Imagine this; have you spent some time walking in a small stream in
back country. It is early in the morning, the fog rises and the mosquitoes
that have been swarming around you are breakfast for the little browns
you came to catch You walk in silence to the stream, watching
the eddies of the rising fish. You tie a nymph to your leader and step on
in the water.
A trout glides under your feet, its flight sends
warning signs as bright as any neon light. Feeding fish run away
answer and you are left with a section of the river devoid of everything but the
In years. Welcome to fly fishing in the little creek.
Stop and look before you fly fish the little creek.
Before you get into the water, stop and look at what is ahead of you.
This is especially true when approaching the small creek. the trout are fine
camouflaged, especially when you’re looking down into the water.
(A good pair of Polaroid glasses helps here).
I like to throw my first pitch well away from the water’s edge. Yes there are
there is little cover so I tend to use a long leader and put the line in the
riverbank, allowing only the leader to enter the water, so close to
the nearest bank possible. That way, if there are any fish nearby
under the bench, I will have given them the first look at my fly.
Reading the water of the little stream
The waters of the stream are like those of any river, only
on a smaller scale. The fish will be in the same types of water as
they would be in if you were fishing in any trout stream. When you are
fly-fishing the creek, look for those areas that provide the
fish with their need for protection from predators, quick relief
flowing streams and access to food.
Fishing the pocket water
I like to use dry flies when fly fishing in pocket water in a small
stream. The fish will generally stay away from the main current target.
close enough to grab any food that comes floating by, and a drift
flying is often too tempting to resist.
It is often not necessary to match the fly closely with whatever
hatching. Instead, I like to catch a fly that is visible enough to me.
to see in fast water. Kind of like a light moose-haired caddis
It works well. When the blow comes I can see it and catch more fish
this way than missing the hit using a less visible hatch match
fly.
Fly fishing in the small stream generally requires a higher sensitivity
approach and a finesse that is not necessary on larger rivers.
Experience and practice are the great accountants here. ability to read
water is more critical as fish are often more easily startled
than their large aquatic cousins. But when you come home to the
At the end of a successful day of back country fishing you know that
the time spent learning to fly fish in the little creek has paid off.
