in search of monster brown trout

[fishguru73]

All the replies here have some very good info. I should add that it is good to fish at night with large Rapalas, Smithwick Rogues, and similar lures if you are after a monster. Floaters are good in rivers but you may want suspending models which remain stationary at a certain depth and dive a little deeper when retrieved in moderately deep pools and runs. Sinking models are good for really deep areas and swift water. I would have all three styles in any of the colors UTcatman mentioned. Standard sizes are effective for large fish but average size trout will smack them quickly and you'll have a lesser chance of getting your lure in front of a toad. You can use lures that are anywhere from 6-10 inches long if you want to find Moby Dick; just make sure your gear is properly fitted to the size of the fish you are chasing. You may have to be really patient but you will eventually get what you are after. Then again, you may also have nights where even the small fish get crazy enough to whack something as big as they are. I recommend that you add to your chances of hooking into something large by increasing your catch rate using things that are effective day and night for all sizes and species. That way you will stay entertained. Standard size crankbaits, maribou jigs, tube jigs, sassy shad and curly tail grubs are great. Streamers such as woolly and crystal buggers, zonkers, or muddlers in neutral and dark colors can be fly fished or spin cast behind a casting bubble, small weighted float, or behind a small weight on a 2 foot leader for deadly results. Large surfage flies such as foam beetles, damsel flies, and even mouse imitators and poppers can be deadly on summer nights and the strikes are explosive. I've had some really good (and sleepless) nights and all day slimerfests using all of these. Fish pools and runs either casting 45 degrees across and downstream or upstream and use a jerking retrieve. The rule tends to be steady to slow during colder periods and steady to fast during warmer months. Once you find out what is working make a conscious effort to present with consistency. In winter, trout tend to feed most during the daylight hours because most abundant insect hatches occur midday. However, it is a widely known fact that larger trout, especially mature browns, feed most aggressively at night. Large fish will take small nymphs that require little effort to intercept but they are generally very selective about matching the hatch. They will not surface unless the surface fly or the harch is large enough to warrant giving up cover. At night they are free to move about undetected and pin smaller trout in the shallows. In rivers trout are territorial and you may see a larger trout turn and bite smaller invaders encroaching on their feeding lane. This means that the big boys get the best hangouts so you will want to fish in and around cover with slack water such as log jams, vegetation with deep edges, deep runs, overhanging trees and grass along the bank, or underneath riffles at the head of deep pools and around boulders during the day and in open water near such areas after dark. Note that many of the larger fish will swim upstream to spawn and may be found in open water this time of year. It is possible to see them in shallow water near redds or even sitting in the sun. During summer they will often find openings in rocks at the head of a pool and take cover during daylight hours so hanging a small jig, fly, cricket, night crawler, dead minnow, meal worm, or wax worm in openings can be very productive. Trout also feed on bottom dwellers called sculpin which are found in many rivers throughout the states and can be found in several rivers in Utah. If you've ever seen a hook jawed beast with raw sores on its nose it likely got them rooting through sand and rocks to get a hold of some. They look tiny catfish with a sucker mouth and are soft bodied and slimy like a nose goblin. The Muddler Minnow is tied to imitate sculpin and is most effective when twitched slowly along the bottom over sand and gravel. Crayfish imitating lures like Rebels work well when it's warm so it wouldn't hurt to have some of these in your arsenal. Flashy silver or gold spinners, spoons, and blade baits are great in the early spring and throughout fall as well and these account for a substantial share of the brown beasties landed. It is crucial to learn to read moving water effectively and determine where the trout will be this will be. It is equally important to cast with accuracy and present the lure properly so practice until you are confident with your aim and control so that you don't become frustrated at losing lures to trees all day. One thing you should be prepared for that that eventually happens to most lure fishermen is that a brown jumps and grabs your Rapala just as you pull it out of the water so work that lure all the way to where you are standing. If one chases your lure to your feet and you pause and he sits there twitch it and be ready. They usually run when they see you but sometimes they must think that a man is a tree. I think that's everything but the beer. Happy fishing and Merry Christmas.
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