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Anyone in our area who has ventured out for trout so far this season doesn't need to be reminded that we have had streams running bank high and dirty a great many days.
The opening weekend was a complete bust after heavy rains swelled the streams to flood stage. Just as that troublesome deluge began to subside, another batch of rain pushed most creeks to bank full again.
Long ago, I learned not to make broad predictions about upcoming weather patterns as they are almost certain to be wrong, but I would like to be hopeful water conditions are soon going to get back to more normal springtime conditions.
Of course, typical stream conditions for this time of year usually mean some high water from snowmelt and normal spring rain showers. Another mild winter with no appreciable snow accumulation in the higher elevations meant no runoff from snowmelt.
With the prospect of low, clear water for the early season, I was anticipating the possibility of some great dry-fly fishing and tied dozens of dry flies to be ready. Most of those beautiful flies are sadly still trapped in my stock boxes, unused, because a couple of the hatches they were intended to imitate have already come and gone for another year during unfishable water conditions. But some of the best hatches and their promise of dry-fly action are yet to come -- and with any luck when the water is at better levels.
Although the persistent high water has hampered fishing opportunities to some degree, I have been able to squeeze in a few good days so far with some friends. We had good success using big streamer flies and weighted nymphs most days. One afternoon, however, a few fish began rising in the middle of a large pool as we sat taking a short break on the streambank.
"What are they taking?" my friend asked.
"Don't know," I said.
I had seen a few midges flying around earlier but hadn't really noticed any other bugs. I rummaged through my tackle bag and found a stray fly box with some small dry flies. I picked out a size 18 tan parachute dry fly and handed it to my companion, telling him. "Here, try this one."
The fish continued to rise sporadically and reaching them required a fairly long cast. After getting the fly on target for a few casts, a fish took it, but the hookset failed. A few more casts, and a hefty rainbow sucked in the fly and was solidly hooked.
As the rising activity began to slow down, I went back to my fly box and found a small elk-hair caddis. That little bug produced two more nice rainbows before we finally called it a day.
I rarely fish for trout with anything but flies anymore as a personal preference. Talking with other anglers who use live bait or lures, they have related similar experiences so far this season -- days when it has been a struggle to catch a few fish in the high water with a few days of reasonable success as well.
Regardless of what your favorite method for early-season trout fishing, the one key to success using enough weight in the form of split shot or other sinkers to get your offering down to the fish. Trout are perfectly designed to thrive in flowing water, but they are not going to waste precious energy to maintain their position or to try to feed in a strong current. Especially now, they will stay down next to the stream bottom where the current is the slowest.
Unless we continue to receive greater than normal rainfall in the coming weeks, our favorite streams will certainly return to normal levels and more pleasant fishing opportunities. In many places that could reward the anglers who have the dedication to keep at it.
First, the crowds that flock to the water for the easy pickings of the first few days of the season will have dissipated. Many of the casual anglers who did venture out in the opening weeks probably caught much less than they typically would have, so because of the diminished fishing pressure there are probably more fish left in many streams than there usually are going into the month of May.
After so much high water, the fish will likely be spread out much more than usual too. That's not because "they all get washed downstream when the water is at flood stage," as I often hear some uninformed folks say. If that was the case, we would have no fish in freshwater; they would have all washed downstream into the oceans many thousands of years ago.
Trout are great swimmers and can hold their own in vicious currents if they must. But they are also well-adapted to their environment. When subjected to flood waters, they move out of the mainstream and into softer water near the shore and return to their normal lies when the water recedes. During periods of high water, however, some trout are inclined to move to new places to live will do so then.