Delayed harvest trout seasons have begun across the Southeast, offering anglers some of the most consistent action of the year in numerous streams and rivers across the region.
These streams and rivers are jam-packed with trout stocked specifically for the DH. They are regulated catch-and-release, single-hook, artificial-lures-only during the season, which means they stay in the river, where they should be easy picking for anglers armed with the flies hatchery trout are fools for. Typically, bright and garish is the ticket for newly released trout. Egg patterns, mop flies, flashy streamers, and nymphs; it’s the junk food that draws their eye.
But what happens when all those fish come down with a case of lockjaw?
It happens. DH waters have a higher-than-normal density of fish, which lures in high densities of anglers. Once these trout have been in the water for a couple weekends, there’s a good chance they’ve fallen for—or have at least seen—every fly from the DH bin at the local fly shop. On top of that, trout learn pretty quickly what the real food sources are in a stream and will begin to take on more natural feeding habits.
When it gets tough on a DH stream, it’s time to rethink your game plan. There are a lot of fish in the water. If you’re not catching them, you’re doing something wrong.
The easiest change to make is depth. Most of a trout’s consumption is done underwater, and many times a fish will not move more than a few feet to pick off a morsel that drifts by in the current. Before you switch out your nymph or streamer, try adjusting your depth with the indicator or by adding weight. Generally, deeper is better if you don’t see them feeding near the surface, and a double-nymph rig with the bottom fly barely ticking the stream floor will cover the lowest couple of feet in the water column.
If adjusting your depth doesn’t work, it’s time to change flies. When trout begin to adapt to their new surroundings, they figure out what they should and should not eat. Between stockings or late in the DH season, ditching the gaudy stuff can be a good move. Flip over some rocks and figure out what the natural food sources are. It will clue you in to what the fish are eating so you’re doing more than just hoping for a reaction strike. Presentation also plays a huge role when fish wise-up. If your fly isn’t drifting naturally in the current, it does not look like food to a trout.
Location change is another tactic that can lead to success when a DH gets tough. Many times stocked trout will pod-up rather than spreading out and can be stacked like cordwood in a deep hole. Find this spot, and you’ll be catching and releasing while your buddy strikes out fishing the same flies you are. Conversely, water that looks less fishy is often overlooked on heavily pressured streams. Taking the time to prospect the skinny water between deep holes can sometimes pay off with a few fish when they just aren’t biting where they should be.