I may spend a lot of my life offshore chasing huge fish, but I am just as at home sneaking up a mountain stream, waving the wand, presenting a fly to a wily highland trout. There is something very therapeutic about fly fishing for trout that makes it so enjoyable.

High country trout fishing really is a form of hunting. Typically most of the fish are small but the stalk and the correct presentation of the fly to fool the fish into feeding are what makes it so exciting.

Seeing the bite is often more of an adrenaline rush than the actual catch. When it all comes together and that trout rises to your fly, plucks it off the surface and then suddenly the fly line springs to life in your hand is about as exciting as it gets. This is what I really love about this style of fishing – you really have to stalk your prey to meet with success.

The trick to fishing these streams is to not rush in; instead, simply stop and observe. Hold back and watch to see where the fish are, then plan to intercept them. This will make you a better angler but it is also a great way to soak in solitude and simply enjoy getting back to nature.

Fly fishing is not overly expensive and you can pick up a beginner’s outfit for a couple of hundred dollars. Most anglers like to use four to six weight outfits although at times when chasing smaller trout in tiny streams they will go right down to a two weight outfit. In most cases anglers use floating lines, although intermediate lines can be used for fishing deep holes. Dry flies are great for the trout and can even be used in conjunction with a weighted nymph and then drifted down the runs.

With an ever-increasing number of anglers on the banks these days the key to locating the best fishing spots is to find those remote areas where no one else goes. You are going to have to be prepared to go the hard yards and do some serious tramping to access these sweet water delights. Few anglers are really prepared to put in the required effort but those that do manage to enjoy the privileges of fishing water that is rarely touched.

Stream fishing is often far more challenging than many anglers think. Just because there is less water doesn’t necessarily mean that the fish are easier to catch. It is not simply a matter of ambling along the bank flicking a fly about half-heartedly hoping for a bite. Instead anglers need to actually hunt the fish and employ stealth to put them within casting range.

Trout are naturally very wary and their senses are heightened even further when they inhabit these crystal-clear mountain streams. One careless move will send them scuttling for cover so it’s all about moving slowly and stealthily.

Whenever fishing these little mountain watercourses always plan to walk upstream. With thick bank-side cover it’s often all but impossible to tramp along the shore, so often you have to enter the water. If you are heading downstream the current will carry everything you disturb on the bottom in front of you, effectively spooking the fish ahead. To cap it all, many anglers believe the trout can actually smell you, so if you go upstream this isn’t going to be a problem.

The second reason why you should always walk upstream is because the fish will be facing into the current and have their backs to you. With the trout looking in the opposite direction it is much easier to sneak up on them. So, the next time you’re driving over a bridge, stop, break out the fly rod and head upstream to see if you can outsmart a trout. 

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Written: Sat 01 Feb 2014
Printed: February, 2014
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