More than a decade ago, I smiled and nodded politely at the maxim, “Big water, big fish.” It isn’t that I don’t believe big fish live in big water-have you seen the trout that they catch from Pyramid Lake? However, I am offended by the suggestion that the inverse of the statement implies: “Small fish live in small water.”
The possibility of catching small-stream trophies draws me up drainages choked with brush. I avoid most big water and the crowds that swarm there like snowmelt.
When the average trout in a stream is between 7 and 8 inches, a 16-incher is quite an impressive fish. A wild or native trout of that size in a little creek will challenge any angler to hook and land, and make all anglers pause to admire its flanks, spots, and teeth on the lower jaw. If you’re wading across a small tributary, you’ll wonder if it’s wise to do so casually.
If you want to catch big fish in tiny water, whether you use spinners, strip streamers, or soak worms, here are three things you need to know.
Get to know your food
While some anglers associate small creeks with somewhat sterile water where fish will eat crumpled paper if it floats by, other waters are bursting with insects.
You can find stonefly nymphs in any healthy Appalachian brook trout stream if you spend 30 minutes turning over rocks. The most energy-rich bugs—grasshoppers, drakes, salmonflies, and golden stones—are the ones that make the big fish for cutthroat streams in the Rockies. A stream with a healthy number of large bugs allows fish to gorge on their food and grow faster and fatter than they could without consuming so many calories.
The hatch schedule of small streams rarely follows the schedule of the rivers into which they flow. The legendary Penns Creek in Pennsylvania is known for its late evening and night hatches of green drakes, but its tributaries feature them in the early to mid-afternoon, attracting large trout to the surface. Fish before the evening.
Small waterways often connect to larger water sources, which can bring really big fish in to feed or lay eggs. You should not fish for trout when they are laying eggs, but if you see multiple age classes of trout while fishing, chances are some bigger ones may have shown up. You should give trying leeches, sculpins, or other streamer patterns a shot – these kinds of presentations can sometimes trigger carnivorous fish. Additionally, look for signs of mice such as foot tracks or droppings along the shore. I once caught an 18-inch brown trout from a creek that was filled with mouse remains; the whiskers were still stiff! (Fortunately I ate this one to help leave the smaller native fish alone).
Get to know the depths
When fishing for trout, it’s important to understand the significance of having places of refuge in the creek. Although this may sound self-evident, many anglers don’t take the time to explore their fishing spots in detail. If you believe that large fish might be present, invest some effort into examining an area – whether before, during or after your time spent on the water. When conditions are unsuitable for angling, such as when it’s too low or hot, itinerant exploration can be incredibly advantageous; take a peek into pools to gauge their depth and value in terms of providing shelter for large specimens. Also look out for cutbanks, plunging pools, springs and submerged boulders; trees with ample shade overhanging roots and logjams impound even more protection for sizable fish. Generally speaking, you’ll find bigger catches residing in deeper waters amidst a plentiful array of inviting habitats.
It’s common to find one or two pools with water 4 to 6 feet deep in streams you can jump across. That’s more than enough depth for chunky cutthroats or brookies to feel safe.
Make sure you know the weather
The summer doldrums send big trout into the most secretive corners of a stream—or out of it altogether—after spring’s high water. After a summer thunderstorm swelled a small creek, I caught several native brook trout in the 13- to 16-inch range and a wild brown trout over a pound. These are usually my largest fish of the year.
Large trout feel safest when flows are high and off-color. After weeks without significant precipitation, they often become mostly nocturnal, eating large meals every day to conserve energy. However, with more water on hand, these fish can lose their inhibitions and eat more frequently.
These weather events require you to get to the stream as soon as possible. A small stream sheds water faster than a river. The best fishing occurs when the flow drops. Streamer and spinner anglers know that a little stain in the water signals a big fish feeding period. Find a small stream giant by following their example.
Sources: Themeateater
