Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Adrian-Webbs-Trout-Tips » Great Weather for Trout - 31-3-21

Great Weather for Trout - 31-3-21

By Adrian (Meppstas) Webb

Glorious weather prevailed today and with the tannin waters still running at a nice wading height that's where I headed. Even though it was a bright sunny day I still didn't hit the water until 10:22am. At this time of year the sun is much lower than during the summer months so I would still have some shade on the water. The area that I fished today was one that always gives up a few trout and seeing as it's been a few weeks since I've fished here, I was hoping for a good day on them.

I started the session off with a #00 March Brown coloured Bug spinner, a Mepps lure that does perform well in these waters. After the first ten minutes, without a sign of a trout, I went for a change of lure. This time I chose a Copper #00 Mepps Aglia Mouche Noire, another Mepps lure that has served me well here previously.

Fifteen minutes later, while fishing a nice wide and shallow stretch of water, I had my first hook up and it was a small brown that was landed. The next cast and retrieve, to the same stretch of water and another small brown took the spinner. Two trout caught in two casts was more to my liking. Even though both trout were small fish they still put up a good fight all the way to the net and fishing with the lightweight Okuma setup makes it even better.

These were the last of the trout for another twenty-five minutes until I began fishing a nice faster flowing stretch of water. It was in this stretch of water that I picked up two more browns, the first one a small fish and the second was a nice solid 350 gram fish.

Not all that long after the release of that fish, I flicked the spinner into the headwater of this stretch of water and no sooner had I started to retrieve, the lure it was taken hard and fast by another solid trout. This trout ran everywhere it could and I just managed to stop it from running into some debris, before it tired and I slipped it into the net. With five trout caught and released in the last forty minutes, it was picking up after a very slow start.

From here on the stream was mainly in full sun, with some areas covered in shade, meaning this is where the trout fishing would be much tougher. It actually only took another seven minutes, before I picked up the sixth trout of the morning. This fish was lured from a flat water, close to the river bank. The fish followed the spinner right up to where I was about to lift it from the water and that's when it took it.

After its release and a little further upstream I had a couple of trout follow the spinner in the shallow water, however with full sun on the water they didn't take the spinner. Ahead of me was some shaded water that had a deep run along the right hand side and it was here that I hooked and lost two trout in two cast and retrieves... which didn't go down all that well with me.

I went for another change of spinner, this time it was on with a small plain Copper Mepps Aglia spinner. Don't ask me why, I just thought it may change my luck. The change of lure did change my luck too and in the next stretch of water that I fished, I picked up the seventh trout from the tail end of it.

From there on the fishing was a little frustrating at times. I was having quite a few trout follow the spinner in open sun filled water, plus I hooked and lost a few others. It wasn't until 12:50pm that I caught the eighth trout of the session. This fish was taken after a back hand cast into a shaded area, after I spotted the fish surface feeding there.

Once I released it, seeing as the majority of water ahead was in full sun, I felt it was time to get out of the water and call it a day. As I was heading back to the car I came across quite a few bulls, which I'm never all that happy about, so I hopped back into the river to bypass them. As I slowly made my way upstream I thought I may as well flick the little Copper Aglia around and see if I can pick up another trout or two. I wasn't all that confident in catching any with the sun on the water but made the most of the situation.

I had made it past the cattle and was about to hop out of the stream, when I had one more cast upstream. I couldn't believe it when the spinner was taken by a trout in a narrow shallow run that was in full sun. After a short tussle with this fish, it was soon in the net. Even better was the fact that the fish was the best of the day, weighing 420 grams. My day was done and what a great way to end it too.

Adrian (meppstas)

Equipment Used Today:

Okuma Celilo Finesse Spin Rods - ULS 1-3kg Trout Rod
Okuma Helios SX Spin Reel - HSX-20
Platypus Super 100 Monofilament Fishing Line - 4lb
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader - 4lb
Mepps Aglia Inline Spinner
Mepps Bug Inline Spinner
Mepps Aglia Mouche Noire Inline Spinner