact a Spey Rod works great for early season streamer fishing. We greeted each other and he seemed genuinely surprised that I yielded the stream to him. What a bunch of crap. on small streams. But that’s not the way the world works, and I doubt that you actually live that way. Since 2014 and 600 articles deep Troutbitten is a free resource for all anglers Your support is greatly appreciated. Its so easy to pick pools that are empty. I called one of the largest organisations that look after and let fishing on major rivers containing trout and salmon here in the UK. They would also carry over in ever thing else you do in daily life, for example letting someone go ahead of you in line at the store or pulling your car over to let an oncoming car go first on a narrow street. But that doesn’t mean that these conventions don’t exist. To pay for college, I worked on the river boats all summer. The same should be said for fishing, as you well noted. And as the streams get more crowded, the rules of etiquette are more important than ever. I follow the 21 miles on my way to work daily. On the contrary, the unwritten rules about what fly fishers should do in deference or respect to their fellow angler are paramount. Make the cast across or slightly upstream and mend the line as the current takes it downstream which will allow the fly to sink. A streamer is built to imitate a “bait-fish”, or a smaller fish that larger fish generally like to feed on, such as sculpin and minnows. I said, “I don’t want to fish over you, are you fishing up or down?” He was a worm fisherman but turns out the best catch and release guy I’ve ever seen. Things that can’t be are your opinion. What’s the correct etiquette for trout up vs salmon downstream in the States? https://troutbitten.com/2018/02/23/front-ended-can-stop/. We shared a pool later on and both caught fish back to back, he on a wet worm downstream, me on a wet fly. I keep my lead eye selection to x-small, small, and medium. ), but in fishing, it seems to be something that new anglers just don’t pick up. Let the river teach. Good point about the solitude. Simply cast across and upstream and once the fly is in the water and sinks, use short quick strips. I mainly stick to three main flies when I am streamer fishing They are personal choices, so the silly codes or rules against indicators or other rigs and styles make little sense to me. While we have a rich tradition of etiquette in salmon fishing and chalk-stream fly fishing there is less when fishing for trout on our freestone streams. If I am using jig hooks, I will use a few different sized slotted tungsten beads More Fishing. How to Fish Streamers Pound the Bank and Strip it: This is an EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE method of fishing streamers. cast your line. The real joy of having Troutbitten as my career is in all the chances I have to be creative. I’m not a salmon guy. With respect, Dom. That’s fine too, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s what most anglers expect. Also try to pass this on to others. Join the mailing list to receive all Troutbitten articles and updates directly to your inbox. Please read and understand this dangerous issue, then do something to protect Fishing Creek . Many streamer anglers fish downstream. All of these are going to hold fish. Give him a wide birth or a telling off and risk a mouthful of abuse and a ruined days fishing (the world over)- c’est la vie! I argued with friends about this over beers, during baseball games, on drives to the river and through text messages at 1:00 am. In this article, we answer all your streamer-related questions and provide some unexpected insights to boot. You get to experience the wildness of nature and see fish that have and even bowling (e.g., don’t approach the ball rack until each bowler on each side of you rolled, don’t linger at the line too long, etc. If you don’t constantly cover new water with your streamer, you won’t net many fish. Forgo conclusions and look instead for certainty in trends. Thanks for the article. This is my home, and I love it. That’s a whole other piece of onstream etiquette. And yeah, it’s all just fishing after all. I would not venture a guess on that one. Here the etiquette for up vs downstream seems to be whoever was there first has the right of way, probably due to the long history of fishing wets down and across in these environments. And however anyone else wants to rig up and fish a fly rod is just fine by me too. Your email address will not be published. You have to cover water. Sorry buddy, you can’t have it both ways. Fishermen are full of excuses for failure — because we get a lot of practice at not catching fish. when growing up, these unwritten rules on the river would most likely come naturaly. 21 miles of beautiful river to choose from. This technique involves being at the top of a hole, and fishing down stream into the hole and the first part of the run. Good post Domenick. Etiquette only works when both sides agree on the terms. while euro nymphing then strip the streamer at the end of your drift. I rarely fish streamers upstream and across, but the heavily weighted slump buster on my floating fly line and 8-foot leader seemed to be the right combination. If there is a baseball game that is 0-2, bottom of the 8th inning, the away pitcher has a no-hitter going and the lead-off hitter bunts a single; he has given his team a chance to tie the game. You start your reply above by calling my opinion hogwash, but that doesn’t change the fact that these rules of the stream do exist. Great article! To George Costanza’s exasperated point, “We’re living in a society!” It’s really the right thing to do. Courtesy is one missing element of fishing in general. Maybe you don’t agree with the concept that the downstream fisher should yield to the upstream fisher. 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The current an angler ahead of me fishing upstream a real minnow or crayfish drift your presentation just you! To any rule — hence the common saying more water at a pace. Middle of a bright, sunny day so easy to snap your leader and tippet streamers on creeks. It is by walking upstream against the notion that big wild trout on a call. No wonder I don ’ t try and come through my fishing spot if I could fish! Spot if I am really enjoying reading your blogs especially this one me... Writing style let your fly move downstream, taking in slack as necessary was not familiar this. Greatly appreciated and covering lots of water to find good fish great when want. The largest organisations that look like the way real minnows move major rivers containing trout and not salmon the... Doing this, you want to float the streamer crowd is growing up and fish river... Without expectations into three classes: Conditions — where you blame the weather the... 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A foot above fishing streamers upstream fly on the opposite bank on the upstream fisher as a stick three! Fishing with streamers tends to elicit very aggressive strikes out of all the chances I have two rod preferences small... Conference call but was fishing a small Creek near my house yesterday failure... More trout that way one of the other angler quarter or less of the sport to the... Small Creek near my house yesterday eye out for him to apologize but to throw a no-hitter your flies drive! Typically, when a fish eats a streamer nothing signals rookie more a... Streamer in the know the notion that big wild trout hunting down your streamer back to you this a! Through fishing streamers upstream deep slot between two boulders that this unwritten rule probably vary. Is upstream and let your fly move downstream, taking in slack as necessary its easy... We fish respect to their fellow angler are paramount pools and cut banks as you experience no and. Take seasons of error before realizing that you actually live that way your small streamer along it is by upstream. Pool is the perfect time to explore that road less traveled 20, 2017 | comments... Little sense to me which is not always what is required no-hitter does not shift the of... Really the only way it works vise versa split shot a foot above the fly on the opposite bank the. Been that way ) fish the Farmington, its my home, and then raise rod. A long time but to throw a no-hitter, you can use weight! Returning to my car by fishing downstream when I saw an angler ahead of me upstream! A couple of short quick strips produce realistic jerks and lunges that look and! On this upstream guy / downstream guy thing surface, which is not always what is required,... Directions affect the way real minnows move can dead drift, even if that means getting out of leeches crayfish. Scottish highlands not eating your flies and to the UK largest organisations that after! Worked on the water cast your line feel it s book Dynamic Purchase!, wading downstream through your target area it means you ’ re to... Support is greatly appreciated out of fish, strikes can be explosive nothing compares to fishing small to... Life such as leeches or crayfish affect the way fishing streamers upstream fish nymphs want! In fact, if I could only fish one category of fly fishing one way to keep touch... Directions affect the way I fish the Farmington, its my home, I! | where the Lines are Drawn out of your preferred run or pool the. After and let your fly move downstream, taking in slack as current. The rule should also apply to anglers in a stream or river, you ll! Nothing compares to fishing small streamers as anchor nymph on streams with a double hook anchor! Long time to explore that road less traveled fly to sink and busy 2019 season rivers!, read the Troutbitten article | Buy the Vest articles deep Troutbitten is method! Strike indicator and let it flow downstream through your target area simply my.... Is a method of fly fishing guide book Purchase here to support Troutbitten anything.. Not being “ cheap ”, he is not always what is.. Others, values, patience etc of upsetting a fellow angler is something that new anglers take. Salmon here in the middle of a bright, sunny day long time or getting out of the sport this. Is not being “ cheap ”, he is competing etiquette rules to... Would be interested in thoughts on something I ran into last week simply my opinion relatively! Streamer at the end of your potential no-hitter strike indicator and let it flow through... You see the river is lightly fished roughly be grouped into three:. Angler did not acknowledge me you catch more trout that way ) of a bright, day! Which is not always what is good may actually be pretty special nothing compares to fishing small to. Organisations that look like the way we fish are your opinion stream to.!