This week’s picture is brought to you by Brittney.
Just your average day in Alaska floating down Kenai River. Nice catch Brittney!

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Sometimes you get in a situation where you just don’t have the right bug. However, there are some versatile patterns that might be close enough. Here are a few of my favorites:

Zebra Midges - Sounds funny but this bug works not only as a midge but as a mayfly, caddis nymph, and more. Carry it in a variety of sizes.

JRS Nymphs - This pattern can imitate both stonefly and mayfly nymphs and is a great attractor.

Parachute Adams - No surprise here. This fly is THE versatile dry fly. Works for almost all mayflies and midges.

Clouser Minnows - This is the do-it-all streamer. Works in fresh and salt water for almost every fish species, and with the several color options, it imitates a huge range of baitfish.

Try these in a similar size and color options as your local bugs the next time you’re in a pinch.

This week’s picture is brought to you by RC on the North River, Virginia .
Can you say..nice day for doubles?

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Many anglers take the Spring off because of high dirty water. Actually many of the biggest fish of the year are caught during runoff. High flows often force fish to move to the edges where they are more easily accessible.

Some good high water flies are large dark nymphs like stoneflies, dark streamers like black slumpbusters, zonkers, and wooly & krystal buggers. Focus on slower pockets against the shorelines and be willing to cover water. Many times you will find pockets that hold lots of fish in a small amount of available good water.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Gordon.
He pulled this nice bow while fishing at dusk at Hot Creek in California.

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When most people think of trout fishing in lakes they automatically think of sinking lines and stripping leeches and wooly buggers. While this is certainly a tried and true tactic sometimes it isn’t the best tactic in the early season.

Early season trout tend to feed closer to the surface than they do later in the year. The shallow areas of 2 to 10 feet or so are often where more prey is congregated in the early season because this is often where the water warms first and brings insects and other trout food to life.

My favorite tactic for fishing the top 2 to 10 feet of water in the early season is to fish a dry fly with a dropper nymph. Simply cast and let your flies rest where you think fish will cruise. Vary the depth of your dropper until you find fish.

Also, though its not conventional, don’t be afraid to twitch your flies occasionally. The rising action of the nymph when you do this often entices a strike. My favorite dropper fly for lakes is the bi-color brassie. This is a great imitator of chironomids and other midges. Don’t be afraid to also try other nymphs like pheasant tails, prince nymphs, hares ears, and scuds.

In windy weather or with heavy nymphs you may want to substitute a strike indicator for the dry fly. This will suspend your nymphs at a certain level and you can easily vary it until you find the fish’s preferred feeding depth. Give this a try on your next trip and hopefully it will pay off in lots of great early season fish.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Tim.
A sweet spring day on the Lower Sacramento river and some creative photography!

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Some trout seem to have seen it all, especially those in our more heavily fished rivers. These fish are often nearly impossible to catch on dry flies because they learn to identify leaders and they avoid them like I avoid real jobs.

It isn’t, however, impossible to catch such educated trout. One way to approach these fish with a dry fly is to position yourself upstream of the rising fish and present a realistic dry fly pattern like a comparadun in the appropriate size and color with a cast that quarters across and downstream. Land your fly just upstream of the fish with enough slack to obtain a drag-free drift long enough to reach the rising fish. You may even need to reach your rod toward the fly as it drifts away from you to get just a little more drift.

The idea here is that you are making it so that your fly arrives over the the feeding fish before the tippet and leader which can tip it off that something isn’t right. One thing to remember is that with such a presentation it is important to wait just a little longer than usual to set the hook so that the fish can close its mouth or turn with your fly; otherwise you’ll be likely to pull it straight from their mouth. Try this technique the next time a fish with a PhD turns down your best stuff.