Lunker Stream Trout in the Daylight

Author admires a trophy stream brown.

by Jim Bedford

When most anglers think about catching lunker streamresident browns in Michigan, they immediately conjure up a humid night in late June on a good-sized stream with a good population of Hexagenia mayflies. Other burrowing mayflies, like the brown drake, can also fill the bill. If you would rather catch 20-inch brown trout in the daylight, don’t despair. These ultra wary trout also can be lured out of cover during the day. It does help if there is cloud cover and the stream level is up some with good color or what I like to describe as just the right amount of mystery.

Our storied large trout streams like the Manistee, Au Sable, Pere Marquette, and Pine Rivers are famous for producing large brown trout, especially when the big mayflies are hatching. But you may find it surprising that many small streams grow trout that reach or exceed the magical 20-inch mark. In my 55+ years of hardcore Michigan trout fishing, I have entered over 600 20-plusinch brown trout in my logbook, but I have never caught one in any of the rivers mentioned above. It would seem that small streams and creeks would be the home only to small to mediumsized brown trout. However, this is definitely not the case. Trout can grow just as large in nutrient-rich creeks as in large rivers if they have enough cover. Food from the bank augments the aquatic insects and other invertebrates produced in the stream.

While cover and food are essential to the survival and growth of all trout, good overhead protection is especially important to trout in smaller streams. A solid roof over their head is almost always preferred over water depth, probably because most of the time, the runs and holes in clear creeks are not deep enough to hide the browns and brookies. A riffled surface will help hide a trout in a hole, but they generally prefer to be under a log or logjam, an undercut bank, or overhanging vegetation. Because predatory birds like herons and kingfishers are the trout’s main enemies, they try not to be visible from above. Of course, they will expose themselves when feeding, but most of the time, you are better off casting to areas where you couldn’t see the trout if it was present. To be successful in catching large trout in small streams, you must be sneaky. Not ever betraying your presence to the trout is the most important key to consistently catching them. This is best accomplished by quietly wading in an upstream direction. The fish are always facing the flow and can see in all directions except directly behind. If you fish downstream, you quickly alert the trout visually, and any sound you make wading is transmitted further with the current. Some sand or silt will join your wake in preceding you in a downstream direction in most Author admires a trophy creek brown.

creeks. Some anglers like to fish streams from the bank, but this makes you even more visible, and the vibrations from footfalls are especially alarming to trout.

So keep a low profile and make the longest casts possible using polarized sunglasses to see the troutholding cover and see if a brown comes out to inspect your offering. Casting over logs and other cover pays dividends even if you are likely to hang up on the retrieve. Often, the trout will intercept it first, and if you wait until you get up to the log, the trout may detect your presence and not hit.

Casting small spinners and spoons, jigs, and crankbaits in the 1/16 to 1/8 ounce range is an excellent way to draw browns and brookies out of their dark lairs. Accurate casting is essential when fishing lures for trout, even though they will pull trout out of cover. In small brushy streams and creeks, your challenge is often hitting the water because the trout range the whole small pool. Where there is more room, it is still best to make sure your first cast lands in the stream and then try to get closer to the cover with subsequent casts. You don’t want to spoil the hole by getting hung up trying to get too close to the overhanging bush or undercut bank on the first cast.

While lures are designed to represent food, their flash and vibration appeal to the trout’s curiosity. For this reason, it pays to cover lots of water so that as many trout as possible will see your spinner or plug. Fishing from bridge to bridge or from one access site to another allows you to show your lure to fish that see fewer anglers. Try to land your lure upstream of the suspected lie so the retrieve will bring it past the waiting brown or brook trout. Don’t fret if this is not always possible, though, as the plop in the water next to a trout’s hideout can be like the hopper, beetle, or other terrestrial food items that trigger an immediate strike.

In addition to presenting the lure in the direction that trout usually look for food, upstream casts followed by downstream retrieves help keep your lure near the bottom. Even so, cross-stream casts, especially in front of logjams or brush piles, are also great trout catchers when you can sneak up on the brown’s lair.

Pick a fine diameter, premium monofilament to maximize the strength yet have an almost invisible connection to your rod. No matter what your terminal tackle is, constantly check your knot strength and the line near the hook or lure for abrasions. Clipping off the last foot or two and retying often is a good idea as it keeps your line at maximum strength. This compensates for using a non-abrasion-resistant line and allows you to use a stronger six or eight-pound test instead of a thick four-pound test line with high abrasion resistance.

Fly anglers can catch large trout during the day by casting and stripping streamers that imitate fish and crayfish. Land your streamer near trout holding cover, and then make like it is trying to escape by stripping it back to you. Just like with lures, watch your streamer as you strip it. Staying stealthy is more demanding when using fly line, but fish sneakily in an upstream direction. The trout will focus on your streamer, so long, very light leaders will not be needed. Master the roll cast as it will often be required in smaller streams.

Your spinning tackle can be used to cast flies. Some weighted nymphs and streamers can be thrown with a very light line, and a bubble can be used to present dry flies, lighter streamers, and unweighted nymphs. Tie the bubble onto the end of the line, and the fly or flies off of droppers. This allows the flies to precede the bubble when you cast the rig upstream.

Even though most trout creeks have good aquatic insect populations, it always pays to be ready with the ants, hoppers, and beetles if there is no hatch. Terrestrial imitations, along with streamers that imitate local baitfish and crayfish, are always a good idea when you are exploring a new creek and don’t know what the trout are feeding on.

While you can probably negotiate the majority of the water in small streams wearing hip boots, you will be much better off donning waders. There will always be a few places that require waders, and these deep stretches are also likely to hold many trout. In addition, there will be many spots where you want to be on your knees when making your presentation to avoid spooking the trout.

Early in the season or after significant rain events, small streams are often a better choice than large rivers for several reasons. They clear quickly after spring rains and become fishable long before rivers get in shape. Creeks also warm faster when we have a cold night.

J. A.Henry

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J. A. Henry Rod & Reel Co. is a small Michigan business and proud developer of the Two-Hearted Fly Rod - a rod designed specifically for navigating the streams and small rivers of Northern Michigan, targetingtargeting brookbrook trouttrout andand anglingangling forfor panfish.panfish. TheThe rodrod is packaged in a hand-crafted case from reclaimed Michigan barn wood; a nod to the fly fishing pioneers of the late 19th century.