Trout Sanctuaries

The Concept of Trout Sanctuaries

Until 1992, the "Fly Fishing Only" rivers and streams in Maine and New Hampshire had a conservation purpose that no other angling type presented. Because no weight was allowed on line, leader, or fly, the trout holding in fast water or the bottoms of deep pools seldom had the fly presented directly to them, it was always passing overhead. Even with an intermediate line, the leader and fly would seldom get deeper than six inches in fast water. Of course, in some back eddies the fly might be drawn deeper, but for the most part, large trout had those waters as "sanctuaries". Lee Wulff, a former member of the NH F&G Commission and renowned writer, defined and promoted this concept of trout sanctuary in his book "Lee Wulff on Flies" (Stackpole, 1980):

“… we can break fly-fishing down into several classifications, depending upon technique. The first classification is surface fly-fishing, with floating lines and no weight of any kind, in the fly or on the line. The second classification is intermediate fly-fishing, in which weighted flies or sinking-tip fly lines are used, but no attached weight, such as split-shot or sinkers. The third classification is unlimited fly-fishing, in which lead-core sinking lines, weights and sinkers, and weighted flies (and perhaps spinners) are used.

Of the three classifications of fly-fishing, surface fly-fishing is the most difficult way of taking trout and all the classifications of fly-fishing are more difficult than spinning. With surface fly-fishing all the fish have to be brought to the surface for the lure, and all the deep flowing water is sanctuary for the fish. Any trout caught by surface fly-fishing leaves the sanctuary of its own volition, and unless it leaves, it cannot be caught. This eliminates the drifting of a lure right into the trout’s holding level and almost right into its mouth, so that simple curiosity as much as hunger may cause it to mouth the lure. The intermediate fly-fishing classification gives the angler a greater advantage and allows him to drift his flies deeper in the flow, where most of the feeding by the trout is done. The unlimited fly-fishing classification lets an angler have maximum advantage, allowing him to reach the fish at their holding level, and this is particularly deadly on big fish.”