On heavily fished trout streams I often catch many large trout by fishing with what I call “changes of pace flies”. These are fly patterns which mimic the natural foods upon which the trout feed but which show them fly patterns they seldom see.
A good example of this is the Murray’s Housefly. By placing the wings down spent on each side of the flies body I show the trout a food they know well but that produces a different light pattern from what they usually see. I fish these below shrubs along the banks and below overhanging tree limbs using an upstream dead drift.
The Inchworm is another fly which matches many worm-like creatures that the trout feed heavily upon in addition to the real inchworm. Since many of these worms fall clumsily onto the stream, I find that presenting my Murray’s Inchworm with roll cast causing it to land on the stream with a splash often brings a strike from a trout which races across the stream to get it. Dapping this carefully over vegetation along undercut stream bank causes the Inchworm to dangle on the surface like a natural worm hanging from his thread.
The Mosquito is another artificial fly which will fool many wary trout when fished with a dead drift along blackish water on mountain streams and on sloughs in spring creeks.
Frequently these tactics bring me some of my largest trout of the season.
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