Fishing spring creeks isn't easy. Don't expect large quantities of catches, but do expect a challenging experience which has a certain mystique about it. Catching just a few trout, will give you a feeling of accomplishment.

Spinfishing is illegal on most spring creeks, but you can use a variety of flyfishing methods such as sight casting to "rooters" burrowing in aquatic plants for scuds, nymphs and sow bugs. You can slap out chunky streamers to tease big fish from deep, dark pools. You can fish terrestrials during no-hatch periods, or you can wait patiently for mayfly emergences, when trout rise furiously all around you.

Delicate presentations are important, so keep your tackle light. Use an eight to nine foot rod taking a No. 4 to 6 weight-forward or double-taper floating line, plus an eight to 14 foot knotless leader tapering to a 4X to 7X tippet is perfect.

Keep in mind that your casting positions can be critical in determining whether your fly is snatched up boldly or ignored on spring creeks. Try different deliveries from several different locations to find which is best. Try quartering upstream across a downstream casts until you get just eh right float to fool a particularly difficult trout.

Know what stage of insect the trout are consuming. This can vary from fish to fish and from minute to minute as the hatch progresses. When the first mayflies appear, most trout feed on the emerging insects drifting in the surface film as they struggle to free themselves from their nymphal skins. Always carry a good supply of emerger imitations when fishing a spring creek hatch.

Copyright 2005 EveningSecret Fishing

Frank Faldo Long-Time Fisherman and President of EveningSecretFishing (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com)

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