Swinging Flies for Trout

[JMasson]

Anyone else swing flies for big trout? I’m stationed in Italy currently (my tour will be over in January 2026) and I’ve been doing a lot of fishing. Currently most of the trout fishing is in a closed season until mid-March. I’ve become obsessed with catching a big Marble Trout which can only be found in southern Europe rivers that drain into the Adriatic Sea. Italy has a lot in South-Tyrol, Trentino Alto-Adige, Veneto and Friulia- Giulia-Venetia provinces. Slovenia probably has the largest population and the biggest as well as Huchen (Danube Salmon). Been sitting at the vise for a while and after tying about 300 flies for my nephew’s Christmas present I started tying some intruders and bunny flies to swing on my spey rods. Hopefully I can connect in the spring. I managed to hook some big trout this summer and fall but didn’t manage to bring any to the net. Most trout regions have a barbless hook requirement. I’ll be swinging these on an Echo Swing 11’ 3wt rigged with a 250gr OPST head and various dual density/ sinking tips come this spring.

Anyone else swing flies for trout on a two-handed rod? Definitely not the most productive method of fishing but I’ve been hooked since the first time I swung flies for steelhead in BC….about 20 years ago now.

 

[Ashy Larry]

I’ll swing soft hackles in the spring and streamers in winter but always on a single hand rod. I’ve swung for steelhead but it’s just too specialized to invest in extr rods for a mediocre way to target trout here in the south.

 

[KCoop]

Swinging is about the only way I'll fish anymore. Steelhead, salmon, trout, smallmouth... I'll pick up the single hand for drys occasionally when the water isnt conducive to swing, but that's about it.

 

[Dos XX]

I have swung flies with a 2 hander for trout, steelhead, stripers, small mouth, and white bass.

 

[dtrkyman]

I throw big streamers often now, not just swinging, actually more targeted at ambush points I guess.

Using a lot of really large flies that look more along the lines of a saltwater fly but in trout colored patterns, I fish an inside corner with some grass on it, watch em all eat within 25 feet of me, it's quite cool!

 

[eamyrick]

I’ve swung soft hackles on a single hand rod on the Madison inside of Yellowstone, late October, and it has been some of the most enjoyable fishing I’ve done, and also brought in some massive trout.


2014