Fool a Trout 12 Ways

Fool a Trout – 12 Ways

By Ben Hope

They say ninety per cent of trout are caught by ten per cent of the anglers. As a general guide, a small percentage of trout fishermen catch most of the trout. Let’s take a look at 12 ways to Fool a Trout.

Each angler has at least a speciality, a forte in their trout fishing strategy. The best anglers may have specialised skills.  They know that daily and seasonally things change. Other factors, such as insect hatches and the fall of terrestrial insects, cause trout behaviour to vary considerably.

Here are twelve different angles I have gleaned from top-class other anglers that might help you fool a trout.

1. Devon Spinner

Years ago, when I was a youngster, Devon minnows in gold or silver were a top-spinning lure. The spinner originated in England well over a century ago. It has been a consistent spinning lure at the other end of the world, as well as here in New Zealand. They came in various sizes from about half an inch (1.3 cm) to probably two inches (5 cm). A Devon measuring an inch (2.5 cm) would be the maximum size on light spinning gear.

Often, a red bead was between the back of the minnow and the treble hook at the rear.

Usually, it was fished across and down but could be tossed upstream and retrieved rapidly.

This lure was probably effective not so much because of shape or colour but from the vibrations, the vanes set up. Nevertheless, a gold Devon seemed more effective than a silver one. See if you can buy a Devon minnow. I rarely see them stocked. Alternatively, look for old Devon lures sold in classified ads on Trademe.co.nz.

2. The Flatfish

This is a strange lure shaped not unlike a miniature banana. It looks unlikely, but rainbow trout do go “bananas” over this lure. Oddly, the lure floats, but when retrieving, it dives. You can toss it up and let it float to the desired spot before retrieving it. 

The flatfish requires just a gentle retrieve to get the tantalising action. The lure is ideally suited to quiet pools but will work in ripply water too. It comes in many colours, from white (pearl), to a frog pattern with green and yellow. 

The white is a good trolling lure for rainbow trout on lakes.

3. Spinning Upstream

Spinning by casting upstream and rapidly retrieving is a tactic worth trying. Most spin anglers cast across, letting the current swing the lure around. The successful “ten percenters” spin anglers often cast straight upstream and retrieve back down.

Cast and retrieve along the edge of the current, working that zone of quiet water beside the current.

Casts are usually short, perhaps only ten metres, and accurate. The retrieve is faster to stop the spinner from hooking the bottom. 

Brown trout, in particular, take a lure retrieved downstream. It makes sense since trout lie facing upstream. Therefore, you are less likely to scare trout. They work by the blade spinning on its axis in a similar way to a Mepps Black Fury blade spinner.

4. Fly Spoons

These miniature little spoons are like the Devon Minnow, a thing of the past and difficult to procure. They were a simple little spoon in gold (brass) or silver with one single hook and were used by fly fishermen.

However, they can be used on thread-line (spinning) tackle by pinching a few split-shots to the nylon.

They are effective in low, clear water when spinners might scare trout. They could be hard to find nowadays. Try keeping one or two in your lure selection. If not procurable in your tackle shops in town, an alternative source might be an English mail-order tackle service. Even a small spinner blade will send out a flash and vibration attracting a predatory trout to investigate. These can be used on streamer flies and even wee-wet flies. You can also get very small brass propellers that serve the same purpose.

5. Beetle Buzz

Beetles are often taken by trout but ignored by many trout anglers. For instance, there are the brown beetle flights in the twilights of November and December, which trout quickly switch their attention to. If you kill a trout, its stomach is often packed with beetles.

Most tackle shops stock a brown beetle pattern. Other patterns because of their shape will do such as the Humpy or Irresistible in about size 12 or 14.

You can get brown beetle wet flies too, and at the time of the year that brown beetles fly, it’s worth fishing a brown beetle upstream just like a nymph and letting it tumble back with the current.

6. Green Beetle

In the backcountry, look for the green manuka beetle. It’s smaller than the brown beetle and has a bright green back. Trout take green beetles during the day, in contrast to the evening flight of the brown beetle.

Overhanging manuka bushes usually result in a steady, if not spectacular, fall of green beetles, so backcountry trout are always on the lookout.

Green beetles are usually stocked in sports shops in their trout fishing section, as dry flies, although a simple green beetle wet fly can be used.

7. Fool a Trout with a Simple Beetle Pattern

Want a simple beetle pattern? Just tie up a bulky Hare and Copper, clip the body to a

fattish, roundish shape, and tie in a back of green or brown raffia, depending on whether you want the green or brown beetle pattern. The Green Beetle should be in size 14 while the brown beetle is a 12 or 14 size hook. Fish it upstream, just exploring the water in a “blind” fashion. 

The sequence of tying is to tie in the beetle at the rear (by the bend of the hook), then form the body, clip it and then draw the beetle back over to the head and tie it down. If you wish, add one turn, no more, of hackle of red, brown colour, can be used.

8. Dry Fly Skitter

Sometimes, skittering a dry fly can pay off, particularly at dusk. The reason is sedges (caddis) hatch and make little V-shaped wakes across the surface. Sometimes trout will slash at them. Other times, trout will take hatching sedges just below the surface; other times, they will take the inert insect on the surface just after it has hatched.

However, if they turn to take the skating sedges, you should employ the skitter slowly, just a slight wake caused by deliberately raising your rod until the fly drags.

9. Fishing the Bubble Float to Fool a Trout

Spinning is usually associated with metal lures. However, the top spin anglers will employ a small, plastic, bubble-shaped ball. The little ball is partly filled with water, not too much,  just enough so it gives it weight to cast it.

Up the nylon about a metre, tie in a dropper line, and you can fish either a nymph, a little wet fly or a dry fly.

This rig is ideal in waters enclosed by brush and scrub. You can flip it upstream and work the fly back. Of course, you don’t have the false casting a fly rod requires.

The bubble acts as a float and strike indicator. This method is not legal on most fly fishing-only waters. Trout fishing with the aid of a bubble float is one of the most effective methods to fool a trout, especially on lakes.

In this video, you can see a bubble float in action being used to catch redfin perch on the South Island’s West Coast. Instead of the worms, tie in a dropper line, and you can fish either a nymph, a little wet fly or a dry fly. It is a great method for kids as they don’t need to continuously retrieve and cast to catch a fish. In very clear still water on a bright sunny day, the dry fly and nymph or wet fly combination is more likely to catch a trout than a much larger spinner that might spook the trout!

10. Fool a Trout with a “Near Enough” Fly

Here’s a pattern I came across in an old Field and Stream magazine. The column was called “Tap’s Tips.” HG Tapply wrote of a fly called Near Enuf. The idea came from blending the “best” parts of established patterns that best imitate the more common insect hatches. These were the Quill Gordon, Red Quill, Hendrickson, March Brown, GreyFox, Light Cahill and occasionally the Green Drake. 

The dressing was:

Wings: Wood-duck side feather, split and upright.

Hackle: Mixed dark ginger and grizzly. 

Body: Quill from peacock eye. 

Tail: Two stripped grizzly hackles, flared and tied extra long.

It is a good fly, but the concept can be applied to our better patterns. A pheasant tail nymph with a hare fur thorax blends the Pheasant Tail and Hare and Copper parts. How about a peacock herl thorax with a Pheasant Tail too? There are others you can work out. Innovation and experimenting are things that top anglers frequently indulge in. They’re always thinking.

11. Wee Wets

Years ago, the little wet flies were popular. Patterns such as the Red Tip Governor, March Brown and Hardy’s Favourite were excellent and they still are today. 

Fishing wee wets are worth trying when no visible activity is seen on the surface and the nymph has failed. Try fishing across and down, or try fishing the little wet fly upstream like a nymph.

For upstream fishing, try the Coch-y-bondhu, Greenwell’s Glory and on rainbow rivers the

Bradshaw’s Fancy is in about size 12 or 14. For downstream fishing, the Red Tip Governor, Hardies Favourite, Silver Doctor and March Brown.

The little wet fly can be good at dusk, too, when caddis are hatching. The March Brown is an excellent hatching sedge imitation.

12. Fool a Trout with this Two Fly Trick

In years past, a fly angler used two wee wet flies, one on the end and the other as a dropper a metre or so up the cast. It’s still worth a try.

Another angle to the two-fly trick is to fish a wet fly or nymph tied at the end and a metre back tie on a dry fly dropper. The floating fly is likely to take fish, but if a trout takes the underwater fly at the end, the dry fly acts as a strike indicator.

The dry fly should be visible. Use a Bi-visible, Royal Wulff or parachute pattern. Adjust your strike, s-l-o-w-l-y if a trout takes the dry, but immediately if it’s taken the wet fly.

Good luck and look for some more hints sometime, soon.

The little ball is partly filled with water for casting weight. Up the nylon about a metre, tie in a dropper line, and you can fish either a nymph, a little wet fly or a dry fly. This rig is ideal in waters enclosed by brush and scrub.