How To Catch More & Bigger Trout Virtually Every Time You Go Fishing

With temperatures falling, windy weather and overnight frosts, leaves begin to drop, depositing the diminutive pest onto the water. I find a small F Fly in a variety of colours fished on a fine, degreased tippet, as good as any imitation for fishing slow glides. What is important here is drag and to be more precise the dreaded Micro Drag. A dragging fly is easy to spot but micro drag can be very difficult to detect and is probably the biggest cause of not catching on smooth water. Grayling are the most discerning of fish and simply will not tolerate drag, in fact, micro drag seems to put off grayling more than a fly dragging quickly.

A friend of mine once recounted that whilst fishing for Grayling in mid-November, as the hatch of Pale Wateries petered out, late in day, light fading, the last one drifted downstream holding a miniature flag with the words "That's All Folks! Clearly an hypothetical story but you can see exactly what he meant. There comes a day every year, usually sometime in November in the north, when you just sense the river is shutting up shop for another year.

Flies will hatch virtually every day of the year, but gone now are the hatches that get the fish going. From now on you are going to have to work for your Grayling. Grayling are in peak condition through the winter months. They spawn in March and April and must be in good condition for the rigours of spawning. They can only maintain this condition through an ability to feed when temperatures plummet. With no hatches to speak of a grayling in winter must look to the riverbed for food in the form of nymphs, larvae, snails, worms, shrimps, etc. They are perfectly adapted to feed in such away with their underslung mouth so much so it's a wonder they take surface flies so well!

If we are to continue to be successful in our pursuit of Grayling we must now change tactics and present our flies very near the bottom of the river, where the Grayling is looking for its next meal. Now is the time to put away the dry fly box and pull out your heavy nymph box. Czech nymphing has been the way to go for many years, but now, with the emergence of French leaders, we have more options, often combining both into each drift.

In slower and shallower water I prefer a French leader with two or three flies. French leaders and fly lines based on the French leader concept allow us to fish at longer range while still maintaining control and drag free drifts.

Game & Fish

Nowadays I tend to cast further upstream but still relatively short range using a French Leader and Czech nymph leader together, basically attaching my Czech nymph leader to the indicator braid. The rod is lifted, or leader retrieved by hand, to keep in touch with the indicator braid as it drifts back downstream. When it is close enough I then revert to fishing Czech style under the rod tip and letting it swing in below me. We can only fish in this style with the right rod.

Short, crisp, dry fly rods are out of place here and simply won't work. A long rod, rated for light lines, is necessary to cast without the weight of a flyline to provide load. The beauty of this rod is that not only will it cast French leaders with ease, it also excels with matching flyline for more traditional techniques - the complete year-round rod for every technique.

Fly choice is, perhaps not quite as important here as one might think. It needs to be heavy enough the reach the bottom quite quickly, but not too heavy so that it is constantly snagging the bottom. It is actually quite easy to determine whether you have a correctly weighted team of flies Czech Nymphs have fallen out of favour somewhat over recent years, probably replaced by tungsten bead nymphs in one form or another.

I still place lots of faith in my Czech Nymphs and they still produce, from drab caseless caddis larva imitations to hot spot and bright pink versions. I also carry a selection of tungsten bead nymphs in a variety of weights.

My Copperhead Nymph, despite its simplicity, still performs after many years of service. It's been joined in my nymph box by the Duracell, a fairly recent creation from Scotland, which Grayling both sides of the border seem to approve of. The latest trend in Grayling fishing and flies is the use of artificial worms. I've used a very big, bright red worm for many years now. However, most of the newer arrivals on the scene sport a flexible, detached body, of one sort or another. The most famous or infamous of these is the Squirmy Wormy; used extensively by some, loathed by others, but it's success is beyond doubt, even in low water.

Getting Started: Learning the Cast

I'm not getting into the rights and wrongs here, but suffice to say that you'll find some lurking in my fly box this winter! Stuart has fly-fished extensively throughout the UK, from the northern most reaches of Shetland to the beaches of Jersey, the southern chalk streams to the Midlands reservoirs. For the more adventurous, a hike into Seawall Beach , a stunning strip of white sand across the Morse River from Popham, offers fishing, swimming and hilltop views of some of Maine's most beautiful maritime scenery.

On your way north, or south, stop in anytime at L.

• Catching Larger Trout - RIO Products!
• Trevor Kugler (Author of How To Catch More & Bigger Trout Virtually Every Time You Go Fishing).
• The Grayling Season by Stuart Minnikin!
• Clarinet Trio in E-flat Major - Piano Score.
• THE STORY OF THE HIP HOP CATZ & THE K-9 CREW?
• Upcoming Events;
• Catching Larger Trout;

Bean — no locks on the doors here — or shop Freeport's outlets on rainy days. Maine's best trout and salmon fishing swirls in an orbit around its biggest and arguably, most beautiful lake: The lake, vast, undeveloped spruce forests and surrounding network of quiet gravel roads, mountain hiking paths, beaver bogs, trout ponds and rivers also happen to be the best place in the Lower 48 to spot a moose. Maine's moose population statistics speak for themselves. With 76, moose wandering the state's woods and waters, there simply is no better place to see this big, lumbering, crowd-pleasing mammal south of Alaska — and certainly no place as easy to do it with your family.

Both the moose watching and fishing are best sampled using the lakefront towns of Greenville and Rockwood, with their many quaint sporting camps see the Maine Sporting Camp Association for some ideas as a home base. And there's no reason why you can't do both, often at the same time. It's not uncommon to spot a moose when you're fishing, hiking, paddling or driving to and from your day-trip destination.

• WHAT TO THROW?.
• Easy Does It On Late-Fall Trout - Game & Fish?
• Birthdays Can Be Murder (Travelling Cook Mystery).

The Moosehead Lake region provides the best opportunity to catch native brook trout and see a moose — sometimes both at the same time. For the angler, seeing a moose just makes a great day even better. Maine is one of a handful of places in the world — and by far the most accessible — where you can catch wild landlocked salmon in lakes and rivers, and native brook trout in ponds and streams. Higher elevations around the lake mean the fishing stays good long after it begins to wane in southern New England. Here again, a guide will make the job easier.

But if you're fishing on your own, the options are endless. Hundreds of native brook trout ponds lie within an hour's drive. The Appalachian Trail crosses the road just shy of Greenville, a great option for day hikes with access to trout ponds along the way. For a more family-friendly alternative with outstanding views, check out Audubon's Borestone Mountain Sanctuary , or paddle amongst moose and loons in island-speckled Lily Bay State Park.

It's hard to imagine a more conveniently situated lake than Maine's sprawling Sebago.

So, You Want to Learn How to Fly Fish?

It's also hard to find one with better and more diverse fishing. At just 20 minutes from downtown Portland, on Maine's island-studded Casco Bay, you can enjoy world-class large- and small-mouth bass fishing along its picturesque shorelines, catch pie-plate crappies over spawning beds, even troll for salmon and togue Maine for lake trout over deeper water.

When it's all done, sample the sights, food and drink think: Lake Sebago offers great fishing as soon as the water hits 60 degrees in late may. In fact, this is one place where you can truly do it all.

A well-situated bed-and-breakfast, hotel, inn or even rental accommodation on Sebago, in Portland or one of myriad surrounding lakes put it all within reach. The freshwater bass spawn starts when lake water temps reach 60F, usually in late May and early June at this latitude, and the top-water action is red hot through June and July. It's hard to go wrong with a spinner bait, live bait or popping bug placed enticingly close to the big boulders that line Sebago's shorelines, docks and downed trees.

Live bait, readily available, works great too. There's enough water — and species — to keep you and the kids busy for a week or more. Watersport options abound — so do hiking, biking and birding. Portland offers some of Maine's best restaurants and craft breweries. Maine's craft beer scene is second-to-none. There's even a " beer trail " for serious samplers. And this friendly city's restaurants offer some of the East Coast's finest eateries. Katahdin looms over nearly every stream, river, pond and lake in the greater Millinocket area, which means eye-popping scenery on every hike, bike, paddling, rafting or fishing trip.

It's hard not to come back without beautiful photos and memories. But for the angler, this place lies on an imaginary line that doesn't appear in any guidebook or tourist map, between world-class smallmouth bass fishing to the south and east and world-class trout and salmon fishing to the north and west.

The West Branch of the Penobscot, below Ripogenus Dam, harbors some of the best big brook trout and landlocked salmon fishing south of Labrador.

Native Trout Are Returning to America’s Rivers

Fly anglers shouldn't miss its renowned late June and July caddis hatches, which draw enormous fish to the surface in splashy rises. World-class trout fishing abounds in the lakes and rivers around Millinocket, the gateway to Mt. Further down river on the Penobscot, the species mix shifts to smallmouth bass. The fishing here — and in many surrounding rivers and lakes — is second to none in this part of the world. Fifty fish days and pounders are common here.

Spin, bait and fly-fisherman are welcome. For those seeking to get off the beaten path in Maine's fabled northwoods, this is your place. Camping opportunities abound in Maine's North Woods. Baxter State Park, home to Mt. Katahdin and dozens of remote, trout-filled lakes, offers cabins and primitive campsites reservations required, see Baxter website here.

And the greater Millinocket area offers lodging options from simple motels to lakefront lodges. Katahdin is a quintessential Maine experience not to be missed.

JRWfishing -'s Books and Publications Spotlight

Start early and soak in sublime views that have changed little since Henry David Thoreau enjoyed them. And for those who still haven't spotted a moose, quiet country roads here are a sure bet to see your first. Quaint and quiet describe the countryside here. The fishing, though, can be explosive. Dozens of bass lakes — some well known, and some unknown — dot the countryside here. Many offer trout fishing as well.

Access points and boat launches are equally abundant.

• Gründung einer Handelsvertretung im Bereich Textil- und Modewaren mit einer Vertriebskonzeption für B-2-B (German Edition).
• Product details?
• Health Care of the Older Adult: An Australian and New Zealand Perspective.
• Una historia sobre un diablillo, Girarabo (El cuento sobre un elefante llamado – Campanilla) (Spanish Edition)!
• FALL TACTICS?

Combine a car-top canoe or motorboat, either your own or a rental, with a Delorme's Map and Gazetteer — an indispensible tool that references all of the public boat ramps and access points in the state — and you could easily plan a week of family watersport and fishing adventures, fishing and paddling a different pond or lake every day.