Before We Know it The Fall Trout Fishing Season Will be Gone For Another Year

Every time that I've had the opportunity to hit the river this fall the, the rainbows have been hungry, which makes me happy and sad at the same time.  Happy because catching rainbow trout (especially ones that are over the 15 inch mark) is as enjoyable to me as any activity on this planet and sad because each morning I notice the temperatures dropping, which means that my days of productive drift fishing are numbered. 


So, since I know that fall fishing will be over soon, that means that I need to hit the river as much as I can in the next four weeks or so.  Which is exactly what I did last weekend when I managed to catch and release five nice, healthy rainbow trout that measured between fifteen and twenty inches.  And I had one hooked that felt at least as big as my largest trout of the day, only to break my line during the battle.  Yep, the fall trout season is certainly in full swing and I for one am taking advantage of it as much as possible before it's gone for another year. 

The Leaves Are Starting To Fall & The Rainbow Trout Are Starting To Bite

As I began my hour or so hike down the partially dry creek bed to get to this years favorite fall trout fishing spot, I couldn't help but notice that the leaves on the birch trees have not only changed color, but are also beginning to fall from the trees.  I would imagine that the three or four days of unseasonably cool weather that we had a week or so ago "triggered" the color change, but whatever it is that is causing the leaves to do their thing earlier than normal, I'm not complaining.

I love to see the fall color change happen, because it triggers the real start of the fall trout fishing season in me and I know that I have some great fishing for the next few months.  I had returned to the same stretch of the swan river that I fished on the last trip and for the first 40 minutes or so I didn't receive a single bite.  This really confused me, but within another 10 or so minutes I had a bite, which I missed, and caught and released a nice little 15 inch bull trout.  At this point I worked my way downstream to a really nice hole that I discovered at the end of my last trip.

I tried to fish this hole but found that it is so deep and hard to get good casting angles in, that I would have to try to fish a little further downstream.  Well after about 5 minutes of drift fishing a stretch that looked good, I had another bite.  As I quickly lifted the tip of my rod to set the hook I felt that I was dealing with a fairly heavy trout.  I started to slowly step back, trying to raise the trout enough so I could see it.  It was nice alright, but not fighting like a rainbow of that size usually does?  With 5 minutes I had the rainbow landed, and it was indeed a nice one (about 20 inches) and I quickly removed the gang hooks and released the fish. 

I worked my way downstream a step or two and began fishing again.  I quickly hooked another larger rainbow, and this rainbow trout acted like I have come to expect during the fall of the year.  The trout immediately jumped out of the water and when it reentered the river began zipping line from my reel as the fish bolted directly away from me.  It the made on last jump and just like that was gone.  This time the line didn't break, but rather the small #10 gang hooks that I prefer to use simply disengaged from the rainbows mouth. "Jesus!", I thought to myself, "That was a nice fish".  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted and saved what would have otherwise been a less than epic fish catching day. 

The Big Fall Trout That Got Away

The title of this post is a but misleading as the trout in question would have "gotten away" no matter what seeing as how I don't kill any of the trout that I catch, but nonetheless this large rainbow released itself before I had the chance to land, admire, and release it.  In any case, as I mentioned in the last post I was having a good afternoon on the water, catching and releasing multiple rainbow trout that ranged in size from 9 to about 15 or so inches.

Now I'm not sure if it was because the fishing trip was going so well or because of the fact that I'm really out of practice and don't get to spend nearly as much time on the water as I'm used to, but I neglected to do many of the things that I normally do when fishing for fall trout.  One of those things is always checking my gang hooks (particularly the leader) for wear and tear each time that a trout is caught and released. 

It had been 10 minutes or so since my last bite and I had worked my way 20 or so yards downstream when during a very nice drift, I felt the familiar 'pull' from what is often a good sized fish.  I quickly set the hook and immediately felt the weight on the end of my line.  I raised my arm high in the air, making sure to not give the fish any slack, as I stepped backward towards the edge of the river.  Almost immediately the fish jumped completely out of the water.  When the trout landed back into the water it sounded like someone threw a cinder block into the water.

I was a bit shaken, haven not felt a rainbow of this size on the end of my line for more than two years, but at that point it didn't matter because the fight was on.  Although the trout was 20 or so feet away when it jumped, I could tell that it was 20 plus inches long, and as wide a rainbow as I have ever come across on this particular river. The fish then peeled off a bunch of line and towards the bottom of the river.  It then began to slowly shake it's head (as large troiut tend to do), before bolting towards the surface of the river once again. 

This time rather than jump the trophy sized rainbow trout opted to shake it's head on the surface and when it did, snap, it was gone.  That's right, the massive rainbow broke my line, something that rarely happens.  Unless of course you don't visually inspect your gang hooks when you bait up to make sure that there are no nicks or other wear and tear on the leader, which I had failed to do on this day.  There is no doubt that this is the reason that the large trout got away, but in truth is that as rusty as I am, I'm not sure would have had a hard time landing a rainbow of this size by myself in any case?

Trout Fishing During The New Moon, Just After A Cold Front

The cold front that I mentioned in the last post made it's way through my favorite trout fishing area,

and the temperatures warmed, the skies cleared, and I decided to hit the river again.  After all, in a month or two I'm going to be doing much less fishing for trout and more sinking deep into the depression that comes with the wintertime in Montana.  I mean sure, I'll go out and wet a line a time or two in the winter, but as you may or may not be aware, trout become much more difficult to catch when the temperatures are consistently below the 20 degree mark, which is what we have to look forward to here in Northwest Montana for five or so months of the year. 

In any case, rather than focus on what I have to look forward to in a month or so, I choose to focus on what is happening right now and that is fall trout fishing.  So after my morning run, I noticed that this was the day of the new moon and that the temperature was quite a bit warmer than it was a couple of days before.  I figured that I should give the old Swan river another shot after my less than stellar performance a day or two ago, so after lunch I headed out. 

On the drive to the river I thought about where to go, and I concluded that I needed to fish the same stretch of river that I had on my last trip, if for no other reason so that I had a record of the difference between trips.  The air temperatures were about 15-20 degrees warmer, there was only a slight wind, and the skies were peppered with a few cloud, but mostly clear.  Would my results be any different?

Just a little bit I would say.   After catching and releasing five or six rainbow trout that were in the 10-13 inch range I hooked and landed one that was about 16 inches.  After missing a few more, I caught another rainbow that went about 16 inches.   Although the weather was much nicer than the prior day, it is the fall remember and my fingers began to become quite chilled after handling so many rainbows, so I decided to call it a day.  The bottom line is that the couple of hours that I spent on the river fishing for trout was well worth it if you go by numbers of trout caught.  All in all it was a good day, and like I have said before it sure beats a couple of hours working.  And now I have a hard record of the difference that a passing fall cold front causes to the trout I enjoy catching so much. 

Tactics For Catching Fall Trout

As I have said many times, the fall is without question the best time of year to fish for trout (especially when you are talking about rainbow and cutthroat trout). During the fall, the rivers and lakes are much less crowded, the water temperatures cool off to the trouts ideal temperature range, and instincts kick in which cause the trout to begin to feed heavily before the onslaught of much colder temperatures. No matter where you fish for trout a combination of these factors, plus others more than likely come into play, causing the Autumn season to be one of the best times of the year for trout fishing.

When it comes to catching fall trout, often there are trout baits and tactics that are more effective than they are during other seasons and in this post I will focus on a few of these tactics. Sometimes, adjusting our approach to ultralight trout fishing just a little bit can make all the difference, and when it comes to fall trout this fact is especially true. If either of the following tactics aren’t a part of your trout fishing arsenal, they should be added sooner rather than later.

1. Drifting/Ripping Streamers - Although many ultra light spin fishing trout fishermen think that fishing with artificial flies in out of the question, nothing could be farther from the truth, especially when you are talking about streamers. There are many different varieties of streamers that are effective for fall trout, and two of the ones that I utilize the most are the Muddler Minnow and the Universal Fly. In the picture that is attached to this post you can see the setup, and the streamer is drifting and twitched with the current or cast out and retrieved fairly fast (sometimes called "ripped"). Hungry fall trout find large streamers difficult to resist, whether you are a fly fisherman or an ultra light spin fisherman.
2. Drifting/Ripping Large Dark Colored Spinners - Using spinners to catch trout is no huge secret, but changing your tactic to include larger spinners with dark color patterns often is. As I eluded to earlier, fall trout are often more aggressive and thus much more apt to attack larger meals, which is why spinner sizes should be up-sized to 1/4, 3/8, or even 1/2 of an ounce. And stick with black, brown, dark green, or a combinations of these darker colors when choosing a color pattern. Also, I have always found gold or black blades to be more effective for trout during the fall months.

The bottom line is that the months of September, October, and November are probably the best months of the year to fish for trout, so make sure that you get out there as often as you can. If you do, I virtually guarantee the the the trout God's will make it worth your while.

Fishing Tips For Trout – Taking Advantage Of The Fall Trout Fishing Season

As the weather begins to cool here in Northwest Montana, I can't help but get excited. No, not because of football or hunting but rather because of fishing and more to the point, trout fishing. As a person who has been an avid trout fisherman for more almost three decades, the fall season is by far my favorite time of the year ti fish for trout. If you are a person who enjoys the act of trout fining, taking advantage of the fall fishing season is of the utmost importance.

The weather is comfortable and beautiful much of the time, the rivers, streams and lakes are all but empty do to people focusing on various other activities, and the trout are "stocking up" on food before the onslaught of colder temperatures when they become much less active and thus feed much less often. Yep, the fall is difficult to beat when it comes to trout fishing and below I will outline a few tips that will help you catch more trout this fall.

The first thing to discuss is your gear, and specifically I'm referring to the line on your reel. If you are a serious trout fisherman, you are using light fishing line, and when using two, four, or even six pound test, many times we forget to change our line as often as we should. The fall of the year, when the trout fishing really "kicks into high gear" is the perfect time to take a minute and re spool your main trout fishing reels with fresh fishing line.

During the fall, trout in rivers and streams become very active as water temperatures cool down to most trouts' ideal temperature range and a great tip is to try to be fishing for trout when the moon is in your favor, which will mean that the trout are that much more active when you are on the water fishing for them. You see, during the "new moon" (which happens once a month) and when the moon is "rising" or "setting" (which happens every day) fish tend to be very active and you you can be on the water fishing for trout during the fall of the year when one or all of these occurrences are taking place, you are much more apt to experience trout fishing success.

The bottom line is that the fall fishing season is probably the best time of year to go fishing for trout and the aforementioned tips will help you be even more successful. Add one or all of them to your fishing repertoire and get out make sure that you get out there and catch some trout this fall.

Fall Trout Fishing is a Comin'

As I sit here on a late Saturday morning, I can't help but think about the upcoming fall trout season.  The fall of the year is, by far, my favorite time of the year to hit the river and catch some beautiful rainbow trout.  Here in Northwest Montana as the temperatures begin to fall and the leaves begin to change, most people turn their attention to deer or elk hunting or the extremely popular local football team the Montana Grizzlies.

As a person who gave up the act of hunting right about the time scientists say the male brain stops developing (age 28 by the way) and as a lifelong Ohio State football fan who realized a few years ago what an amazing waste of time being a "football fan" is (which ironically coincided with the buckeyes getting beaten down in the national championship two years in a row by the SEC) the cool mornings and evenings mean one thing to me, trout fishing.

And as I sit here on a late Saturday morning when temperatures are supposed to reach 90 degrees, I can't help but think of the number of floaters (people on tubes floating the Swan River) that will be on the river today.  "Floaters" and fishermen don't mesh very well as you can probably imagine and at the end of the day neither does hot weather and trout fishing, but as I look down at my desk calendar I also see that the fall is all but upon us.  My daughter goes back to school in less than two weeks and that means but one thing; fall trout fishing is a comin' and I can't freakin' wait!

Secrets of Fall Trout Fishing

I have been fishing for trout for more than two decades and for the last ten years have focused primarily on catching both rainbow and cutthroat trout, and the one lesson that I have learned above all others is the the fall is, bar none, the best time of the year to catch trout. Not only do I catch more trout during the fall, I also tend to catch significantly more large trout as well. As a matter of fact, virtually all of my "trophies" have been caught during the fall trout fishing season. In this post I will reveal a few secrets of fall trout fishing that have been revealed to me over the past 10 years on the river.

During the fall, trout are extremely active, not only because water temperatures have started to cool back down after three months of sweltering heat, but also because the amount of activity on the river dwindles during the fall to a much more "normal" level. These factors come together to create what I like to call "perfect conditions" for trout fishing. Comfortable trout and next to no fishing pressure, it just doesn’t get any better.

Next we have the fact that because of these changes, instinctively the trout feed much heavier than normal as they prepare for the upcoming cold temperatures of winter when their metabolism slows and and they feed much less often. This means that during the times of the day when trout are normally active such as during a moon rise or set, a new moon phase, or during the morning or evenings, during the fall the trout will be even more active.

When fall trout fishing, although most of the normal baits will work, there are a few that seem to perform better than others, so you want to make sure that you have some variety available. The other thing that comes into play in the fall in regards to trout bait is that it seems that darker color patterns are more effective than lighter or bright color patterns.

The bottom line is that the fall is the time of the year for catching trout so make sure that you make time to get out there and enjoy some fall trout fishing this September, October, and November. If you will employ the above secrets you will experience even more success, I promise you.

3 Reasons Why The Fall is The Best Season For Rainbow Trout Fishing

I have been fishing for rainbow trout for almost thirty years and have literally done so from coast to coast, and there is one time of the year that stands out above all others when it comes to catching these beautiful fish, and that time is the fall. The fall of the year is unquestionably the best time of the year for trout fishing, especially if you are like me and enjoy fishing for rainbows while wading in a small to medium sized river. Below I will outline 3 reasons why the fall is the best season for rainbow trout fishing.

The first reason that the fall is the best season for rainbow trout fishing is that the rivers and lakes are usually virtually empty. There are many reasons for this; football, school, and hunting would be some of them, but the waterways being virtually empty is a big plus for anyone who likes to fish for rainbow trout. The main reason for this is that less anglers means less fishing pressure and less fishing pressure means that you are more likely to experience success. Couple this fact with things like being on the water when the weather and moon are in your favor and you are in for a great fall day on the water.

The second reason why the fall of the year is great for rainbow trout fishing is that as the weather cools off so do the water temperatures, and cooler water temperatures really cause rainbows to "turn on" and feed. A rainbow trouts ideal temperature range is from 55 to 60 degrees and during the fall, water temperatures return to this range after being much higher during the summer months. As this phenomenon happens, the rainbows instinctively begin to feed heavily in anticipation of the upcoming winter months, when water temperatures drop well below their ideal range and the feed much less often. This one fact is probably the biggest reason why the fall is the time of the year that I have caught virtually all of my trophy sized trout.

The third and final reason why the fall is the best season for rainbow trout fishing is that the scenery and conditions are as good as can be found at any time of the year. If you are a serious rainbow angler (as I consider myself to be) you know that in many instances standing in the flowing water fishing for trout is about much more than just "catching a fish". It's about the experience and the environment in which you are fishing and the fall of the year provides the best environment for rainbow trout fishing that can be found at any time. The scenery, cool weather, solitude, and weather patterns all come together to create some great fishing conditions, there’s no doubt about it.

Trout Fishing In The Fall Can't Be Beat

So, I headed out to my favorite trout river the other day.  I figured the fishing would be good because the barometer was dropping as a weather system began to push through the area and the moon would be rising within three hours of me be on the river, so my attitude was as good as it gets.  When I left the house I grabbed a leftover container of worms from the refrigerator and on the drive to the river I contemplated making a quick stop to buy some more, but I never made that stop.

I knew the container had a decent number of worms in it so I figured that there wouldn't be any issue.  As I began transferring the worms from the Styrofoam container, into my bait bag I realized that there were only about 10 worms but I thought, "hey I don't want to be here all afternoon anyway" and I began my trek across the river.

When I reached the first hole, a deep, fairly slow moving stretch of water with  large boulders hidden beneath the surface, I rigged a half of a night crawler onto my gang hooks and began drift fishing.  This is a nice hole where I have caught multiple 18 plus inch rainbows from in the past, but on this day it was not to be.  After drift fishing for upwards of an hour without as much as a nibble, I headed downstream.

When I reached the next hole, which is more of a 'deep run' rather than a 'hole' on my first drift I felt the familiar tap, tap,from a hungry trout.  I hooked and landed 3 or 4 small rainbow trout (8-10 inches) and began to realize that my bait bag was almost empty.  I had used almost all of my worms and only had a few chances left. 

On the next cast I felt the familiar 'pull' feeling that usually means a decent trout is biting.  I set the hook and voila, I missed him!  I quickly reeled in and baiting my gang hooks with my next to last worm, casted out and began drift fishing once again.  Again, I felt the familiar 'pull' from a decent sized trout and set the hook.  This time I 'jagged' him (or her) felt weight and almost as quickly as I hooked the trout, it was off of the end of my line.  An expletive followed as I reeled in to bait my hooks with my final worm. 

Ads I casted out for my final drift of the day, I couldn't help but think about how much I LOVE drift fishing for rainbow trout.  About half way through the drift I felt a nice little tap, tap on the end of my rod.  I set the hook and soon was releasing a beautiful 10 inch rainbow trout.  The big one didn't bite that time, but oh well, you can't catch a monster every time that you go fishing, right?  

The Best Kept Secrets of Fall Trout Fishing

If you like to fish for trout, whether you are talking about rainbow, cutthroat, brook, or brown trout, you need to be aware of one simple fact and that fact is that the fall months offer some of the best trout fishing that can be experienced all year long. I have been fishing for trout for almost a quarter of a century and in that time have learned that fall trout fishing is unmatched for many reasons some of which include; Uncrowded waterways, unmatched scenery, comfortable temperatures, and trout that seem to be "stocking up" on food before the onslaught of freezing temperatures.

In this article I will outline a few secrets of fall trout fishing that I have learned during my extensive time on the water in the hopes that they will help you to experience more success when fishing for trout this fall. All of these secrets have served me well over the years and I know when implemented how effective they can be, so they will no doubt help you to catch more trout this fall season.

The first secret to trout fishing in the fall is to make sure that you are on the water when the trout are the most active. Now, you're probably wondering how you are supposed to know when the trout are going to be active and the answer to this question is that there are many ways, but the easiest way is to pay attention to something called the moon rise and/or set. You see, the moon rises and sets just like the sun does and fishes activity level is directly tied to these celestial events.

Many people think that the moon rise and/or set would be opposite of the time that the sun rises and sets, but this is not the case. As a matter of fact sometimes the moon rise can take place in the middle of the afternoon, believe it or not. The key is that if at all possible, you want to be on the water fishing for trout in the hour or two that brackets either the moon rise or the moon set. The trout will be more active during these times, which means that they are more likely to be feeding. Just do a search in the internet for the term "moon rise" and you will find the information that you need.

The second secret to trout fishing in the fall of the year is to utilize live fishing worms as bait. While live worms are an effective trout bait during most of the seasons, they seem to be most effective during fall trout fishing, especially if you are "drift fishing" in a small to medium sized river. Trout feed heavily in the fall of the year and during this time find a juicy worm difficult to resist.

The third secret that I have learned when it come to fall trout fishing is to have protection available for your hands. While the weather can be quite mild during the fall, it can also change very quickly and the slightest breeze can cause your hands to become extremely cold. As I have learned from experience, when your hands become cold, trout fishing becomes much more difficult as you begin to focus on warming your hands up, rather than trying to catch trout. For this reason, you always want to carry a pair of fishing gloves with you anytime that you are fishing for trout during the fall months so that you can slip them on whenever they are needed.

If you add these simple secrets to your trout fishing repertoire this fall you will experience more success on the water, there's no doubt about it.

Fall Trout Fishing Has Begun

I've noticed that on my morning runs the temperature has dropped considerably in the last week or so. It seems to be hovering in the 40-55 degree range depending on what the weather is doing, so during this mornings run I thought to myself,"I'll bet the rainbows are starting to bite?" so this afternoon I headed out to my favorite trout river to see if the rainbows were starting to feed.

After a couple of hours spent drift fishing I had my answer. Fall trout fishing has most certainly gotten underway. I caught four rainbow trout, the largest of which was seventeen inches, and this made me remember just how much I enjoy fishing for trout in the fall of the year (even though technically it is still summer).

As soon as the air temperatures begin to drop, which in turn begins to drop the water temperatures, the fishing inevitably begins to heat up, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to fall trout fishing (at least in the western United States.

Fall Trout Fishing

As the summer winds to an end, it's time to begin to focus our attention on fall trout fishing. For me, fall is my favorite time to fish. The rivers and streams are a lot less crowded, and in many parts of the country , trout are "stocking" up before the truly cold weather starts. It has always seemed to me that the fall is the best time to not only catch numbers of trout, but also large trout.

I know that most of my truly large trout have been caught during the fall fishing season. On rivers and streams, at least in the western United States, catching trout in the winter can be difficult because of the cold weather. This is why I like to focus my efforts on fishing in the fall, before the trout's' metabolism slows down and they become much less active.

One of my favorite techniques for fall trout fishing is to use live worms rigged on a gang hook rig. A gang hook rig is simply a set of pre-tied gang hooks attached to your line using a small barrel swivel. This is how it's done: Start by taking the end of your line and tying on a small barrel swivel. Now, tie a set of pre-tied gang hooks to the opposite end of the barrel swivel. At this point add a couple of split shot sinkers above the barrel swivel (the number and size of split shot will vary with current flow) for weight. Now rig a live worm onto your gang hooks (if the worms are really large, simply pinch them in ½).

That's the gang hook rig. Now cast that rig into the current, close your bail, and let the offering flow naturally with the current. The goal is to have the rig bounce off of the bottom as it flows naturally with the current until it's directly below you in the current (at this point the drift is over). The number of split shot will vary depending on current flow. With a little practice, telling the difference between bottom and bites will become simple, and you'll begin catching a lot of trout. The rig that I just described is deadly when fishing for trout in the fall of the year.

If you want to have an extremely effective and practical way to carry your worms while fishing in this manner, just check out The Original Bait Bag. I've personally been using some manifestation of a bait bag for more than 20 years, and can't imagine fishing with live worms without one. The amount of time it saves the average angler in remarkable. The bottom line is that the techniques revealed in this article will make any fall trout fishing excursion much more successful.

Fall Trout Fishing Is Quickly Approaching

Ok, we're still 6-8 week from true "fall trout fishing", but I can't help but get excited anyway. The rivers in Northwest Montana are receding by the day, which is making them more and more "fishable". Yep, the run off from the snow in the mountains still has most of the rivers running high and stained, but the better fishing is no doubt going to be here before I know it.

 For anyone who isn't aware, at JRW our trout fishing technique of choice is drift fishing, and drift fishing is hard to do when the water flows are high and muddy, which is why the fall is our favorite time of the year for chasing trout. Sure we fish for and catch trout during all seasons, but none of them can hold a candle to the fall season.

So, although the fall trout season is still a few weeks off, the excitement is beginning to build for us, and in our opinion it should be building for you as well?