My 4 Favorite Large Stream Trout Streamers
There is excellent action with large rainbows and browns now in the large streams by fishing with streamers which match the natural minnows the trout are feeding upon.
The Murray’s Madtom Sculpin Streamer in black size 8.
This is a great match for the natural sculpin which live in the riffles. Start at the side of the stream right below the riffle and cast across stream. After the trout streamer sinks deeply, swim it across the stream bottom. Strip it 6 inches every 10 seconds, being sure to cover the section of the riffle with the strongest current. Fish your way down the river for the next 100 feet with each successive cast 5 feet further downstream. A Sinking Tip III Line helps fish these trout streamers deeply where the large trout are holding.
Murray’s Strymph in olive size 10.
This effectively mimics the dace minnows holding in the deep cuts below the riffles. The bounce retrieve enables you to swim the Strymph deeply through these cuts the same way the dace minnow swims. I cast upstream and allow the Strymph to sink deeply then swim it back downstream with a slow foot-high rod lifting motion that retrieves it slightly faster than the current is pushing it. By wading across the river and fishing each deep cut in this way, you will catch many large trout.
Murray’s Marauder in pearl size 10.
The trout feed heavily upon the chub minnows which live in the deep sections of the pools and this fly is a great match of this minnow. I like to set myself up on the shallow side of the pool straight across from the deep water and cast across the stream. Allow it to sink deeply. Next I crawl this right along the stream bottom by stripping it two inches every 4 seconds. Wading slowly downstream, I place each successive cast two feet further downstream and retrieve it back across stream until I have covered all of the deep water.
Shenandoah Silver Ghost Streamer size 10.
The large trout feed heavily in the evenings upon the shiner minnows. These minnows are found in the shallows along the banks. This fly matches this minnow very well and helps me catch many large trout. I wade down the stream 40 feet out from the bank and cast straight in tight against the bank. Strip it out 6 inches every 10 seconds until it is 10 feet off the bank. Then I pick it up and cast it tight to the bank 5 feet further downstream. I repeat this ploy until I cover the whole pool. My fishing partner, the late William Downey, caught the largest brown trout in his life using this method.