Being Prepared For A Little Fall Trout Fishing

It has been a long, hot, and particularly dry summer here in Northwest Montana and my motivation to get out there chase the trout around has suffered because of it.  My motivation for trout fishing often wanes in the summer time, but this year has seemed particular bad.  That's okay though, because I'm even more excited for the fall, when I know I will be out there on the Swan River catching some nice trout.

As everyone is more than likely aware, the fall of the year is my favorite and most productive time of the year for trout fishing.  There is simply nothing better than standing in the flowing waters of a river when the air is crisp and clean and drift fishing for a rainbow trout or two.  To me personally this is a little bit of heaven.

But, if you want to be successful when fishing for fall trout it's important that you are prepared, and what exactly do I mean by this?   Well, it's pretty  simple really.  First of all it means that you go through your fishing vest and remove any unwanted/unneeded items, as well as stocking up on the items that you know you will be using during your fall trout fishing excursions.

Next and maybe most importantly is the condition of your fishing line.  As you know as trout fishermen we tend to use fishing line that is quite light (often 2 or 4 pound test) and light fishing line becomes worn quite easily and thus needs to be changed.  For this reason I make it a habit to always discard my fishing line and add a fresh spool of line to all of my reels before the fall trout fishing season begins.  Doing this not only makes for easier casts, it also gives you confidence that your line won't fail when you're fighting one of those heavy fall trout!

Keep these simple tips in mind and you will have a much more productive and enjoyable time of the water this fall fishing season.  Remember the more prepared you are the more efficient you will be on the water, which means that you get more time fishing and thus more time catching fall trout.  

Fall Trout Fishing: Making The Best Of A Rainy Situation

Although fishing for trout in the fall of the year can be a very productive endeavor, the weather can be unpredictable to say the least.  One day it's beautiful, the next it's cold and rainy with the threat of winter looming over the situation like a father over his 15 year old daughter when she shows up an hour late after her first "party".  This is exactly the situation that I find myself in today.


It's cold and rainy, the type of day no one in their right mind would want to spend on the water chasing trout, however I have never claimed to be in my right mind.  I am acutely aware of the fact that November is officially upon us and that I have very little time left in the year to fish for trout, so it is of the utmost importance that I spend as much time on the water trout fishing as I can, while I can, because soon it will be too cold to spend very much time at all on the river that I love so much. 


Therefore I have a plan.  I have checked the weather forecast and the radar map on the interweb (technology is a wonderful thing) and have determined that the rain should stop at around 3:00 for six or seven hours?  Is this an idea that I should be confident about?  Probably not because I know how unpredictable the weather actually is, but a girl can dream can't she?  In any case, I'm planning on giving fishing a shot at around 3:00 this afternoon and we'll see what happens.  One thing I do know is that the temperatures aren't supposed to even hit the 40 degree mark today, so a pair of Wristies will be on my hands no matter what.  This is without a doubt the kind of day that fingerless fishing gloves were made for. 

Fall Trout Fishing Is Upon Us

When I got done with my morning run I checked the times when the moon was rising and setting for

the day and found out that neither of these events were going to be "in my favor" on this afternoon.  I knew that the moon was almost full as I saw it when I awoke (yea, I tend to get up a little early) and know from experience that a full moon can be okay for fishing, but a new moon is much better.  I was going to fish a spot on this day that I hadn't been to in a couple of years, one that involves a mile or two hike down a dry creek bed, so I figured, "what the heck, if nothing else it will be good exercise and a beautiful walk" so the preparations for an afternoon fall fishing trip began.

I packed my fishing gear right after I ate lunch and headed out.  It's an hour or so drive to the area where I park and once I arrived there it was a little after twelve noon.  I began the hour or so hike down the creek (which had water in it by the way) and worked my way over and through all of the fallen trees that had obviously emerged due to the high spring run off.  After about a half an hour of walking, the water in the creek dried up and I was hiking through the dry creek bed that I remembered.

While traversing one particularly jumbled maze of fallen trees I managed to have to jump/fall a nice little four foot drop that  caused me to have to throw my fishing rod into the air, which ended up with a broken rod tip. This would have upset me, but I was thankful for the fact that I didn't break my ankle or leg on my little fall, so I proceeded to the river with my fishing rod minus the last eyelet.  

Twenty or so minutes later I arrived at the river, took a ten minute water break and began to fish with my broken fishing rod.  I fished the first hole that I came to (one that I hooked and lost a VERY large rainbow in about 10 years prior) but only managed to catch one little 8 or 9 inch rainbow.  I proceeded to cross the river and work my way downstream.  I then began to fish a great looking stretch of water that was absolutely perfect for drift fishing, which is exactly what I did. 

Within 3 drifts I had hooked and landed 3 more small rainbow trout ranging in size from 9-12 inches.  10 minutes later I hooked and landed a very nice 15 or so incher and was feeling pretty darn good about my day.  I continued to work my way downstream for the next 20 minutes or so only hooking one more fish, which I lost, when something special happened, of which I will discuss in my next post.  The bottom line is thta fall trout fishing is without question here my friends. 
 

It's Almost Time For The Best Time of The Year To Fish For Trout

As I stepped outside to begin my morning run, I immediately thought to myself, "Jesus, it's kind of cold out here."  I quickly went back inside and added a beanie and a long sleeve shirt to my running attire.  As I ran I couldn't help but think to myself how much it was starting to feel like trout fishing weather.  Oh, the fall....there's no better time of the year to fish for (and catch) trout, and I for one can't wait. 

Ever since I moved to Montana more than a decade ago and began to fish for trout upwards of 100 times a year, the fall has been my favorite time of the year to fish for trout.  The cool weather, the uncrowded waterways, and the hungry trout all come together to create what I've always thought of as the "perfect storm" when it come to fishing for trout. 

I've caught virtually all of my trophy sized rainbow trout during the fall, which without question also factors into my love of the fall fishing season.  In any case, if these cooler temperatures are any indication, look for more posts and reports as we head into the months of September, October, and November. 

Fall Trout Baits – 3 Extremely Effective Fall Trout Baits

As you may or may not be aware, the fall of the year is probably the best time of the year for trout

fishing. This is especially true here in Northwest Montana, where I have caught virtually all of my "trophy" sized rainbow trout. I also know that the fall of the year was extremely productive in Central Pennsylvania where I grew up. When it comes to trout fishing during the fall of the year, it is vitally important that yo8u utilize the most effective trout baits, which is what this article is about.

Throughout the article below I will outline 3 extremely effective fall trout baits, so that you can make sure that one or all of them are a part of your fishing arsenal when you head out trout fishing this fall. All of these baits are effective for river dwelling trout. Many trout fishermen make the mistake of not giving enough thought to the type of bait that they utilize in relation to when they are fishing and this is a big mistake.

The first fall trout bait that I want to discuss is the inline spinner, but not just any inline spinner, in the fall I like to use dressed spinners that have a dark color pattern and a gold blade. For some reason, during the fall of the year gold blades seem to outperform any other blade color. When fishing spinners for fall trout, don't forget to up size your spinner to an 1/8 or even 1/4 of an ounce. Aggressively feeding trout (which you often find during the fall) are more susceptible to larger meals.

The next of the fall trout baits that I want to discuss is the live or synthetic fishing worm. Live or synthetic fishing worms (such as Berkley tout worms or "Alive" nightcrawlers) that are rigged onto a set of gang hooks and "drift fished" through the current of your favorite trout river is as effective a fall trout fishing technique as there is. Whatever you do, don't forget the fishing worm when you head out in search of fall trout this year.

Finally we come to one of the most overlooked baits that there is when it comes ultralight trout fishing, the nymph. Whether you are talking about Wooly Buggers, Mohair leeches, or even the Universal Fly nymphs are a favorite trout bait choice for many fall trout fishermen. What, you think that because your aren't a fly fisherman you can't use artificial flies such as nymphs as bait? Well you are WRONG, just check this post out for more info: Spin Fishing w/ Artificial Flies. 

The bottom line is that there is probably no more effective time of the year to catch trout than the fall, so make sure that you get out there and "wet a line" during this extremely productive time of the year. And make sure that one (or all) of the aforementioned fall trout baits are along for the ride.

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!

Rainy, Cool Weather and a Few Nice Rainbow Trout

When I woke up the other morning, trout fishing wasn't on my list of things to do, but as the morning progressed into the early afternoon, I thought to myself, "Even though it looks like it might rain, why don't you go fishing?" I sat there for a moment and realized that winter was going to be here before I knew it and I wasn't going to get many more drift fishing opportunities for the next eight months, so I stopped what I was doing and loaded the car.

 It took about a half an hour to reach the river and then another twenty or so minutes to reach the area that I wanted to fish. I had caught a ton of rainbow trout from this stretch of river a couple of weeks earlier and had hooked one that was more than likely in the "trophy" category so my spirits were high.  As I made my first cast I couldn't help but smell the fresh air and feel the cool air temperature through the Wristies that were protecting my hands and realized as I often do when I'm standing thigh deep in a flowing trout river how much I love the act of trout fishing. 

After thirty or so minutes of drift fishing without as much as a nibble I was beginning to think that maybe the trout God's weren't going to cooperate with me on this day, and then I felt the familiar pull that so often means that a nice rainbow trout is biting the end of my line.  I set the hook and the fight was on.  Fifteen or so minutes later I was admiring a healthy 20 inch rainbow trout. 

I let that trout go, re-baited, repositioned myself and made another cast.  Mid way through the drift, Wam!, I had another healthy rainbow hooked.  This fish wasn't as long as the previous trout, it only measured about fifteen inches, but was easily four to five inches wide, which made her a very healthy rainbow trout as well. 

By the time my quick fishing trip was over I had caught and released six rainbow trout that were from twelve to twenty inches long and I left the river with a smile on my face.  As I hiked back to my vehicle, crossed the river, and climbed the hill towards my vehicle I couldn't help but give thanks to whatever forces converge to make the fall such a fabulous time of the year for trout fishing. 

Fall River Fishing Tips: 2 Amazingly Effective Fishing Techniques to Try This Fall

When it comes to river fishing, there is no more productive time of the year than the fall. The months of September, October, and November offer some of the most productive fishing of the year, and in this article I will outline a pair of amazingly effective techniques for you to try in your favorite river this fall.

Now, when I refer to the term river fishing, what is the style of fishing that I would be referring to exactly? The style that I am referring to is known as "wade fishing" or wading in a river while you are attempting to catch our underwater friends. Wading in the river that you are fishing is always what I have considered river fishing, and this is the style of fishing that I am referring to in this article. Obviously rivers can also be fished from a boat or the shore, but the both of the techniques below relate specifically to wading in the river that you are attempting to catch fish in.

So, what are the 2 tips that are so effective when wading in a river during the fall of the year? Read on, and you will find out.

1. Drifting Worms - There is no doubt that drifting worms is an amazingly effective technique to use in the fall of the year and it is a technique that I have been using with great success for more that two decades. "Drifting worms" involves allowing a live worm to drift naturally with the current of the river in an attempt to catch fish. The technique is often called "drift fishing", and is as effective a technique as there is in the fall of the year when fish are "stocking up" on food before the onslaught of freezing water temperatures.


2. Drifting Flies - Drifting an artificial fly through the current of the river that you are fishing is also an extremely effective fall fishing technique to use when fishing in the fall. Traditional fly fishermen know this fact very well, but spin fisherman probably don't because they think that they can't fish with artificial flies. This is actually not true, and with the help of a fly fishing bubble spin fishermen can actually drift fish with artificial flies quite effectively. Although specific fly patterns will vary from area to area, various nymphs and/or streamers are popular fly choices when fishing during September, October, and November.

The bottom line is that if you are a river fisherman and enjoy wading in the water, the aforementioned techniques should be added to you repertoire sooner rather than later. They have both been working for me on species of fish such as rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and even walleye for many years and I am confident that they will do the same for you.