2 attempts now made for fishing for brown trout on a reservoir and I can't catch a damn thing?!
I heard that in the summer trout stay low down at the bottom of the water so how I am I supposed to spin with a Mepp when they stay at the bottom?

I also tried a float setup but I think the hook was no where near the bottom as I'm not sure how to plumb the depth and then how to put a stop on the line. The rig I had setup uses an elastic band as the stop so that you can cast the float a long way, but the elastic band would almost always get caught up the rungs a bit and to cast any further, the band would have had to be wound around the reel. So, how do you put a stop in when you don't know what depth it's supposed to be at and where you might need to adjust the depth?

Oh dear oh dear oh dear!!! your going about this all wrong
What you need is a big net, shoot that around in a big arch and bingo lots of fish!!!
I suppose if you got really desperate you could try a fly fishing set up, with a team of wets.
mike

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, you do know this is a fly fishing forum?????

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Just My Tuppenceworth!!

Hi Gordon

Ask your question again when you're prepared to fish for brown trout with a fly rod and flies.

BK

That's why it's called "fishing", not "catching"

From your other posts, you've really only just taken up fishing like this? You are probably going to get some stick for trout fishing without the fly, but if the methods you are using are allowed where you are fishing, that's your business. The biggest objection to these methods is that they can be too effective, but it doesn't sound as if that is your problem!

It sounds to me as if you don't really know what you are doing with the float tackle and simply lack experience with the spinning. The depth you spin at is largely a function of the weight of lure, speed of retrieve and time allowed for sinking. To fish deeper, use a heavier lure, allow longer to sink before retrieving and reel in more slowly. Float fishing properly is beyond what I can explain here, but any good book on coarse fishing will fill you in.

The main problem is likely to be lack of watercraft, and that only comes with experience. The where and when and which method to use is harder than knowing the technique.

You will struggle to find literature on fishing for trout using coarse fishing methods, though, because by and large it isn't something serious anglers do. Almost everyone who fishes for trout (and knows what they are doing) fly fishes, and almost everyone who is good at coarse fishing would rather not catch trout by those means.

Must admit, if I were where you are, and fancied some sport (and perhaps something for the table?) I would take my spinning gear to the sea.

I guess I should do sea fishing instead!

Same thing applies though, if in summer all the trout are at the bottom, what's the point in putting a fly on the surface??

And...where's the fishing rule (not byelaws) that say trout have to be caught with a fly?

I always figured that if you let a spinner sink, it would just get stuck in the **** at the bottom?

Yes.but you might have noticed that this is a Fly fishing forum.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Dry fly fishing is using flies that sit on the surface, but a lot of fly fishing is wet, meaning that sinking flies are used. Fly fishing can be done with a sinking fly line as well as a floating one, meaning that even really deep water can be fished.

Getting snagged on the bottom is an occupational hazard in running a lure close to the bottom, but if that's where the fish are, what are you going to do? When I spin for perch and chub, I use 20lb bs braided line, which is as thin as 6lb nylon mono but strong enough to straighten the hooks and pull the lure out of a snag.

Permitted methods are generally at the discretion of whoever owns the fishing rights. Allowing methods other than fly is relatively unusual, though it depends where you live. You mentioned elsewhere that most people at this water take their fish home - well, if it allows the use of bait and spinning, and most people kill their catch, you can probably see why you aren't catching much!

Is the best time for trout mainly spring and autumn?

It seems to be that way Gordon.


I have alot of friends and my brother who are like yourself. Bait and spinning only. They all seem to want to take up fly fishing but are aprehensive about it. Im not entirely sure why this is.
Are you the same? Would u not like to take up fly fishing?