Fly Fishing In Cumbria, Lake District Fishing, Spey Casting Tuition, Cumbria Fishing Trips and Fishing Guides

Sea Trout.
Many rivers that hold resident brown trout stocks will more than likely have a run of sea trout of some description. What will make this possible may depend on a few factors. Is there clear passage from the river mouth to the spawning locations higher in the system? Both brown trout and their brethren the sea trout like to use the same areas to spawn, they are in fact the same fish, Salmo Trutta. Also is there is ample food in the river? If there is a healthy population of invertebrate life and small fish, the brown trout seem quite happy to reside, and the sea trout run maybe poor. On the other hand in some of the streams and rivers in Wales and the north for example, where there is only enough food to sustain them up to the Parr stage, they have to leave their home and go to sea around the coastline to feed, the run then maybe excellent. These are the two extremes; there are many rivers in the middle class that have a fair run. Sea trout have part salmon and part brown trout traits, maybe that is why they are sometimes called salmon trout. They are a shoal fish as opposed to the brown, and will go through the same smoulting process and river migration as salmon. Sea trout will on occasions feed and take food as brown trout do when in the freshwater environment. Sea trout are undoubtedly more active in the dark, choosing to lie up in the deeper sections or under ledges and undercuts during daylight.

There has always been a shroud of mystery surrounding sea trout, talk to any angler and they will give you a different slant on the subject. Some say they do not feed when they enter fresh water, while others say the opposite, both are right; I have caught plenty of sea trout from the same pool with stomachs full of nymphs and small fish, others with nothing. Can sea trout be caught in the day? Yes, it can be very effective if the river is dropping from a spate and clearing, small wets and hairwings fished in the easier water on 6lb leaders with a bit of depth is the recipe. On low clear water, fishing small nymphs, dries and tiny (size 16) hairwings on long leaders work very well in the broken water and the deeper sections. Different rivers have different looking sea trout, just like the brown trout populations around the U.K; they have all evolved to their environment and are in the main unique to that river.

What is of the utmost importance before you even consider fishing at night is that you are very familiar with the section you will be wading, a good thorough reccy is required. It may look straightforward in the day, but when darkness descends it becomes unrecognisable, distance and bearings seem strange. Be aware of the tide times on the lower parts of the river and the weather during the recent spell, the levels may suddenly rise without warning. Take note of the phases of the moon and whereabouts in the sky it will be in relation to where you are fishing, moonlight romantic as it is can throw your shadow across the pool and ruin any chances. Not a good idea to fish through the dark hours when the river is coloured, leave that for the daylight.

The casting side of things really have to be up to scratch, you will be changing direction up to 90-degrees each time you cast, you have to depend on different senses now. Especially with a weight forward line it is important that the correct head length is brought back before the next cast, a sleeve of rubber slid up on the back taper will let you know when this is by a little click as it hits the tip ring on the retrieve. Spey cast are the safest form for changing direction, with the fly anchored safely out on the water. Overhead cast with two or three back cast to change direction can be a nightmare and dangerous if you are near a high bank or there are trees and shrubs behind.
Get organised, have everything you need on your person for the run down the pool, and better to fish with a companion for safety sake.

Equipment.

The tackle that is required for the occasion is a middle to tip action rod of around 9'6"-10' that has a small butt extension with an AFTM rating of 7 to 8, same as a reservoir outfit. A large arbor reel with 100 yards of backing, a weight forward floater or short head Scandinavian lines with braided loop and sink tips like poly leaders of varying densities that can be easily attached to the fly line. A spare spool or another complete outfit with a sinking line is a good idea. Nylon for leaders of between 8 to 12-pound B.S, and for a tangle free night, no dropper's necessary. Flies keep them simple; dressed very slim and sleek on low water irons of between sizes 4 to 10, along with a couple of Waddingtons or tubes 1.5"-2.5" again dressed slim.

Hold a fly out at arms length in the black dark and you wont see it, hold it up against the sky, from the fish's point of view, and although the colour of the fly is impossible to tell, you can count just about every fibre.
Bring with you enough clothing including a wading jacket; although a summer's day can be a scorcher, it soon cools down and there will moisture develop in the air as it does. Breathables or light neoprenes are good with felt soles with a few studs added for grip on the bank.
Two torches, one in your bag and the other on a lanyard around your neck is advisable along with a medium size net that goes across your back.
VERY important is a pair of clear safety glasses also with lanyard; you do not want a hook in the eye at night it spoils everyone's evening, including the surgeon. A life jacket and wading staff is a must on most rivers, along with obligatory hat/net or insect repellent (don't get it on your fly line, it will melt).

When do you start night fishing for sea trout? Each river has its own peculiarities, on some if you enter the pool where the fish are holding up before dark that will put an end to any chance of success. On others if you do not get in on dusk you will miss out on a great opportunity to have some action, local knowledge is invaluable. A general guide when to start especially on rivers in the north, is to watch the swallows skimming the surface, as dusk approaches they mysteriously turn into bats, at this point you will also notice that the grass or trees have lost their green colour and turned grey. From the end of May to the end of July is the most reliable time; towards August onwards the fish are starting to darken up.

Plan A would be to chose the location and arrive there very early around two or three hours before dark to claim a place on the pool, if you are on club water. On private beats you will have the luxury of arriving much later knowing that the water has not been disturbed beforehand. With what daylight is left the tackle is put together and every detail is double checked and everything in its place, then sit and watch the water and wile away the hours.

Plan B.
Plan B is arrive at the water whenever it suits, around early evening, then go brown trout or salmon fishing in the faster water where nothing will be disturbed. As the light begins to fade, armed with a nine foot five weight outfit can be great fun in the broken water for browns, or fishing for salmon with the ten-footer that you will be using later. If the levels have been low on the river, sea trout and salmon that have been lying up in the deeper dubs during the day tend to move into the more oxygenated streams toward dusk. Many salmon decide to run upriver at these periods rather than the daytime, and being at the right place at the right time when this happens can be very productive.

Well into dusk, the scenery around you is now monotone; by now if there are fish in the pool, it is now they will generally begin to show, especially in the slower parts, a swirl, or fish leaving the water and landing with a crash. With a full floating line, an 8 lb 9' leader and a size 10 or 12 slimly dressed fly, step quietly in at the head of the pool. I find as a confidence booster that, if you dip your hand in the water and it feels cool, (the air is warmer than the water) it has the makings of a good night. On the other hand (literally) if the water feels warm to the touch, the air is cooler, and that is not inspiring, at least for me.

All the while your eyes are becoming accustomed to the dark. Start short with the initial cast, gradually working line out until you have the working length for the area to be covered. The ample flow will work the fly perfectly with shallow angled cast, as long as it does not skate on the swing round, work down the pool covering new ground with each cast. It is vital to keep in direct contact with the fly, feeling the tension of the pull of the current; this will become critical once the slower part of the pool is reached. Within a few minutes a rhythm of comfortable casting develops and counting the retrieve back to the right casting length becomes second nature, now is the time to think about fishing the fly more effectively.

As the pool deepens into the main belly and losses pace, it is necessary to cast a little more square to make use of the current and start to retrieve either by figure of eight or steady pulls to keep the fly swimming correctly. As the draw of water into the 'V'at the tail of the pool is approached, this is a very good place, the cast will need to be at a shallower angle once more. Don't hang around too long with this set-up, try to fish the section right through quite quickly. Within an hour or so, sometimes the activity that has been witnessed suddenly ceases, and you begin to think there was not a fish in the area.

Up or down.

We now have two choices, to fish the surface with a wake lure, or to go deeper with a bigger fly. Once more back up to the head of the pool we can either put the full sinker on or a heavy sink tip depending on the rate of flow and depth with a short leader of 10-12 lbs. The larger fly now, a Waddington, tube or size 4 single, is going to be fished a lot deeper and closer to the bottom. The routine is the same as before, but this time particular attention has to be paid to the speed of the fly. Sometimes the difference between success and failure can be somewhere in between either a very slow figure of eight or a quick one.

A lot of plucks, snatches and tweaks will be experienced on some nights but with no connection and it can be a very frustrating time, more than likely they are sea trout. Flies like secret weapons are designed to remedy this by hanging a treble from the rear, I have found that adjusting the speed of retrieve and changing sizes of fly does sometimes cure this, but not always. If the water temperature has been high, takes tend to be snatchy, any fish that are connected with invariably come off, usually when the water is cool, the takes are much firmer.

The darker the night the more effective this method seems to be, it is a very visual and exciting form of fishing.

There are a myriad of wake lures, keep it simple, something like a Muddler Minnow will do, around size 6. These big air resistant lures are cast square across the pool generally where the water is not broken, let the lure drift for a while until the current begins to catch hold of the fly line. Immediately the tension is taken up, the Muddler sparks into life and creates a wake, a distinct 'V' as it motors its way across the stream. Takes can be explosive, a lot of fish will swirl at the lure a few will actually hit it without connection, but every now and then….