Stung by recent memories of hooks and well-trained by months of catch and release fishing, fall and winter trout are leery of anything that looks out of place and often become shy of lead weights and heavy tippets. In preparation for the slim pickings of the winter and guided by their instinct to conserve calories, the cautious fall trout will begin to congregate in deep, slow pools throughout the river. This shift to deeper habitat and a tendency to be spooked by weights pinched to the angler’s line requires a change in tactics. By using heavy, double beadhead fly patterns (such as the Double Beadhead Stonefly Nymph and the Two Bit Hooker), the angler can effectively hide their weight within the fly pattern, get their flies quickly to the depths where the trout are lying, and exponentially increase their chances of hooking up with the reclusive cold weather trout.
So on your next trip to the river, don’t be afraid to double down! Double dries, double indicators, and double beadhead nymphs will pay off in more and bigger fish, guaranteed!
By: Peter Stitcher