A Plan for All Seasons

As smoke darkens the sky, this angler becomes barely visible. Regardless of the danger he could clearly be heard shouting …“One more cast!” No joke. Photo by Michael Malekos.

Slow Moving Water

Now is the time to hone your skills and enjoy some of the year’s best trout fishing

Best known for visually captivating landscapes, and the beautiful colors it brings to nature’s canvas, fall offers a magical time for anglers. For me, the magic begins early morning with seeing a trout rise while the air is cold and the sun still sits low in the sky. Then, after careful stalking, to take it on a dry fly in shallow, slow-moving water. And finally, to release it. This is the magic of fall. An experience I think most anglers will find hard to top—until they move on to the next pool and do it again. This is why fall is my favorite season to fly fish.

Fall is a time when once-crowded rivers and streams appear deserted. For anglers, it can be a time of solitude. It’s also a time for fly fishers in the know to put into practice strategies and tactics that will help them adapt to the conditions of the season. As foliage changes color, so do the habits of wild trout. The change in a trout’s behavior throughout the season’s cycle makes them more receptive than at any other time of year to take a well-presented fly. 

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Seasonal rhythm—Several mechanisms allow living organisms to adapt to seasonal variations in the environment. Throughout most of California, fall’s seasonal rhythm comes into full play by October as cooler water induces trout to become more active and more willing to feed—a broad shift from the behavior anglers experienced during summer. By November, as colder weather approaches, trout aggressively feed to prepare for winter. They then relocate and hold in slower currents. 

Healthy habitat—Unlike summer, fall streams and rivers run cold and clear. Anglers should target deep pools, slow runs, and areas that provide structure and habitat both above and below the surface. Structure protects fish from predators and provides a safe place for them to comfortably feed. Tip: Over the years, I have repeatedly located migrating trout holding in the cold tributaries to big river systems. 

Insects and fly patterns—Fall insects are active, but hatches are not as frequent as they were during summer. By mid-November, the frequency of hatches will decline again. Prepare yourself to take advantage of hatches you may encounter while fishing. If you’re unsure of a fishery’s insect inhabitants, seasonal hatch charts can assist you and are easily accessible through the internet. Until then, steady fall hatches of midge and caddisfly make excellent fall patterns to fish with. Blue-winged Olive patterns are also good choices. They imitate the adult, nymphal, and emerging stages of the mayfly, a common food source for trout. Tip: Fall mayflies are typically small, and regardless of what you’ve been told, size does matter. If fishing is slow, I switch to a smaller size before changing patterns. Especially if the pattern is one you’ve had past success with. In fall, I have had success fishing flies in the 18-22 size range. Similarly, smaller flies fish best with longer leaders and finer-sized tippet. To avoid spooking trout while fishing fall’s gin-clear water, I fish dry flies with 9 to 12-foot leaders affixed to 6X–7X tippet.

Additionally, fall weather is cooler than summer but still warm enough for emergences of aquatic insects. These oftentimes occur throughout the day making dry fly patterns excellent choices to fish with. As hatches subside, hungry trout target nymph patterns. Some productive nymphing patterns to fish with are Pheasant Tails, Red or Zebra Midges, Red Copper Johns, Black or Purple Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears and Perdigons, to name a few. Many anglers fish nymphs with a two-fly rig using a larger pattern nymph as a lead fly and a smaller fly as a dropper. I fish a single nymph under spit shot on a tight line and add and remove weight until I locate where fish are holding in the water column. Fishing nymphs with an indicator is also an effective method of presentation, as are Euro nymphing techniques.

Early in the season, terrestrials are plentiful and a key source of food for fall trout. On rivers, streams, and creeks, fish terrestrials close to banks or under overhanging vegetation. Another effective method is to pair a terrestrial pattern with a nymph pattern dropper. Fishing stillwater from a float tube or personal watercraft while casting terrestrial patterns such as ants, beetles, or grasshoppers is also a productive tactic.

Late in the season and when spawning, brown trout become territorial and oftentimes strike larger prey. This is the time when streamer patterns that imitate baitfish, sculpins or crayfish often draw strikes. Fish streamers in deep pools, along undercut banks, and near structure. Vary your retrieve to give your streamer pattern life to trigger a response. I fish streamers with short leaders affixed to 3X to 4X tippet. This goes without saying, but should you come across spawning beds (redds) while wading, please avoid fishing there.

Regardless if you’re nymphing, fishing dry flies, terrestrials, or streamer patterns and are unclear on how to rig up, consider speaking with a local expert beforehand to learn what patterns and techniques they recommend for the fishery you plan to visit.

SMOKE ON THE WATER

Lastly, stay alert—Earlier this year, while attending the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show, I was asked, “What are the risks associated with fly fishing?” My past answers typically focused on dehydration from heat, hypothermia from cold water, or drowning. Hazards such as embedded hooks, chance encounters with wildlife, or run-ins with cartel-style illegal growers were other causes for concern. Today, wildfire tops my list. Further aggravating are strong-minded anglers that hesitate to heed their warning. 

The explosive start of California’s wildfire season has sparked concerns about the next few months and years. What’s fueling these fears is that despite the same number of fires in the state’s five-year average, the acreage burned this year is more than four times higher. Cal Fire attributes this fire season to three factors: Back-to-back wet winters, mild fire seasons over the last two years, and climate change. Although major fuel reduction programs have been implemented, at the time of writing the amount of dry vegetation throughout the state carries risk into the fall season. Please continue to fish with caution. And as always, stay safe, today, tomorrow, and forever.

See you on the river! 

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