Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Adrian-Webbs-Trout-Tips » Cold Water Trout in Tough Conditions
Cold Water Trout in Tough Conditions
By Adrian (meppstas) Webb
I know it's still winter, but I am really starting to get tired of the constant rains we've been getting here in Tasmania, just when the trout season opened. Like I said, it is still winter, and it is to be expected, especially in August. Even well into September we will continue to have a lot of rainy days and swollen rivers. This morning we had light drizzle and a gusty easterly wind, so fishing was out of the question for today. Well, that's how I saw it until later in the day when it cleared up, the wind dropped off and the sun broke through as the clouds parted ways.
Just after lunch I decided I would head back to the same stretch of river that I fished four days ago. I knew the river would more than likely be running a few inches higher, due to the 39mm of rain that we had a couple of days ago, however I was willing to take the punt and give it a go while the weather was okay. The closer I got to my destination, the more clouds seemed to be building up and once I arrived (1:30pm) there, so did the wind. It was a strong gusty easterly, that was blowing at 20-25kph and not only that it was a cold wind as well. I was also using the same Okuma trout set up as I did on my last trip to this river, with the same Mepps Aglia-e Brite spinner as the lure of choice.
My walk to the river was a little shorter this time, mainly because of the weather conditions, plus I could see the river was running several inches higher and much faster than my last trip here. The river being higher meant that there would be less still flat waters along the riverbanks on the opposite side of the river, which also meant that the trout wouldn't be there either. The only good thing to come out of it was that I would be fishing the river with the wind at my back. It was going to make casting the #1 Mepps Aglia-e Brite spinner across the river difficult also. It doesn't matter if the wind is coming from behind or straight in one's face, judging the cast of the lure across the river becomes ten times more difficult when accuracy is most important. The wind can and will carry a lure well off course once it's released. Not only that it can create wind knots as it rips line from the open reel’s spool once the lure has been cast.
The hardest part was getting across the river to where I wanted to start spinning for trout, in a small narrow side water. The river itself was much darker in colour after the recent rain and I could not see the river bottom in water that was just above my knees. To make matters worse, the force of the water was much harder on the legs, the rocks were covered in slime, which made them slippery, plus they quite often rolled underfoot, so it was a very slow trip across the river. When fishing in conditions like this I always face upstream and sidestep my way across the river. By doing this I'm more balanced and less likely to be spun around and fall in.
Once across the river I didn't have any luck in catching a trout, in fact all that I managed in the first thirty minutes was a couple of very soft touches on the spinner. It was time to get out and try another long stretch of river a hundred metres further upstream. This was one that I bypassed on the last trip because I decided to fish in the back water instead. The long stretch of water is also perfect for casting and drifting a blade spinner too, another reason that I decided to fish it.
Once I was back in the river, I gave the Aglia-e Brite a five-minute workout without any trout being caught. It was time to try something different. With the water being so dark in colour, I took a gamble and went for a #1 Mepps Aglia Furia. Why? Because it's a great trout catcher. The Aglia Furia isn't a bright coloured inline spinner either, so it was a risk using it in the dark water. I had nothing to lose by giving it a go.
The opposite side of the river here did have some nice narrow flat waters along it, which was just what the doctor ordered. Perfect for lobbing the lure into and then letting it drift with the flow, while slowly retrieving the line to keep it tight. It didn't take all that long before the Furia was hit hard and fast. It was fish on! A solid, medium-size brown had taken the lure and was soon in the net. Once released I slowly made my way upstream, casting and drifting the Furia for fifteen minutes without another trout being caught. It was time for a lure change. This time I went for a #1 Mepps Aglia Fluo Micropigments rainbow spinner, a lure that is much lighter in colour and one that would stand out more in the dark water.
The wind was still blowing hard. The cloud was very heavy overhead and becoming much darker. The air temp was sitting at 6 degrees, which more or less matched the water temperature. I was getting the shivers now. It was just so cold and not having a jumper on didn't help either. My feet were numb, as were my legs and they were all covered with thermal gear.
I started to cast and drift the rainbow spinner and it didn't take all that long before I was onto another medium size brown trout, that also made it into the landing net. Eight minutes later I picked up the third trout of the afternoon. It was around the same size as the other two caught earlier. I was nearing the end of this long narrow stretch of river and just about to move into much wider shallow waters, so that's when I thought it was time to call it a day. Three trout caught and released was much better than I had expected, given the conditions I had to put up. They weren't ideal for trout fishing at all. I suppose perseverance paid off in the end. More rain is forecast for the coming few days, so when or where I will get to fish a river again... I have no idea.
Adrian (meppstas)
Gear Used:
Okuma Celilo Finesse Spin Rod 2-6lb Trout Rod
Okuma ITX Carbon Spin Reel – ITX-1000
Platypus Pulse Mono – 4lb
Mepps Aglia-E Brite Inline Spinner
Mepps Aglia Fluo Micropigments Inline Spinner