Trout help

[mooretitan]

I have been a spin/lure guy for a long time on small/big rivers and do pretty good. I am looking into fly fishing and wondering what advantages it offers. I know you have the ability to match the food supply but do fly guys really catch bigger fish on average than tossing lures. Again I have never fly fished but looking to try to increase the size of trout landed.

Thanks

 

[5MilesBack]

I've been fly fishing since I could walk, and I think I've caught two trout in my life on a lure. Just much better fishing overall fly fishing IMO, they're hard to catch on a lure. You can target bigger fish, but just depends what your goal is. I tend to throw bigger flies anyway, which tend to target bigger fish........but IMO it's just a lot more fun fly fishing regardless what size you're catching.

 

[AlleghenyMountain]

I have been a spin/lure guy for a long time on small/big rivers and do pretty good. I am looking into fly fishing and wondering what advantages it offers. I know you have the ability to match the food supply but do fly guys really catch bigger fish on average than tossing lures. Again I have never fly fished but looking to try to increase the size of trout landed.

Thanks

I do both, but I'll tell you there's nothing like having them come up and take that dry fly.

 

[farmerboy1381]

I am also a spin/lure guy although not an avid fisherman. I have friends that fly fish and I have to say I can normally hold my own with size/number of fish caught. That being said if you are willing to put the effort into learning it well flyfishing is more fun. I just never had that commitment, I believe they flyfish for the same reason I use archery sometimes even when I could use a rifle. The experience can make even the small ones fun.

 

[Tom_]

Bigger or more fish, maybe, maybe not. There are some hardware guys that are unbelievable. There is no substitute for " time on the water".

I fly fish because I like the attention to detail. Learning the insects and their biology and applying that to your fly choice. Figuring out the hatch is rewarding to me. I prefer to fish dry flies because the visual is so much fun. Each hatch can be like solving a puzzle, especially when multiple insects are hatching at the same time.

There is a lot to be said for working big nymphs or streamers in off color water. Man, you can catch some big ones that way.

 

[Olsolitaire1]

If you are into any of this for the bigger whatever or filling the bag, then you have the wrong lookout on things.

Whatever I catch on any fly is a trophy! I am no Orvis poster child by no means but I have caught my fair share of large & small. I also fish with spinners too. So do you know what you will catch with them?

I agree with the above, attention to details, the time the effort the real pit against nature, like archery or hunting with a real flintlock muzzleloader...

Or dynamite

 

[CelticClamper]

I too have thought about fly fishing. Most of my friends do it. But they spend much more time at home working on stuff than I do. I just grab my fest and pole and hit the water. Usually I can catch more and bigger fish. But sometimes when the trout are real picky I get skunked and they can still land a few. For simply bigger fish I would say you need to read the water different or fish different water. I too archery hunt. I believe the fishing reward would be similar. More of a back to nature experience.

 

[Phil4]

I know your question was about trout, but I fished a creek today with my dad and my uncle for smallies. I caught 3, my uncle caught 2, and my dad caught 12. Guess who had the spinning rod? (It was the guy who caught 12). I don’t see a big advantage to a fly rod other than it being more fun.

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[Mike Islander]

Lures have been reliable "meat harvesters" all my life. I grew up on the Mokelumne (NorCal) and fish the Chattooga and others out here in the East. I think fly fishing is just a different experience, more elegant and nuanced. A good old Rooster Tail of the right color will likely catch as many fish (or more) on many rivers.

 

[Redarrow]

a trout on a fly rod is twice the fun in my opinion, but like others said spinners will often work better.

 

[jolemons]

It's like archery vs rifle in hunting terms. Also, you can't fish small streams with spinning gear. It's a challenge and a blast.

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[Titan_Bow]

A fly rod will get you into small water for one. Two years ago, I was coming home after a week of elk hunting. I stopped along one of my favorite little meadow streams because I knew the browns were spawning. I caught a 20" brown in water that wasn't deep enough to really even cover the fish. You wouldn't be able to do that with a spinning rod. I think fly fishing is just more fun, but I also feel its just triggering different things in fish. I always make the analogy of a house cat whose a finicky eater. You can give that cat different food and he'll snub his nose at a lot of it until its something he really likes (ie. think finding that one fly that they'll bite). Then, take that same finicky ass cat and point a laser pointer at the ground and move it around. That cat cant help but chase it. A little rooster tail elicits the same reaction in fish. They are not striking at it necessarily because they think it is food, but rather, they cant help but chase it and bite at it. It triggers an instinct in them just like a cat chasing a laser pointer.

 

[tuffcity]

A few days ago I was flipping a black spratley with a 5 weight, a dry line and short leader in to the current and drifting it into that perfect seam between the fast water and a eddy. Grayling were going airborne hitting it and tearing off into the fast water. Caught about 20 fish in a couple of hours. My buddy was throwing a small spinner and caught almost as many. We had a go at some pike as well and while he was dropping a spoon into the deeper water I prowled the edge of the shallows and sight casted to suspended fish with a small deer hair mouse. He caught one, I caught zero. We both had a great day.

I guess the point being is try it because it will be new and a lot of fun, not because you might catch more/bigger fish.

 

[4rcgoat]

The tug is the drug .

 

[mooretitan]

I love tossing lures into tight places and pulling out fish people pass up. Lures allow me to cover lots of ground but some of the better rivers out in California I always see guys fishing with the fly rod and pulling out 5-10lbs browns. I hardly ever see anyone fishing these waters with lures. Just had me wondering if I am missing something.
I fished the Green River a few years ago and the Browns where crushing the fly hatch. I could see them all over the places but could not really get many interested in the lures.
I usually fishing panther Martins #6 sliver blade red strips yellow body red sports, meps #2 gold and blue fox #2 gold. Always seem to catch lots of fish but find myself more interested lately in catching bigger fish

 

[Rich M]

I spent many years fishing trout with both lures and flies. We did a lot of fly fishing for a period of time and I learned how to tie flies and all that. Dry flies were my favorite but caught many more on wet flies and nymphs. No indicators - my father wasn't into making anything easier.

If I was gonna go river fishing after big trout only, I would throw a 3-inch rapala or yozuri lure. Twitch it as you reel it in.

90% of the time, we would catch the cootie out of trout on the small countdown rapalas, spoons, and sometimes we used spinners. Would reel the spinners in with the current and have it banging off of rocks. Would fish the lures down, cross, and up-current. Nothing better than having it sweep across the lower part of a pool twitching from side to side - the fish would absolutely crush them.

We used to do brookie fishing on those little trickles, hopping from rock to rock and log to log, dropping a worm or fly next to eddies and rocks. Tons of fun doing that. Not big fish tho.

My mom and dad went and did some traveling a few years back - she was using a 1/8 or 1/4 oz little cleo spoon and had the fly fishermen chasing her around cause she was catching a lot of fish. LOL! That gal can fish, even in her age she has me take her out fishing.

There is a time and place for both methods. I think fishing a small river with a fly rod during a mayfly hatch is very relaxing and therapeutic. If I just want to run&gun to catch some fish, it will likely be with a spinning rod.

 

[teesquare]

My thinking on this is ( AND....I live in THE county that has more waterfalls than ANYWHERE in America.... and love to trout fish...) that if you are currently comfortable with your abilities to use a spinning rig - why not try fly fishing. You can dip your toe in the water - for not a lot of money. Try one of the starter sets from Bass Pro/Cabela's. They also offer some fly casting lessons at most locations. Then go home....cut the hook off of a fly, place a five gallon bucket in your yard...and PRACTICE.....lots of YouTube videos to watch....but practice make proficient!
T

 

[Okhotnik]

I’ve been fly fishing and conventional gear fishing almost 50 years in many countries.

Being a good fly fisherman will make you a better gear fisherman and being a good gear guy will up your fly fishing.

I fly fish warm waterlakes, salt water, big and small rivers.

Love both. I’ve out fished gear guys on flies. Love tying flies too.

Great hobby and can fly fish entire life and still learn every time out. I’ve done quite a bit of guiding and I still learn

 

[NJDiverDan]

If your only goal is to catch more and bigger fish. Throw bait. That said, I love fly fishing. Do it year round, but still use bait when ice fishing to put fish in the freezer. Plus as good at casting I am, I have a hard time landing the fly in the ice hole.

 

[S.Clancy]

It varies seasonally. Flyfishing is more effective in cold water periods, late fall, winter, early spring because the fish will not move far and are concentrated. Fall/Spring as the water warms i would say lures start coming in to their own as fish get more aggressive. Summer dry fly fishing is fun but my gf routinely has 20+ fish floats with a spinner. She just crushes fish, its ridiculous. This is MT for reference. I've fly fished since grade school, lately have been doing more spinner fishing because every dbag in MT fly fishes.