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3. Streamers Anyone?

Because fall is here and that generally means that bigger trout, brown trout in particular, get a bit more pissy than usual, I'm getting excited for throwing some nice meaty streamers. Every year I get into some really nice browns using articulated stuff like the Drunk and Disorderly and the Snot Goblin. I know, lobbing flies the size of most brook trout is a stretch for a lot of fly fisherman, but how many of you are closet strip-setters? Any flies that work particularly good on your local water? Or maybe some shots of really big fish you caught on streamers.

Nice fishies man!! Now just exactly what weight rod are you throwing these big streamers on, and just how big are they (including hook size)? There will be fall-run browns coming up the Rifle soon...

Jonathon

Thanks,
That Shakespeare Wonder Rod 4 weight was just what I had with me that day, my normal streamer chuckers are a 9ft 8wt for the bigger flies (4-6 inches, usually using Size 2 Gamakatsu stingers for the head and size 4-2 3x long streamer hooks for the trailer), and a 8"6" 6 weight for relatively smaller stuff (single hook, size 2-4; articulated flies with front hook clipped and a size 6-12 stinger in the back, something from 1-3 inches long)

RMlytle




I came out years ago! Not ashamed of throwing #4 - #1/0 streamers on my 9' #7 rod. My fly of choice is a Clouser minnow. I've caught hundreds of 18" - 21+" browns, and a couple rainbows, (and maybe a dozen 22" - 26")on them so I don't see any reason to try any of the new design streamers. My flies range from 3" - 5".
I rarely use a tippet lighter than 1X. Most of my streamer work is with a floating line but if the water is stained and high I use a streamer sink tip line.

I'll admit I enjoy the streamer game! Especially in the fall. The biggest fish I've caught on a streamer was from the Letort 2 years ago, 17/18 inch range in about 5 inches of water in the summer time.

I've found that upstream presentation produces a lot more strikes for me.

I love a clouser for sea run brown trout, I know someone that hooked multiple 6-10 lb sea trout on clousers while fishing for stripers at the mouth of a stream.

These worked real good in #6, on a high alpine lake, in the Sierras a few weeks ago...

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OWENS OFFENDER Bugger...

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9lbs./ 4ozs.


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Little Virginia Lake, Bridgeport, CA


PT/TB

Most of mine are on 35mm slides, and prints prior to that. They go back a ways now. Here's one I happened to have digitized from a print, one with a neat story attached.

I was chasing spawning run browns in Nov of 1982 up a small trib of a larger stream under perfect conditions. As I fished, a lifter (disguised snagger) stopped his fish-hunting to watch me fly-casting. "Always wanted to try that...", he called down to me. "Do you catch any?" was his next question. As if on cue, this smallish brown came up off bottom of a small pool and took my fluorescent streamer (I called Thunder-n-Lightning for the wake and flash it produced) that was hanging just below the surface. "Amazing!" the guy shouted out, and then repeated over and over again as the reality kept sinking in. I discovered that in those days of widespread ignorance that lifters would rather be anglers -they just didn't know how. They all sported fly rods and reels, but strung with 17lb fluorscent mono, the largest legal hook, and some giant split-shot.

The guy snapped this picture. I then turned around and got socked by a much bigger brown that ended up breaking me off on the strike -a violent strike that nearly carried the fish completely clear of the surface. "AMAZING!!!!" the guy stammered, and then began repeating all over again until the effect eventually wore off. He then ordered a dozen each of two patterns in two colors (I was tying for local a shop then), although I told him he didn't need to go overboard to start.

A while later I saw him on the main stream with one of my streamers tied on -on 17lb fluorescent Stren with a couple giant split-shot. Oh well... I suppose by then he was in process of discovering that the flies weren't magic, or that the magic in them needed some conjuring.

Love the pics from the 80,s. I know exactly what your talking about. See steelhead fishing in Michigan rivers.

Those waders big enough for you there Paul? :)

My biggest Madison river Brown in 1995 took a "secret" guide fly I was told not to look at...The fish was a 23.5" Brown...The fly was called something like "Egore the Magnificent", pronounced "Eh-Gore"...After I landed the fish the guide from Madison River Fishing Company in Ennis gave me the fly...It turned out to be just a variation of the woolly bugger tied with olive and black marabou tail, then simply wrapped up the shank and then trimmed. A pure guide fly, i.e. little work involved. :)

On further inspection the hook was starting to straighten and I may have lost the fish at any moment. I still have it stowed in my collection of flies.

1991 on the South Branch of the Au Sable I lost a big Brown that haunts me to this day...I saw the fish roll and I squeezed my hand tight over the fly line in a sort of panic and he wasted some hefty tippet.

Now I primarily toss streamers at small-mouth.

Spence

Ha! I actually wondered if you might comment. I remember those -Cabela's Heavy Duty Trapper's Boots. I wore out waders too quick then and found these on close-out for a sum I could afford. But, they were size 13 long. Close enough! And I clopped around in those for years. Don't actually remember how they met their end.

Simple works! My first 20 inch brown (a wild fish from a small freestone) took a very simple streamer made only of red yarn and gold flash. SUPER simple.

Paul,

I still have a pair of Cabela's Neo's...Those ugly brown things that made you look like a sausage...Somehow I always felt a little silly in them? They worked in the spring though...I use to fish a pond in April in my float tube and they kept me warm...I always thought, that for some reason it would be impossible to drown in them...This probably isn't true, but I couldn't figure out how the water would get in they fit so tight. Buoyant.

Your picture reminds me of when I was a pre-teen and I'd visit my grandma's in the winter. She had a box of old skates and lived across the street from a creek that would freeze...I didn't care how damn big the skates were on me I was going skating! Come hell or bad fitting skates...You were out there getting it done, who cares, right? :)

I have posted here before a pic of me floating the Madison in 95 in a pair of Red Ball Waders...It looked like they were somehow inflated with air and I looked like a brown version of the Michelin Tire Man. :)

Spence