Don’t let high water scare you away from trout fishing

January 26, 2009 by admin

The author holds a fish caught in higher-than-usual water.

Standing shin-deep on a gravel bar that I had stood atop, bone dry, only a month earlier, I stared at the currents that whipped across the top of a normally placid pool. My hole was washed out. About that time my buddy popped through a gap in the thicket behind me and stepped out onto the gravel bar. “Mighty high today,” he said. “They should be concentrated.”
He pointed to an eddy no larger than my laptop on the far side of the river and asked whether I had hit it. I shook my head, so he snapped of a cast and placed his plug right against the bank. One crank of the rod handle, and a trout walloped my buddy’s offering. Impressed, I followed suit, and so did a trout that would turn out to be the twin of the one my friend was about to land.
The run that feeds that pool, normally a good spot to pick up a rainbow, was too swift to fish or to wade through, so we crawled back out of the creek to go upstream by land. The next few spots I would normally fish were washed out, but the next one we could get to produced another strike, although I missed the fish.
Winter fronts bring a seemingly endless series of rains and snows to Kentucky, and each causes streams to swell. From January through March, many streams run high, even between weather systems. Following specific fronts, they surge. High water brings both good and bad things to trout fisherman.
At the positive end of the spectrum, high water tends to concentrate trout, and it makes their locations very predictable. When streams push hard, shoreline cuts, midstream boulders and waterfalls create eddy pockets that act like magnets to trout. Large sections of stream that normally provide good habitat, meanwhile, become too swift for the fish.
High water also can make fish more aggressive becase greater depth, stronger currents and often-stained water cause the fish to feel less threatened. Finally, high water surges dislodge food items from the banks and from the bottom, putting trout on the lookout for easy meals.
The bad news is that many fish-holding eddies are easy to recognize but impossible to get a lure to or fish effectively because of current lanes that bound them. Also, winter trout, which already relate o the bottom for most of their food, hold extra tight to the stream bottom when the water pushes hard. Many of he best eddies are formed by sunken boulders or ledges and are not even visible from above the surface. Finally, high water makes many stream stretches unsafe or even impossible to wade. Steep-sided creeks become deep in a hurry, and rock walls or rhododendron often render the bank-fishing approach impossible.
Adjustments begin with up-sizing gear. Whether a fisherman prefers plugs, spinners or jigs, the lures should be able to find bottom, given a heavier water flow. Bigger lures also offer more visibility in water that is sometimes stained and give trout something to home in on.
For anglers who favor natural offerings, the main adjustment may be to simply add more weight to the line. Rod-and-reel combinations and line sizes used also may need to be heavier to contend with larger, heavier offerings and stronger currents.
Fly-fisherman should orient their approach toward the bottom when the water runs high during winter. Weighted nymphs are the norm, and extra lead may be needed. Big flies, like stonefly nymphs, offer good visibility while matching what the trout often dine on this time of year. After a major rain, when the water surges, a San Juan Worm with a split shot above it can reap big rewards. Because big flies and extra weight on the line make fly-casting more difficult, many fishermen who spend a lot of time on the water during winter own heavier outfits that they turn to when their favorite streams rise.
On the water, fishermen must learn to pick their spots and fish them thoroughly. Eddy pockets are obvious. Other areas worth working hard are long, deep runs with boulders along the bottom. Offerings of any kind must be presented right along the bottom and as slowly as possible to draw trout from their hiding places.
When it comes to safe wading on high water, adjustments begin with gear. A wading belt, always a good idea, becomes nearly essential during winter so that waders won’t fill up if an angler does slip. A waterproof wading jacket, worn instead of a vest, adds an extra measure of protection. In larger streams, a life vest is even worth wearing. These days, inflatable vests that don’t really even get in a fisherman’s way are available.
To avoid falling in the first place and make some crossings more manageable, a wading staff also helps dramatically. A staff becomes a third leg for an angler and can also be used to test the depth of a spot.
Maybe the most important adjustment that any angler must make when a stream runs high is in his mindset. Some spots simply cannot be waded safely or fished effectively. Winter streams, along with running swift, turn dangerously cold, and no trout hole is good enough to risk an icy dip in the drink.
—By Jeff Samsel