John Kranick: The Essential Trout Fishing Guide

fast as ten inches per second.

There’s good reason why this works so well with

The rate you require depends on what depth you

just about any sub-surface fishing. The weight of the want that fly to be as well as how fast it should reach nymphs, streamers or other items when attached, pull that depth. For fast-moving water, for example, or the leader down. And this is exactly what you want. even deep pools, you’ll need a fast sink rate. Otherwise Let’s just put it this way: if you can only own one fly the slower sink rate should work for you in just about line…oh yeah, let it be the floater!

all other situations.

26 The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share

FAST-SINKING LINE

taper, 4 is the weight of the line, and the “F” indicates

it floats. That was easy wasn’t it?

Yes, you can say this sinks like a stone. But even

here you have a variety from which to choose. Just

What about WF-5-F

WF-5-F? You’re absolutely right.

how fast do you want it to sink? This type of line is Weight-forward taper line; a weight of 10 and it’s pretty much used only for saltwater fly fishing or considered a floating line. Good job.

when you’re fishing down deep in a lake.

WF-10-S.

WF-10-S. WF indicates it’s a weight-forward taper

Colors

line, possessing weight of 10. The “S” denotes it’s a

sinking line.

Bright yellow. Fluorescent green. Pumpkin orange.

No, these are not choices your teenager is considering

Now, check this one out: DT-7-F/S

DT-7-F/S. This fly line is

as his next hair color. (He’s got that color already a double taper with a weight of 7. The F/S indicates chosen. You’ll love it!)

it’s a sink-tip line. You’ll also notice when you run

across a line like this, what the actual sink rate is.

These are just a few of the colors from which to The box also tells you how much of the line sinks, as choose your fly lines. Didn’t know you had such well.

freedom of choice, now did you?

L-5-I.

L-5-I. This code is interpreted to reveal a level

But, did you know it really does matter what color taper fly line possessing a weight of 5, that is also an you choose? If you’re using a sinking line, for instance, intermediate sinking line. Again, the sink rate is listed you’d be far better off if you stay with a darker color on the box itself.

— like brown. Most anglers will tell you that the darker

colors, especially when sub-surface fishing, are just

ST-6-F

ST-6-F. This code tells you the fly line is a shooting

about perfect. The fish are less likely to see the darker taper, with a weight of 6. It also floats.

line than a bright one.

Now that you know a little more about the

If you’re choosing a floating line, or a line that equipment involved in fly fishing — and you’re familiar stays closer to the surface, then select any color you with spinner fishing for trout — let’s move on to one would like. The reason for this is that if you’re fishing more topic of vital concern. And that’s how to read a during the day, the fish will notice the line, regardless stream in order to maximize your trout fishing success.

of its color. The color then should be easiest for you Once you read this chapter, I guarantee, you’ll never to see. If you’re fishing at night, then you may benefit look at a stream in quite the same way again.

from a darker color.

Are you ready? Let’s go fishing together!

That brings us now to the codes. These codes are

found on the box of fly lines. If you’ve ever looked

for line, you know the poor box usually isn’t large

enough to hold all the codes. Well, neither is this

book. (Okay, so I’m exaggerating somewhat.) But I’ll

quickly review several of these to give you some idea

of what is going on.

DT-4-F

DT-4-F: We’ve already learned that DT is double

The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share27

CHAPTER 4

Reading A Stream

I can feel it. Your energy level and enthusiasm are increasing by the minute. And I can hear it loud and clear — your next question: When’s the best time to go trout fishing?

And I can only answer that with another question: What about now? The truth is the best time to trout fish is anytime! Thankfully, the emergence of a season brings with it a unique trout fishing benefit. (Who says there’s not some divine order at work in the universe?) Don’t fall into the trap that many anglers do, thinking that the only good time to fish trout is when the streams are being stocked with the hatchery-raised fish in April through October.

I’ll clue you into a secret that most trout fishermen don’t seem to know (or at least understand): trout fishing can be successful any time of the year.

Let’s talk spring, for instance. Those spring showers not only bring out May flowers as the saying goes, but they bring out brown trout by the boatful. A gentle spring shower dislodges the food that brown trout feed on and they go on a feeding spree of sorts.

Then as the rainfall freshets enter the stream, the waters turn turbid. And that’s to your advantage. The lack of clarity hides the line and the leader.

Conditions call for worm fishing (in fact worm fishing doesn’t get any better than this!), but also try your nymphs and streamers as well. Trust me, you will be pleased! But you won’t catch many trout using dry flies. These trout foods just don’t come out in this weather — and the trout know this!

SUMMERTIME:

you’re in for a good fishing season. The temperature

A

and oxygen becoming critical factors now. The best

ND THE FISHIN’ IS EASY!

trout temperature is about 62 degrees; the dissolved

Oh, yes. Summer fishing has been called a “period oxygen needs to be about 8 parts per million (ppm).

of natural selection” for the avid angler. You’ll still

find bait fishing to be extremely productive, but you

And trout are quite predictable. They always search

may also want to try to your hand at fly fishing as for preferred habitats with environmental conditions well.

as close to ideal as possible. This means in the summer

your best bet is to fish near springs or artesians flowing

Summer, after all, is the time for insects to hatch into the trout streams. You’ll want to work these sites with a vengeance. Couple this with the fact that this pretty carefully. You’ll be pleased, I assure you.

season is also a pivotal time for trout survival, and

28 The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share

AUTUMN:

Natural cover could be anything from dead water

B

pools to boulders, to bank covers and even log jams.

RING OUT THE SPINNER BAITS . . .

And then, don’t over look that natural aquatic

vegetation, either. You may find some trout loitering

And more. You’ll also want to consider fishing here as well.