I have only fished in a river twice and caught a couple small browns. Me and my dog have been doing this hike every morning up by the centerville V on the mountain and I am started to notice rainbows in this creek. I have tried a couple times for them but I lost up there. any ideas. I have been using a couple different blue foxes. If I could make this my lunch break spot I would be stoked
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spinners should work great but if its a smaller river or creek sometimes you cant reel more than 2wice till its back on shore. try drifting a nightcrawler behind a split shot on the bottom through pools and runs. if you fly fish trya BWO or maybe a renegade this time of year as a dry.
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By the "V" I am assuming you are talking about that trail that has little bridges over the river (if you can call it that; more like a brook) in several different spots. I have seen the fish up there was a well. I have never tried to fish for them, but I would guess that they are pure cutthroats instead of rainbows. Assuming by blue foxes I would assuming thats spinning gear. I'm not really familiar with spinning gear, but I don't see why it wouldn't work if present right and in a manner that doesn't scare the fish. All of the times that have walked up that way, the fish see you long before you see them. And there aren't too many good holes up that way that would even be fishable. My suggestion would be depending upon the time of year. If the water is a little dirty (assuming that it is right now), I probably would throw on a little size 10 or 12 bait hook with just a tiny bit of worm. I think a monster up that stream would be 12 inches, so it has to be small and sink it down into the soft spots or eddies. In the summer I probably would throw something even smaller then that. Again I don't know spinning gear that well, but for me I would throw a size 12 renegade or even smaller. I'm curious if you do catch any if they are those cutthroats. Best of luck to you.
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That's funny. Saw your post after I posted mine. I guess great minds think alike.
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id have to agree with you[
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a bead headed pheasant tail nymph under a bubble should work well small creeks have a hard time supporting bigger baits but in the west they always support mayflys
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All the mentioned methods here will work, however the most important is , if your seeing the fish they've already spoted you. You need to sneek on the holes. Also look for large rocks or logs/undercut banks. small stream fish will lay up under these and ambush there food. Let your fly/spinner/bait drift just in front of these areas. Also keep in mind trout alwys swim up currant, so a down stream approach is often the way to go.
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Try a small black marabou jig or other colors. Toss it above them or below them and try a slow retrieve it, a twitch pause retrieve as it bounces on the bottom, etc.
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These are all good suggestions. I'm surprised that you haven't popped a couple with a BF yet. That's usually one of the most productive lures I use on small streams.
Size 2 should be the biggest you use.
The most important thing that anyone has stated so far is that you must be sneaky. Small stream fishing is ninja fishing.[sly]
Don't expect more than one or two fish from any given hole. Once you hook one, your cover is blown and nearby fish will likely spook.
Worms will definitely work, but you'll probably end up killing some fish that are too small to be worth cooking.
Like TDT mentioned, a black marabou (or other dark natural color) in 1/8oz or smaller might be just the trick.
Approach from downstream, flick it up to the top of the hole, and slowly bounce it back to you off the bottom. Avoid very much slack line.
Good luck! I want you to have a cool lunch spot.[cool]
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hey thanks for all the advice. I just feel bad for my dog. With all this sneaky talk my sloppy noisy 75 pound border collie/golden retriever mix that loves streams doesn't have a chance to come any more.[
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Loah- haha your posts are the reason I want to do this so bad. your lunch break hole sounds just awesome. [
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This is a cool thread.
So riddle me this - if you're fly-flinging, are you more likely to work bottoms up, and if you're spinnnering, do you work top-down?
I just feel like if I'm flinging spinners - I'm better off casting down, reeling up, or across, than down. Maybe if I was pitching a curly tail - that could go upstream, to down. . .
And confirming the notion that steam fishing demands fresh water from time to time. Gotta keep on moving.
Coyote spinner-i couldn't have said it better myself. when I cast up stream with a spinner or spoon there is no action. It just mozies itself on down the river as if a stick. i think it just feels better to cast downstream then up.
Everyone- by the way I went back up and fished for an hour or so. didn't get them. after I poked my head under these roots and saw 6 big trout. I was using a blue fox with no action. just sunk and came back to me. any ideas?
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FHS and 'Yote, one thing to consider...I know it's easier to cast a spinner downstream and reel up, but if you're casting downstream the fish are facing you with thier noses into the current. You're much more likely to spook them in this position. Also, if you think about it, which direction are stream fish used to seeing their food come to them? Most of it comes downstream with the current, so it's better to try to imitate this characteristic. It takes a while to master the tecnique. You really have to be quick on the reel handle (both clicking the bail closed and reeling) and you'll still get hung up some, but I find I can get closer and draw more strikes when dragging a spinner with the current.
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Coyote I always fish a stream from downstream bait or spinner or rapala. The best thing you can do to get those spinners and rapalas working is to get a reel with a fast gear ratio. I like a 6.3 to 1. Most are around 5.2 to 1. In my younger days stream fishing was all I did and I learned real quick I needed a faster gear ratio for lures in the faster moving sections of the streams.
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I agree with Jim...I have way more success throwing upstream, but however, there are situations where throwing downstream with a slow retrieve works too...ya just gotta learn how streams work, every hole is a new learning experience and practice makes perfect[
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[quote FishHunterSmoot]Coyote spinner-i couldn't have said it better myself. when I cast up stream with a spinner or spoon there is no action. It just mozies itself on down the river as if a stick. i think it just feels better to cast downstream then up.
Everyone- by the way I went back up and fished for an hour or so. didn't get them. after I poked my head under these roots and saw 6 big trout. I was using a blue fox with no action. just sunk and came back to me. any ideas?[/quote]
As was mentioned several times you're just spinning your wheels if you're casting downstream and retrieving up on a small stream. About the only time you can get away with that on a small stream is during the spawn or the trout were stocked and not wild. On small streams a spooked trout may still be visible, under roots or bank because there aren't deep holes or enough current to blurr the water for them to hide. Learn to cast upstream or easier yet switch to a fly rod for these situations. My son mastered casting upstream well enough to consistently catch trout on small streams with 15 minutes of practice at age 6. Not real tough to get a few simple basics down to catch fish in those conditions with a fly rod.
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alright that makes a lot of sense. But what about action. Do I just reel like heck and giv' em 4 sec. to get it or do I let it flow down the stream like a rock. both don't seem that awesome, but I have no idea what Im doing so I'll trust ya. I'm headed up on friday or saturday I will tell yall how I did.
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I start on rivers by "burning the run"...which is when you throw the spinner straight up stream, then reel as fast as needed to get the spinner blade spinning.
After a few tries like that I will progressively slow it down...have yet to get a fish just letting the spinner drift on its own.
Then I try throwing it up stream and working it on a diagnal back to me...once again trying to get it to spin but not too fast.
Lastly I try throwing it straight down stream and once it lands I VERY slowly bring it back...with pauses.....but not long enough pauses that the lure hits bottom. Nothing more exciting than a fish that takes the lure when fishing this method...works great in tunnels too!
I will admit that most my fish come from the downstream method..although it has been said that only spawners and hatchery fish go for that method...I highly doubt that the browns of City Creek were either of those previously mentioned.
When flows are low go to the MARABOU....those things rock! I was told that a black marabou looks like a leech or some other invertabret trying to work it's way up stream. Only the fish know.
All these tactics I have mentioned get fish...of course it all depends on flows, rivers, terrain ect.....
GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE THIS HELPS!
P.S. I love blue fox but the Roostertail in size 1/8oz that is a black/grey body with a silver blade is my go to in rivers. Must be because I am confortable with it.
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I have found casting upstream and somewhat across the stream sucessfull method with spinners. I prefer panther martins , as there design is different (the wire goes through the spinner) I also give small jerks and varied speads in my casts. Concider that minnows, and other aquatic forms don't swim in a dirrect steady line, but rather in darting motions. And I never cast dirrectly in the best part of a hole or structure, but rather try to drift my lure in with a currant to give it a natural presentation. My methods are similar whether I'm using flies,spinners,, rapalas,jigs,flatfish. Just try to imitate the most natural presentation for what ever your using.
And most important!! Sometimes the fish won't take a damn thing!! So don't be offended just try the next spot ha!ha!
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As for the action, the blade will have to be spinning. That's the fine line you're looking for. Practice watching the lure come back to you. This is easier on small, clear streams. Adjust your retrieve constantly to keep the lure's action going.
Also remember, the fish are only in about 5-10% of the water or less. They will be laying in the deepest, slowest parts of the stream. They don't want to expend any more energy than necessary to remain stationary in the water. On small streams, your lure will only be in the kill zone for a second or two. Cast a couple feet above where the current rushes into a hole or deep quiet spot, watch the flight of your lure and get the bail shut just before it hits the water and get cranking as it hits the water. Small creek fish are incredibly quick. When you start finding the sweet spot, you'll be amazed at how fast they can jump on a lure.
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