Early season on the river

[Ardbeg]

Tweed's topic about early season flees got me thinking about this one.

I think finding the fish is the initial problem, the correct fly is obviously the next step.

So where and what methods would you use to catch river broonies this early in the season.

On any given day are the troot generally in the faster water, if so are they at the tail of the run or at the head?

When a hatch comes on, almost certainly MB's or LDO's, should we be targetting the pools or the faster water?  The shallow fast runs or the deeper fast water?

Cheers

Ardbeg

[haresear]

I wouldn't argue with conventional wisdom at this time of year. I tend to fish the slower, steady runs and pools, not so much the streamy water and not the fast tails of pools. That comes as the thermometer rises.

As the temperatures rise a wee bit and water levers stabilise, hatches will become more reliable and fish will use a bit of muscle to get first in the queue, so the fittest/biggest/hungriest fish will get the prime lie, generally at the run-in to the head of the pool.

I've caught bugger all so far this season in the way of trout, so if I were you I'd ignore this advice :lol:

Alex

[Clan Ford]

In March and April it's the "flats" and slower water for me too, usually as that's where I'm likely to find the risers....

Norm

[east wind]

Until i see surface activity my tactics are about the same as the others. One, mibbee two weighted nymphs on a long leader fished down and across on the slower deeper stretches.

If possible i hardly wade and cast increasingly longer to the far bank and let the nymph swing round and up and its this action which usually induces a decent fish to take.

For me its a much better method than the upstream version for slower water. Still not been on a larger river yet, so have not tried it this year.

EW