Spring trout are hard to beat

Plenty of water, active fish are a great combo

Beginning around the middle of March and continuing through May, brown, rainbow, and brook trout become active and hungry, and mountain anglers enjoy some of the best trout fishing of the year.

In the spring, when hatches occur frequently and in great variety, trout become veritable eating machines. Also in the spring, especially this year, mountain streams are full because of heavy winter rains, which means more oxygen in the water, another factor that makes fish more active. What all this means is that even a trout fisher with marginal skills has a greater chance of catching fish in early and late spring.

James McLeod “Mac” Brown, a trout-fishing guide based in Bryson City, has more productive fishing days in the spring than any other time.

“Activity is narrowed to a couple of hours of the day in the summer and winter,” he said, “but in the spring, you have good fishing from daylight to dark.”

Brown is very familiar with streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and adjoining Nantahala National Forest.

“Everything has a cycle,” he said. “Most insects come off the water in the early morning. They migrate upstream, mate in the trees, and the females return to the water in the evening to lay their eggs.”

By observing these cycles, Brown said, a trout angler can greatly increase his or her catch rate. He has compiled a computerized chart that shows the different hatches that occur each month. During April and May, 20 different hatches occur, and for each hatch, he said, there are at least two types of dry flies, nymphs and emergers. You don’t have to become an expert in entomology, though, to have good success with fly fishing. Brown said three flies — two nymphs and one dry — will serve you well.

In nymph patterns, Brown suggests using a Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail. A bead-head will add extra weight to get the fly down to the bottom where nymphs usually are found.

“The best rule,” he said, “is to use larger patterns such as 12s and 14s in early spring and switch to smaller patterns as the weather gets warmer. You’ll catch a lot more fish that way.”

Dry flies, Brown said, don’t have the versatility of nymphs.

“You have to change more often, but if I had to choose one dry fly, I’d recommend a rusty spinner pattern — one with wings straight out at the sides.”

When a mayfly dies and falls to the water, Brown said, it floats with its wings spread flat on the surface and doesn’t move.

“Trout know that,” Brown said, admitting that color is important because “the majority of mayflies have a rusty color when they die.”

Fly fishing, of course, is not the only method of catching trout. While a few streams are limited to fly fishing, the majority may be fished with flies or artificial lures. Live bait is limited to streams that are stocked with hatchery-raised trout and posted as hatchery-supported waters. Live bait also may be used in streams designated as wild trout/natural bait waters.

Regulations for wild trout waters in the national forests and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park stipulate that artificial lures, such as spinners, must have a single hook. A legal spinner can be made from a treble-hook spinner by clipping off the extra hooks. However, the spinners do not spin as well as those that are manufactured with single hooks.

Bright colors, especially yellow and chartreuse, are best for spring fishing. Lure size depends on the type of water you’re fishing. Early in the spring, when streams are full, a 1/8-ounce lure is very effective; later on, when the water levels drop or if you’re fishing small streams, switch to 1/16-ounce lure. Six-pound line is recommended for larger lures, and 4-pound for smaller lures.

Many anglers believe a spinner’s blade color should be keyed to the type of water being fished. If the water is clear, use a gold blade; if the water is slightly colored, use a silver blade.

Although rules are strict for wild trout waters, just about anything goes in hatchery-supported streams. Night crawlers, earthworms, meal worms, wax worms, crickets and other live baits are legal. Lures can be either single or treble hook. With rare exceptions, these streams do not have size limits. Anglers should note that hatchery-supported waters are closed during March. The season reopens on Saturday, April 2, at 7 a.m.

Night crawlers and earthworms have been traditional baits in the mountains for decades, but some artificial baits, especially Berkley Power Baits, catch as many fish as live bait.  Dyed salmon eggs also do well, especially when fishing for big browns. In normal water conditions, chartreuse and yellow Power Baits get excellent results. If the water is dingy, use fluorescent orange, red or pink.

Keep a variety of spinners such as Rooster Tails, Panther Martins, Mepps, Blue Fox and Joe Flies in a variety of sizes and colors. If one pattern doesn’t work, keep switching until you find one that does work.