PREDATOR ON THE FLY

Pointers for Predator on the Fly

To catch a predator fish, you need to think like a predator fish! I love the challenge of hunting large trout and e sox because the risk can be worth the reward. Yes, there are many hours and days with not even a hint of a giant, but the effort will supply so much knowledge—making every new adventure more successful. The following list of pointers are helpful tips for rivers and still water alike:

1)TIMING IS EVERYTHING—whether you are timing the season, hatch, or time of day, this is very important for locating giants. While these aggressive fish are opportunistic, they are also creatures of habit and can be very lazy by nature.

A favorite example of this is Callibaetis May Flies on still water. Callibaetis—or as I like to refer to them, trout candy—are a favorite food supply of large trout with massive hatches that can last hours. In addition to the fact that when the duns and spinner adults land on the water surface, they make like a statue and don’t move. This becomes a nonescaping meal for trout, and one they will not pass up. When timing this hatch, keep a close eye on the weather.

On warm days, the hatch kicks off at 9-10:00 am, and on those cold brisk late-summer early-fall mornings, the hatch can kick off as late as 12:00-1:00pm. While you can catch fish before and after this bug fest, the largest trout in numbers will be here feeding hard near the bank, around weeds and structure in reservoirs, lakes, rivers, and creeks. In still waters, the draw of numbers of trout will sound the alarm to other predators like pike, and Tiger Muskie.

Up to 60 percent of the largest E Sox that I or clients have landed are during the feeding frenzy. To ensure a chance to catch trout and e Sox, I like to mix the food supply imitations with a Candy Shop Callibaetis dry fly on the surface, while dropping a Mini Leech Jig Radiant, or Mini Leech Jig Damsel below for the large water wolfs that cruise the bank looking for bite-sized snacks between eating other fish.

For river timing, it is hard to beat the evening Caddis hatch in the last hours of light. Try to time it when you see millions of fluttering adults above the vegetation lining the river’s edge, and ultimately the skittering and diving adults that the trout goes nuts over. Skating an adult imitation like a #14-18 Puterbaugh Caddis dry fly with a trailing #16-18 brass bead Guides Choice soft hackle Hares Ear 18-24 inches below can be very effective.

2)PRIME FEEDING ZONES- When searching productive water for predators, try to imagine where you would hold if you were at the top of the food chain. The location that offers cover, oxygen, and food with the element of surprise—locations that offer a chance to ambush their prey.

For river settings, I like to target the transition spot when a riffle or soft seam drops into a deep run, in front of rocks and boulders, and the edge of the river next to undercut banks and hanging grass. A lot of these locations can be found in the water between deep conventional runs that receive too much pressure and cause most fish to spoon—including predators.

For still waters, I am a huge fan of dark water deliveries. Hunters like Pike and Tiger Muskie often hang out in the warm vegetation at the bottom of a bay, waiting to ambush their prey.

Drop lines when the water depths can go from a few feet, to 10 feet or more in the length of a few feet. This will create dark water gridirons that large trout can cruise and hide in while searching for food.

Lastly, look for vegetation and rocks for structure that draws in food supplies like bugs, bait fish, and crayfish. Big fish can lie in wait for these meals to arrive, or simply sneak up on them.

3) MATCHING THE MENU- Take the time to research not only what food supplies are available for fish at the top of the food chain, but how they move. My favorite examples of this are crayfish. Not only are these tail-flipping creatures known to grow to lengths up to 7- inches, they are a favorite of water wolves and trout. For all food supplies I look for three

key features: size, color, and movement.

Along with matching the hatch with insects, don’t be afraid to downsize the fly. This can help the imitation appear natural to the fish, because the meal can come in a variety of sizes.

When selecting color, the most effective approach is to try at least two different shades. This can change day- to- day and with the time of day with different light, water clarity, and locations. Crayfish are another great example of this, with body shades in olive, rust, and ginger; there’s also a hint of blue from the claws in many species.

The final piece to the menu puzzle is movement. From getting jiggy with it using imitations such as the Mini Leech Jig Radiant/Damsel, Meat Whistle, or Lunch Manet, to swimming style flies such as the Finesse Game Changer, Drunk Disorderly, and Muddled Daddy. You want imitations that move like the real thing and that with a changing speed of the retrieve, can trigger a take.

I wish everyone positive results for the pointers in this article, and please remember to protect spawning trout by fish (pre) before and (post) after the reproduction ritual begins. For more detailed tips like this, check out my latest The Hunt for Giant Trout book (Stackpole Books 2019).

About The Author

Landon Mayer is a veteran Colorado guide and author of several books. His newest books, The Hunt for Giant Trout, and Sight Fishing for Trout (Second Edition) can be purchased on his website, at www.landonmayerflyfishing.com. His newest video, Master the Short Game, by Headwater Media, can be purchased at www.mastertheshortgame.com. You can follow Landon on Instagram at @ landonmayerflyfishing.