Hunting Wild Rainbows

Not all rainbow trout are created equal. There are dumb stockers throughout the United States that will eat almost anything and they don’t care about a mediocre drift. They’ll eat something flashy, thinking it’s their last meal and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not a challenge and that’s not why I fish.

Wild rainbow trout in some of the rivers I fish are not stupid. I’ve found on my travels that less pressured fish aren’t always easier to catch. I’ve fished in Pisgah National Forest during a stellar trip to North Carolina and spooked darting brook trout for over an hour before I realized I just wasn’t being stealthy enough and I needed to cast a whole lot farther to catch one.

When I fished the Gunpowder River in Maryland on more than one occasion, I was spooking wild trout by just walking on the bank. A good skunking will teach you what you’re doing wrong a lot more than a banner day will teach you what you’re doing right.

One of the areas I love to fish does not hold 20+ inch trout. Any fish over 16 inches that finds my net is a trophy. There are plenty of rivers in Colorado where you can catch BIG fish, but sometimes I just want to climb over boulders and “hunt” wild rainbows. So many factors come into play and that’s exactly why I do it. I will say that if the water is slightly stained things get easier, but when it’s not I have to truly focus on every detail of what I’m doing.

I pay attention to where I’m walking on shore and the angle of the sun because fish don’t like moving shadows. In terms of setup and casting, I am constantly changing the weight and depth of my rig to make sure I’m “feeding” the fish. They’ll move for my flies, but they want to see them “act real” before they eat them. Some holes are over 10 feet deep and other slicks and runs are a mere 2 feet from top to bottom. I feel like a hunter because typically if you see the fish, they see you and it’s already over. I want to make my first cast my best cast because in some areas, that’s all I get.

When you fish a certain stretch of river enough times (and this goes for many rivers in general) you will learn that there are fish everywhere. They just might not be where you’re casting. Depth is so important when you are fishing pocket water and deep runs, especially during elevated flows. Figure out a way to KNOW your flies are getting down. I still use a sighter because it works and it gives me confidence.

I’ve seen people go a whole day thinking they are getting down and it was more like 20% of the time. That is going to limit your chances of hooking up substantially because unfortunately (and much to our chagrin), fish don’t eat on every good cast we make. It might take three perfect casts in juicy looking water to get an eat during higher flows or they’ll eat it on the first cast and that’s fishing.

I’m not trying to kill them, I’m trying to catch them. Another challenging thing about wild rainbows is they’re hot. Less pressured fish don’t get hooked very often, but when they do, they’re not happy about it. Landing fish in fast water full of boulders is not for everyone, but I love the challenge, even if I fail.

So, feel free to scoff at stocked rainbows unless that’s your thing. If you know any freestones with healthy, wild rainbows that make you a better angler, fish there. June is almost here so enjoy the sunshine, stay safe if the water is high (and/or off color) and don’t forget to look up.