When we think of fly fishing for trout, our thoughts usually go toward providing a fly that will mimic a prevailing hatch of insects or a minnow species found in that stream. We play upon the hunger of our prey and invite him to a feast. But what if he is sated?
Hunger is a primary instinct of trout, but they have other instincts that make them vulnerable to capture as well. We can discount fear and flight as useful to our cause; but what of aggression, territoriality, and curiosity?
A large old brown will often stake out a pool or eddy as his own, chasing all lesser fish from it. Sometimes the very absence of small trout in what is a perfect holding lie will indicate the unseen presence of a large fish. Should the trout not be hungry, after spending an hour offering him every delicacy from the menu, we may usually walk on, believing that the fish, not being hungry is uncatchable.
That is just the time to appeal to Salmo Trutta's baser instincts. A four-inch Marabou streamer moving across the surface in quick darts and provocative pauses may not send the master of the pool slashing to the surface in the first cast, but after twelve casts or so, the shock of his vicious attack may be felt -- a small fish has invaded his territory and must be eliminated!
Curiosity is not limited to felines, trout must explore their worlds as well, if only to examine new opportunities for food. Trout must needs examine floating objects with their mouths, having no digits. This is convenient, of course, for the fisherman. Any unnatural object may excite their interest, even a cigarette butt. This may be why, when no representations of natural flies will bring trout to the surface, some fly as ungainly as a Bomber may save the day.
We don't like to accuse the noble trout of arrant aggression, though it is an instinct all bass fishermen exploit in their quarry. Well, trout are sometimes aggressive. If you doubt that fact, when next you cannot raise any fish on a standard dry, put on a long light tippet and a #16 grizzly spider with a hackle span of at least one and a half inches. Casting the fly quartering downstream, don't be surprised if fish suddenly appear -- jumping in the air and trying to take the fly on their way down. You may not hook any fish on this fly, but you may have excited them enough to take them on another pattern.
Comments
Mon, 17.11.2008 13:50
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Mon, 17.11.2008 13:10
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