Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Adrian-Webbs-Trout-Tips » Small Stream Trout

Small Stream Trout

Adrian (meppstas) Webb

With the weather still being unstable and more rain forecast as the days goes on, I thought it worthwhile to head to the Dasher River, on private property close to home. Once there I could see that the river was on the rise and running a little on the cloudy side. Not enough to put me off fishing it though. After a twenty minute walk to my entry point, I was soon in the river (11:15am) flicking a small #00 Gold Mepps Aglia around.

The water temp, like the air, was very low and cold, so today I had worn a waterproof jacket which helped to keep my upper body warm. As I slowly made my way upstream I found the river bottom was pretty slippery and there was quite a lot of green cotton like algae covering it. This wasn't going to be an easy spin session at all as getting a good footing was quite difficult at times and even more so with the force of the water on the legs in the deeper fast water runs.

It took just six minutes before I had a small trout take the Gold Aglia. A nice coloured little (240g) wild brown trout that was picked up in a narrow flat water near the left river bank. This trout was around the average size for this little stream. At different times one might catch the odd one in the 350-400g range, however they're very few and far between nowadays.

It wasn't long before it was back in the river and I continued to fish my way upstream, in the hope of picking up a few more trout in quick time. That didn't happen and it took just over half an hour before I picked up my second of the session, after changing to a well-used #00 Gold Mepps Aglia Mouche Noire spinner. It was another small brown and this one was marginally larger (255g) than the first one. Two casts later, in the same stretch of water, I hooked and lost a small brown. That one tossed the spinner on the second leap from the river.

Two trout caught and released, from three hook ups in just thirty minutes, probably wasn't all that bad I suppose, even though I wasn't really all that impressed. Then again, it's better than not catching a fish isn't it. With some really good stretches of river left to fish, I was feeling confident of picking up quite a few more trout before calling it a day. There were some lovely wide, 40cm deep, medium flowing waters that looked fishy. These very same waters that on previous trips gave up fish. Today though, they didn't give a yelp. Not a sign of a trout in them.

I decided it was time for another change of lure and this time it was on with a #0 Aglia Fluo in the Phospho (white) colour. One that will stand out in the clouded water. It's also the first time that I've used this spinner after having it in my kit for around six years or so.

Thirty five minutes later, while retrieving the spinner along the right hand side of a deeper run, a small brown took the Fluo lure. So the third trout was landed and released at 12:25pm, and that was the last trout caught for the session. I fished on until I had reached the area where the car was without any signs of a trout. My day was done.

For me it was another disappointing time in a small stream. Much like yesterday, with very few trout seen. Once the weather becomes more settled and both the water and air temps increase, the trout fishing will pick up. I just have to be a little more patient as it will all turn around for the better soon enough.

Adrian (meppstas)