Hi I am a novice to fishing sea trout and my first season fishing the teifi for sea trout and finding it difficult to catch. I know that the main run of sea trout is july/Aug on this river but the bigger ones run earlier on my previous rivers so gave it a shot. I have walked the river with a local who has shown me the running lies and pools. I went out last night and saw a nice 6-7lb sea trout jump clean out of the water in shallow 3-4ft water at 10pm. I went with the floating line and waited another 30mins before fishing this spot working my way down to the lie with confidence (step and cast downstream) and started with a jambo surface lure to see if he’d follow but nothing. I then tried various size fly’s, snake fly’s, Waddington’s, various retrieves, and still nothing, My question is what methods are best employed on this river when you see a fish jumping allot on the surface?

Early, large runners on the Teifi are few and far between and success is usually a triumph of persistence over expectation. I would recommend an 'attack' based on using a sinking or at least a sinktip line (Cortland Ghost tip etc) - it's very early for fish to respond to a surface lure like the Jambo. Much better to stick to Snakes and Waddingtons and Tubes. I like to use a 2" plastic tube on the point with a 1" Waddington 4 to 6ft up on a dropper. I'd use a leader of around 12 to 15lb BS.

With regard to jumping fish, fish jump for varying reasons - 'frustration' perhaps at being stuck in a pool in low water - coming into a pool when running etc - I'd suggest that the latter is more likely to respond to being fished for.

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[I]"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel."[/I] Roderick L Haig-Brown

[url]www.wildfly.net[/url]

[url]http://www.gameanglinginstructors.co.uk/[/url]

Ok thanks for the advice. Just a couple of questions I haven't been able to find the answers to like most -

As the night just sets is it better to cast closer in mid river than casting towards the far trees as I think you can disturb the running fish is this true with the fly dropping in depth as it makes its way round?

I was just wondering In regards to retrieves a slow steady figure of eight is what I do casting at a 45degree should I let it drift with no retrieve as some anglers do?

Sea trout flies for the teifi do you start the night with the smaller flies 10,8 peter ross,teal blue,butcher, alex etc and as the night progresses turn to size 6 dropper and a tube,waddington,snake on the point throughout july/Aug? or starting with a bigger size dropper throughout?

Thanks for the help

I always keep on the move cover as much water as possible and if you get a take or a fish go back to the same spot as sea trout lie in shoals and you will most likley get another but you need to give it time to rest you cand have very good fishing if you find a couple of shoals to cover the first 2hours of dark are good surface lure time and then the fish tend to go down that's when a tube fly or something heavier will work then when the light comes through change the tube to a single anything with a silver body fish it long so you don't disturb the fish.

This is just what I do a it does work well for me but you will learn your own ways that suit you

Three key points here.

Firstly, when targeting the early run of large fish in April and May, I don't think there's much future in staying out much past 11.30 or midnight whereas as the season progresses through June to July and August there's a lot to be said for not even starting to fish until 11 or 12 and on suitable nights staying out until 3 or 4am. Association waters are often heavily fished during the day and early evening and developing the ability to fish through can pay dividends.

If you want to fish the early evening / night when the bats start to fly and the opposite bank loses its colour then restrict yourself to the fast runs at the head of pools away from the prime spots / pools and by all means use smaller flies - normal shank 8 and 10s etc - patterns aren't too important - squirrel, blue and silver, butcher, alexandra, dunkeld etc etc. Be prepared for some salmon action as they often poke their noses into the streamier water as the light begins to fade.

Retrieves? It's important to understand what's happening at the business end and the ability to fish a fly at depth is an important skill. Even with a sinking line your fly isn't going to get down very far if you cast at 45 degrees or so downstream with a 9 or 10ft leader , mend line and don't even retrieve. Consider casting up and across the current so that the line has the time to achieve its depth as it passes you on its path downstream - at the end of a long, light leader the fly may be well above the body of the fly line - a leader of 4 to 6ft may be more appropriate. It's often better to fish a light fly on a short leader than resort to trying to achieve depth with a heavy fly.

__________________
[I]"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel."[/I] Roderick L Haig-Brown

[url]www.wildfly.net[/url]

[url]http://www.gameanglinginstructors.co.uk/[/url]

Lighthouse has it pretty much spot on.
But having spent more years than i care to remember fishing for sea trout i have noticed one thing, which was proved again last night.
Fish showing everywhere and leaping out of the river, cast the first fly at 10.40pm and nothing, fished until midnight, nothing.
Why did i bother going out?
I am sure the sea trout detect a drop in air pressure and know rain is on its way, they are stuck in the pools and pure frustration makes them act in this way, they are getting ready to run!
But i still go out and try, because it is my passion and you never just know tonight may be the night to remember for a lifetime!
So i will be back out tomorrow.
Cheers
Richard

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Richard Jackson
Fly fishing instruction and guiding in the heart of Devon
www.devonflyfisher.com