Let’s face it. This year’s snowpack isn’t going to blow anyone away. Instead of the usual high dirty water fishing we’ve had the last two springs, this season is going to have a much shorter run off period and probably lower flows. While this should mean some great early season dry fly fishing it will also bring about a change in our nymph fishing tactics. Instead of standing directly over the fish and chucking a bright pink San Juan and a ton of weight, we are going to have to mix things up a bit to be successful when fishing nymphs.
First things first, a successful angler must be much more quiet and stealthy when approaching a run, pool or pocket. Fish are almost always far more vigilant when the rivers are low, especially in clear water. If you can hear rocks rolling or your feet thudding, you can be sure the fish already know you are there. Pay attention to your shadow as well and certainly keep it off the water that you are trying to fish.
River levels dictate where fish are likely to hold in a pool or run. Often a pool has a large area of water with suitable current speed for fish to be feeding. In normal flows they would be spread throughout the pool, but in low water trout feel too exposed in most of the available lies. In high water the same pool may have little water that is the right current speed for fish to hold in, offering only a small seam close to the river bank of productive water. When a river is low fish are most often in two types of water. These are the deepest parts of runs and the heads of pools where a riffle and a drop off combine to form good cover. Spend a lot of time looking for deeper pockets and riffled water that offers some overhead protection and you’ll find fish. Many fish, especially brown trout, will remain hidden in shadowed shallow water close to the banks. These spots however are very difficult to effectively fish with nymphs and are better left to streamers and dry flies.
Pattern selection needs to change when the water is low. While large Stonefly nymphs and San Juan Worms will always be a part of our pre runoff and run off fishing arsenal, there are times when these patterns simply aren’t productive. When the water is low ,#14-20 Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears can be very effective. Baetis nymph patterns in #16-20, Caddis larva in #14-16, and Midge Larva down to #22 can be life savers when the fishing is tough. While we often downsize the flies, 4x tippet remains about as light as necessary to fool fish.
Under low water conditions, trout are more easily bothered by sloppy casting and presentation. Nothing is more frustrating than making a careful approach to a pool or run only to see trout spooking with the first cast. There are a few common mistakes anglers make that are easy to remedy. The first of these is making a cast and pick up without letting the flies drift below the fish. When the line is recast and the indicators are picked up off the water directly above the fish, be certain the trout take notice. If you make a poor cast, just fish it out and then recast. Also try to angle the casts so the fish don’t see the fly line and indicators floating directly over them. This can mean a lot more fish hooked over the course of a day’s fishing
The second mistake many anglers make is fishing too much weight. While it is necessary to get the flies down, most undisturbed fish will move up in the water column to feed. Over weighted rigs touch bottom too often, which interrupts the flies natural drift and leads to too many hooksets over the fish. Fish as little weight as you need to use to get down and you will catch more fish. Utilize tuck and curve casts to help sink the flies on a slack line rather than adding more shot.
A third thing many anglers do that spooks trout is a super aggressive hook set that rips the indicators from the water. This is a fine line to walk, as a quick hookset is a must for landing soft biting trout, but a super hard set can spook the other fish in a pool. By utilizing a short downstream jab of the rod that pulls the indicators a foot or two down river, an angler can quickly tighten on a fish without disturbing the water’s surface too greatly. In fast, rough water, this is seldom a consideration and anglers can revert back to Bassmaster tactics, provided the tippet will hold. The important thing is to be quick but quiet in the set.
Fishing nymphs is usually the most effective way to fish in this area prior to our summer dry fly season. With a below average snowpack, we can expect to lower water than we’ve become accustomed to the last few year. Hone up the nymphing skills and your catching won’t miss a beat this season.