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3. Early season strategy

So what is the strategy for opening day/ early season fishing to hook into some nice trout? They’re usually sitting on the bottom and hardly moving thisntime of year. I guess nymphs would be the best approach, certainly not dries correct?

Depends on the season and your waters. I have hit the Rifle as early as April 13th and have both seen a few flies (early brown stones) and had hits on imitations (no hook-ups though). That was 2012 however, which was a freaky dry short winter and early spring...by the opener there were lots of hatches in progress and the next two mons were incredible. Some years, though, early season is dead, insect- and fish-wise. Nymphs would probably be the ticket, though I also like to swing streamers early in the season. That same crazy early April day that I saw a few dries ended up with me popping a beautiful 14-inch brown on a POG Bugger on the way back down. (I like to dry up and then streamer down.)

Depends on what the next few weeks bring. Our waters are not warm, but they're not high right now either...and lower waters warm faster! Just need the warmth to do so...

Jonathon

Adirman,



Hi there, I know you live reasonably close to the Beaverkill and back when I was a younger guy full of excitement about Opening Day I would go to Cairns Pool and fish a Montana nymph with as many BB's as it took to keep the fly bouncing along the bottom. I liked brown with an orange thorax or black with a yellow thorax.

The Montana nymph used to be a very popular fly but I rarely see I offered in fly catalogs anymore. It is very easy to tie. I used to use a Mustad 9672 wet fly hook. The tail can either be black or brown hackle fibers dependent on what the body color is. Tie in the tail, tie in a piece of black or brown chenille about 4" long. Wind the chenille about 2/3 of the shank and tie it off (don't cut off the excess) Tie in a brown or black wet fly hackle, tie in a piece of orange or yellow chenille and wind to eye and cut off the excess. Palmer the hackle to eye and cut off excess. Take the remainder of the body color chenille and pull over the thorax and hackle like a wing case and tie down and cut off excess. Lacquer the head. Once you get the hang of it they take only about five minutes to tie.

"The Montana nymph used to be a very popular fly but I rarely see I offered in fly catalogs anymore. It is very easy to tie."

Found that one in John Merwin's Fly-Tying guide, a book I bought back in 1990 I think. And Matt is correct, very easy to tie! One variant I have made is to use peacock herl for the body in place of the black or brown chenille (try this one a Woolly Bugger!), and if you really want some flash, use chartreuse chenille in place of the orange or yellow. And use peacock sword for the tails, like on a Zug Bug...make the body with 4-6 strands of herl wrapped together, which will build a nice fat body much easier than with one or two strands. Hackle color of your choice but I like to use olive on this one.

Give it a try!

Jonathon

Sounds good guys, gonna look this fly up to see what it looks like, thanks 😊

What method of nymph fishing do you guys prefer? upstream with or without indicators? Wet fly type swinging, euro, or all the above. I'm going Tuesday probably the s.b. ausable river, I don't care what the weather is going to do I have to get out, its been way to long of a winter.

Mike.

I do a lot of euro style lately but find that the older methods are more enjoyable, whatever is effective at the time works for me!

Way too long! I feel the same way.

Enjoy the beautiful south branch!

Partsman,

When I do nymph it is usually casting slightly up stream, old school, and let it drift below me on a tight line. No bobbers.

Picked up a nice brown a week or so ago on a chilly day using a rubber leg stone tied a lot like a Montana nymph. They certainly do work.

If I can get a chance to go out tomorrow, I’ll definitely be hugging the bottom and trying to sight fish as much as possible. Fish are so sluggish this time of year and hardly move

Best of luck.