I do pretty good on stocked trout in my local river but when middle of June comes around, the bite shuts off. I was wondering if this was because of the heat or because the fish switch to flies. Also, is there a good technique to catch these fish without flies?
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I do pretty good on stocked trout in my local river but when middle of June comes around, the bite shuts off. I was wondering if
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If it is a warm water river the trout are probably off trying to find cold water. Might be up a cold water feeder stream, or around a spring, or in very deep pools. Springs are often hard to find. If the water is clear enough you might see a lighter sandy spot in the bottom. Check the water temps with a thermometer. If water temps get about the mid-60's I'd just fish for something else.
I presume they are stocked with rainbows. Though some of our rivers with cold feeders are also stocked with a few browns. I understand that browns like colder water.
With browns, they might bite better at night. Try a mouse or gurgler pattern.
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It's the heat. Trout are most active when the water is cold and it is fairly warm outside. What you have to do is cast a worm out with one small weight (or more if needed) and cast it into the current. Let it float downstream and just wait. Sometimes in the summer, you don't feel the fish hit and they just sit in one spot with your bait so be ready when you are reeling in.
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Shane, I agree with you. They can tolerate higher temps for awhile if there is enough oxygen, but become sluggish. I've hooked browns in warm water on nymphs and had them come in without a fight. Point is when the water temps start to get higher than their comfort level (mid-high 60's) they'll try to find cooler water. Temps can drop at night enough to spur activity. Browns love to feed at night.
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Here's the secret for summertime fishing any predatory fish (trout, bass, etc.). Warm water sheds oxygen. The warmer the water, the lower the dissolved oxygen, meaning the fish struggle more with breathing. In other words, it's harder to pursue prey for any great distances. That's point #1. Point #2 is that fish are cold blooded. So, when the water warms up, the fish warm up, meaning their heart rate and metabolism also go up. IN OTHER WORDS, they're hungrier, but they're worn out. Trout need colder water than bass, simply because they need more oxygen than bass. But even if the river warms up, they're still hungry and they'll still eat. You just have to put something right in front of their nose -- preferably something that looks like it has a lot of calories in it. So, bigger baits, DEEEP, and SLOOWW, and sight fish directly to the fish you're trying to catch.
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