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Low water
Browns
Mark Radz
Steelheader Contributor
I’m a three season trout fisherman. I’d fish all four, but here in New
York most flowing waters are closed the last day of September. I just love my
troutin’. Summer drawdown, I’m still out there at it, although it presents a
different approach than normal, and is more of a challenge.
It’s been increasingly difficult with a string of droughts we’ve experienced
here in the northeast the past several years. But the fish are still there and
available with the right techniques. Fishing the right places with the proper
presentation still produces and at times some large ones.
We all know how a "brownie" loves and relates to structure. Where a brook
or rainbow may feel comfortable with a foot or two of fast moving water over
it, the brown doesn’t. Under drawdown conditions, in pools with large rocks or
logs present, the daytime hours find most browns underneath them. They are
still catchable, but this becomes a night time proposition. But we’re going to
be concentrating on daytime fishing here. So where to go?
If you trout fish a lot, you no doubt know of some pools with little or
no structure present, that still run deep despite rainfall. If not, scout some
out early in the season. With four or five feet of water over them a brown
seems to feel secure. What we’re saying here is that this deeper water can be
considered "structure" for them.
Of course the water is going to be running gin clear. Presentation is
everything. First, a downstream, preferably out of the water approach, is
imperative. A trouts eye is built to see in all directions, excepting directly
behind them. By staying out of the water, we negate there ability to hear your
approach, or quite possibly, sense your motion through their lateral line.
Many trout fishermen go to gossamer thin line, and tiny hooks, with
equally small offerings. I don’t and seen to enjoy more success. Allow me to
explain.
Trout are forced under these conditions to eat many small meals. Gone is
much of the minnow and crayfish population. No large terrestrials are washing
into their lies. Hatches may be occurring but these can be sporadic and are
often small rarely offering a mouth full. They may also occur at night. What
I’ve found in this situation is that browns are suckers for a large offering.
But, I can’t emphasize this enough – the presentation has to be perfect.
My choice of bait at this time of year is a larger nightcrawler. They
seem to be attracted to the opportunity to have one large meal for the day
rather than having a forage or wait for what nature happens to wash
downstream. I have to use a relatively large hook for this sometimes up to
number four. It doesn’t seem to affect my success. I also stay within my
standard 8lb test line. Maybe they see it maybe they don’t but it too doesn’t
seem to bother them. Minnow fishermen should also think big – four or five
inches long is not over kill. Fly fishermen snip off that number 22 imitation
and tie on something substantial. At first , in all cases, going this large
will go against your grain but you will soon be convinced otherwise.
In many cases you will get only one drift per pool. Your offering will
wash by them, they will either take it or if they don’t it will settle to the
bottom behind them. You’re eventually forced to reel in and this usually
spooks every trout in the pool. If this occurs it takes a long time for them
to settle down.
Cast your chosen lure well upstream of where you think they are holding.
It’s preferable that they don’t see it enter the water at all. And they won’t
hear it either because the larger offering means you will need no additional
weight in the way of split shot or lead putty.
Let the current do the rest. Be sure to have enough slack to allow a
completely natural drift. If your using live bait, and nothing strikes
immediately allow it to rest on the bottom for a while. Sometimes they will
move from their lie and pick it up. If your fortunate and current is
sufficient and it drifts back past you; repeat the process. As previously
mentioned, if you’re forced to reel it in within their sight it is of course a
completely unnatural motion and the trout will be on to you. Trout can if you
wish wait a considerable amount of time and eventually they will forget but
I’m not that patient. I usually move on to another pool.
I know that thinking big rather than small during drawdown goes against
commonly held beliefs but it works. Along with this article you will see a
photo I took of a beautiful hook jawed male brown caught in about three feet
of water on a whole crawler in August.
Mark Raedz is an Outdoor
Writer and Photographer from New York, USA.
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