"When you begin to understand the technique of the wet fly, the search for places where fish are lying becomes fascinating. The more you practice it, the more you realize that it is far from being merely a question of promenading a train of flies under water." Charles Ritz, A Fly Fisher's Life
Mid June has arrived and it's not too early to declare that the Summer fly fishing season is upon us. and with that comes the reemergence of that old time dogma about summertime trout fishing. None of that dogma applies to tailwaters but only on natural flows. Let's take a look at some "truisms".
"Don't fish when the water temperature is above 62 degrees". This nugget actually goes back to the early 20th century when the trout season ended in early July. Trout, especially BROWN TROUT, can acclimate to a warmer flow IF some thermal refuge (cool water) can be found to carry them through the day. They will become active after sundown and still be feeding at dawn. One of the best dry fly experiences that I've had was on the Millers at 4am on a hot July Weekend. Everything was rising but stopped at 5am.
"You will stress out the trout if you fish for them"- This sounds true but it really isn't. You can get a trout to take a fly only if the water temperature would promote a trout to feed. Optimum feeding temperature for a trout is between 55 and 65 degrees. Above and below that range their metabolism will lessen and so will their feeding.
I mentioned "Thermal Refuge". These are the tribs, springs and seepages that all freestones have. I stay away from the obvious ones during the day during the Summer just to give the trout a break. My best example of this occurred on the Squannacook years ago. It was a hot, humid Sunday afternoon and i decided to walk the river below the Harbor. There was a swampy area that I used to avoid but not on that day. The swamp drained into the river with a trickle of water about the length of a pencil. Downstream from that mouth there were about 20 browns forming a conga line in that cool water. I never fished for them and sometimes after a heavy rain they would move out into the river but come back when the flows got low.
I've also broke off trout on an early summer evening only to catch them again an hour of so later.
9 comments:
Ken I know that trickle well and have done well there evenings in the summer, there's another marshy swamp/ brook that flows in behind the school that offers cool refuge and holds small natives, a further testament to the quality of that trib!
Paul Fay,
I should of known that you would know about that cool, almost unknown, trickle. That makes two of us I think!
Ken
Dear Ken,
That high water temperature increases C&R mortality is an "old time dogma" well-supported by research. Bartholomew and Bohnsack's July 2005 scholarly article "A review of catch-and-release angling mortality with implications for no-take reserves" states:
"Greater mortality with higher water temperatures was observed for walleye (Fielder and Johnson, 1994), striped bass (Tomasso et al., 1996; Nelson, 1998; Bettoli and Osborne, 1998; Wilde et al., 2000), rainbow trout (Klein, 1966; Schisler and Bergersen, 1996), cutthroat trout (Benson and Bulkley, 1963) and Atlantic salmon (Brobbel et al., 1996 ... )"
The article explains further:
"Mortality increased with warmer water temperatures. At higher temperatures dissolved oxygen concentration decreases while fish respiratory demands increase. This combination can increase physiological stress from C&R fishing (Muoneke and Childress, 1994; Lee and Bergersen, 1996). Higher temperatures were associated with hypochloremia and hyperglycemia in rainbow trout (Wydoski et al., 1976) and increased levels of plasma cortisol and lactate in striped bass (Tomasso et al., 1996). Also, injuries may be more susceptible to infection in warmer water (Muoneke, 1992a)."
I don't know about 62°F, but I certainly won't fish a freestone which measures 66°F or higher. At what temperature do you consider a trout stream too warm to fish?
-Mike
Dear Ken,
I urge you to post my submission (included below) regarding C&R mortality and water temperature, as this is a topic important to the conservation of the coldwater fisheries (to which we are both committed), and which deserves discussion by your readership.
-Mike
Dear Ken,
That high water temperature increases C&R mortality is an "old time dogma" well-supported by research. Bartholomew and Bohnsack's July 2005 scholarly article "A review of catch-and-release angling mortality with implications for no-take reserves" states:
"Greater mortality with higher water temperatures was observed for walleye (Fielder and Johnson, 1994), striped bass (Tomasso et al., 1996; Nelson, 1998; Bettoli and Osborne, 1998; Wilde et al., 2000), rainbow trout (Klein, 1966; Schisler and Bergersen, 1996), cutthroat trout (Benson and Bulkley, 1963) and Atlantic salmon (Brobbel et al., 1996 ... )"
The article explains further:
"Mortality increased with warmer water temperatures. At higher temperatures dissolved oxygen concentration decreases while fish respiratory demands increase. This combination can increase physiological stress from C&R fishing (Muoneke and Childress, 1994; Lee and Bergersen, 1996). Higher temperatures were associated with hypochloremia and hyperglycemia in rainbow trout (Wydoski et al., 1976) and increased levels of plasma cortisol and lactate in striped bass (Tomasso et al., 1996). Also, injuries may be more susceptible to infection in warmer water (Muoneke, 1992a)."
I don't know about 62°F, but I certainly won't fish a freestone which measures 66°F or higher. At what temperature do you consider a trout stream too warm to fish?
-Mike
Mike,
You can include all the footnotes that you want BUT we've heard this all before.
The warmer the water gets the less a trout needs to eat to survive. If it gets too warm it will die. The same thing happens during severe winter weather. in fact the late Robert Behnke who was once considered the world authority on trout and salmon, said that winter kill is the biggest threat to freestone trout and not summer conditions. There is a natural breaking process. If trout don't require normal feeding because of warm water temperature then you probably will not catch many if any.
I catch trout on dry flies in the evening with the water temperature around 65 or higher. I've broken off a few of those browns but then caught them an hour or so later. They were healthy enough to fight, break me off, but fight again. And I never go smaller that 6x. I want them in the net FAST!!
Ken
I've seen in print that prime H2O temperature for a feeding trout is between 55f and 65f.
Hey Ken - We are thinking about going to the Millers Wednesday evening. I'd be leaving Boston around 55-530 so i am thinking that with traffic we should get to the Millers around 730.
Thankfully it currently stays light out later than any other time of year, but is that "too late?" or should we be fine?
Unknown,
It's never too late in the Summer!!!
Ken
I am the unknown above - we got skunked (save for a few spunky fallfish) in the rexendes pool last night. It seems perfect, tons of caddis and smaller bugs, but frankly i think the water level is just a bit too low. We tried a ton of techniques and presentations, basically the whole length from the railroad track downstreem to the area you walk in near the red shack. Didnt even see any rises. Any tips on deeper sections of the millers for this time of year? I loved the lighting/general feeling of evening rise fly fishing - very calming and nice a trout or two would help ;)
Unknown,
Try the lower Millers from Wendell to Erving. Better water with more tribs.
Ken
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