Missouri Trout Hunter

Blog for sharing thoughts, beliefs and opinions on issues affecting the world of trout fishing in the Ozarks.

Monday, August 28, 2006

How the Recent Rains Will Affect Your Favorite Trout Stream

People all over the state are saying prayers of thanks for the recent rains, except for those of us who have suffered storm damage, of course. River fishermen are often confused about heavy rains and rising waters and what it means for their fishery. On the one hand, we all know that some of our favorite rivers are not just low, but are dangerously low. Some favorite trout fishing areas of a decade ago are darn near dry, today. So, obviously, we welcome all the rain we can get. However, we all still want to fish, and high water does not necessarily dampen our enthusiasm.

The first thing you should do is check the gauge levels of your favorite creeks on our Water Levels Page. You then need to analyze the data. I'm sorry to say this will require some math skills. It's generally at this point that I search the house for my 3rd grader to come and explain fractions and percentages to me.

After you find the graph you want to review, grab a calcuator. Of course, you can determine how many inches the river is up by simply subtracting the recent low number from the recent high number, but that's not the number we're interested in. We're more interested in the percentage of increase. For example, the Meramec River went from a gauge height of 1.38 feet to 1.90, an actual increase of 6-1/4 inches of so, which doesn't sound so bad. That number is misleading, though. Instead, divide 1.9 by 1.38 to get an answer of about 1.376. Read that as 137.6%. In other words, the new level is almost 138% of the old level, which means the Meramec River is up by almost 38%, or more than 1/3. That's a bigger deal than a mere 6 inches.

Now that you have that number, consider the change in current. It's tempting to assume that a 38% increase in water level will mean a 38% increase in water speed, but this is also misleading. As the river gets deeper (by 6-1/4 inches, in this case), it also gets wider. So, to be safe, you should assume that the percentage of increase in height only represents about 1/5 of the actual increase in water volume. In fact, if you were to take a look at the second Meramec River graph titled "Discharge, cubic feet per second", you'd see that the volume of water increased from about 100 cfs to about 280 cfs. 280/100=2.8 or 280%, meaning the new volume is 280% of the old volume, meaning it's an increase of 180%. 38% x 5 = 190%, so our 1/5 estimate was fairly accurate this time. And bear in mind that water volume measured in cubic feet per second is the same thing as speed. The higher the discharge, the faster the current.

Okay, we're done with the math. Apologies. However, I just want to make clear what we're talking about. With even a modest 6" increase in gauge height, a river can be unfishable and certainly unwadable due to depth and speed. Just how much weight are you prepared to put on the end of your line to get your fly down deep? And just how strong are your legs? So, hold off until the river's current is more managable. That's rule number #1. Rule #2: get ready, cuz the fishing's gonna get good!

Right now, as the river's are swelling, the fishing for the future is changing. We all know the water temperatures have been high recently -- sometimes into the 80's. Trout lose their swimming endurance when the water is that warm. Then, when the current jumps from 100 to 280, they just can't keep up with it. Therefore, the trout are being washed downstream even as I write this. So, think about looking farther downstream when you go fishing next week. Also, with poor physical endurance, the trout will have less energy for pursuit feeding, meaning they'll rely almost entirely on feeding on drifting food: mostly aquatic insects and crustraceans. And lucky for them (and us), the increased flow is going to be rolling the rocks over and getting the bugs really moving. The last perk is that the fish will be hugging the bottom of the river seeking shelter from the faster current, so the food will be floating right in their faces. They're going to be hungry due to the excess energy consumption, they're going to be collected together in the most sheltered spots, and they're going to get hooked on nymphs (sorry for the pun). So we fly fishermen are going to have a great time as soon as the water settles a bit, as we just might find trout competitively attacking sub-surface flies in a feeding frenzy type of atmosphere. Then, as the recharge spring pool continues to cool the river, we'll see perkier trout begin to respond to streamers, spinners, crankbaits, and such.

Be patient, my fellow anglers. Some good times are coming.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Summertime Trout Tactics

This time of year, it's common that I start getting a flurry of emails from folks asking me to diagnose what they're doing wrong. They're just not catching fish like they were in June and July. They're seeing plenty of fish, but they're struggling to hook them. Streamers, rooster tails, crankbaits, and rubber worms were tearing them up just a few weeks ago, and now the trout are just ignoring me. What do I do?

It's not so bad, really. The sad truth is that these are the dog days of summer, and cold water fishing just gets tougher this time of the year. If you close your eyes and try to put yourself into the mind of the trout, it will make sense. Follow me on this.

Picture yourself living in the wilderness. The weather and temperature are perfect -- let's say 72 degrees, partly cloudy, light breeze. You're dressed appropriately for this weather, perhaps some jeans and a T-shirt. You're feeling good about life. Your appetite is good. You start eye-balling the local family of squirrels and begin to plot their demise, fantasizing about making a pot pie out of them. Suddenly, the temperatures begin to climb. Within a couple of weeks, daily highs are ranging from mid-90's to mid-100's, and you're downright miserable. What do you do? How do you respond?

Your first thought may be to run inside where the air conditioner has it cooled down, but you can't do that. You live in the wilderness. The best thing you can do is look for some shade, a spot with a cooler breeze, and maybe even a cave. It doesn't fix everything, but it helps. This is what trout do, of course. They find shade under overhanging trees, downed trees, along bluffs, and so on. They move into cooler breezes by settling into the very bottom of the deepest holes, where the water is a bit cooler. And if they can get under a cut bank or a big boulder, they will. Another thing to consider: if there are other people around, they're going to congregate around the coolest spots, right? If there's a shady cave with a nice cool breeze blowing through it, you'll probably have some company, don't you think? How would the crowding affect you? It affects trout by making them edgy and nervous. Especially when the water levels drop and they cooler spots get even smaller.

How will this hot temperature effect your appetite? The last time you were mowing the lawn in the summer sun all afternoon, did you run inside and wolf down a deep dish pizza with all the toppings? How about a slab of BBQ'd ribs or a big thick cheeseburger? Nope. You ran inside and had an ice-cold drink, maybe two. Food was simply not important to you, because you were so uncomfortable. Of course, you'll eventually get hungry, but if you're forced to eat when you're this overheated, what would your diet consist of? First off, you'd eat light. You'd only eat enough to stop your stomach from grumbling. Secondly, you'd only eat the stuff that's easy to get, wouldn't you? Nuts & berries, for example? If one of those squirrels fell out of a tree and hit his head, you'd probably pick him up. Then again, maybe you wouldn't. Who wants to build a campfire in this heat?

These parallels are fairly simplistic, I'll admit. The advice is sound, though, so here's a quick summary. (1) When I'm mowing the lawn and it's 102, don't expect me eat anything at all. Translation, avoid fishing when the water is at it's warmest: 2pm to 6pm or so. You'll often be wasting your time. (2) When it's 92 degrees out, don't expect me to eat pizza or cheeseburgers, and don't expect me to chase a squirrel. If I'm going to eat, it's going to be nuts, berries, or other small items that I can get easily. Translation, fish small baits and work extra hard to drift it right to their nose. Pursuit baits like spinners, streamers, crankbaits, etc. will often get skunked. And don't expect to find a fly that is the "it" bait of the day. Instead, plan on having to change flies frequently to appeal to the rapidly changing tastes of the different trout you're casting to. They're not actively feeding, so matching the hatch may make you lose your religion. (3) If I'm hunkered down in my nice cool cave with the big tree shading the entrance and that amazing cool breeze blowing through, I am not going to leave it to chase a squirrel, even if he's carrying a big cheeseburger. In fact, I'm not moving from this spot, if I can help it. Translation, excessively warm water shuts off pursuit feeding almost entirely. If you fish a trout stream that usually has good streamer or spinner fishing, you'll probably still have good results at sunrise, when the water is coolest. As soon as the sun hits the water, though, put them away and forget about them. Instead, focus on nut & berry fishing with extra focus on getting the baits to fish's hideout, in the cave, in the shade and in the breeze. This means fish DEEEEEEEEP, along bluffs, around boulders, and around downed trees.

Seems easy, right? Nope. It's still the dog days, and trout are still cold water fish. A trout fisherman that uses the proper summertime tactics will catch fish, and he'll certainly outfish those around him, but he's going to have to work for every fish he hooks. And the edgy nervousness I mentioned before? Well, you're going to have to deal with that as well by making longer more delicate casts and/or dropping your bait a good long distance upstream of the trout -- anything to avoid spooking the exceptionally spooky dog days trout.

Good luck, guys.