Urban Fly Fishing

[Justin92297]

I live in chesterfield and fish for trout at Busch wildlife almost every weekend in winter. I am new to fly fishing and need to know what flys to try out here. Any ideas?

[patfish]

Eggs, cream colored thread jigs, black/yellow and olive jigs, olive woolies. If you don't get a strike in 5 or 10 minutes switch.

[grizzly]

I would throw in micro jigs, brown or olive, 1/100 oz.

[moguy1973]

Gold bead headed olive or black mohair leeches...cast let it sink a bit and the strip it in slowly...

[Muddler4]

I will side step the discussion of whether or not eggs and jigs are fly fishing.

My experience with winter stockers is limited but my observations are that for the first week the fish are getting acclimated and wondering where the heck the guy with the food pellets is. Fish what you like, you will catch some. Then they get hungry and hit most any fly small enough (size 8 or under but yes some will take a larger fly). Then what has survived the punishment can start to get picky with respect to size, motion, tippet. They’re hatchery fish and don’t really key on hatches / patterns so much because it just hasn’t been imprinted on them. Size 12 to 18 basics like prince nymphs, hares ears, pheasant tails, etc. are good bets as are small drys to some extent. I’ve had days when almost every cast got a strike and days when …..it was like fishing more than catching. Like Moguy said deep and slow is the high percentage shot.

[Geoff]

They were eating at Kirkwood park today, I caught a few on lunch, even one that went almost 18"

[BredMan]

I will side step the discussion of whether or not eggs and jigs are fly fishing.

My experience with winter stockers is limited but my observations are that for the first week the fish are getting acclimated and wondering where the heck the guy with the food pellets is. Fish what you like, you will catch some. Then they get hungry and hit most any fly small enough (size 8 or under but yes some will take a larger fly). Then what has survived the punishment can start to get picky with respect to size, motion, tippet. They’re hatchery fish and don’t really key on hatches / patterns so much because it just hasn’t been imprinted on them. Size 12 to 18 basics like prince nymphs, hares ears, pheasant tails, etc. are good bets as are small drys to some extent. I’ve had days when almost every cast got a strike and days when …..it was like fishing more than catching. Like Moguy said deep and slow is the high percentage shot.

Thats a very good assessment for the winter trout lakes. Initial frenzy last about 10 days or so and then it becomes real fishing. Some days can be real tough. Its that way year after year. Too bad there isn't a 'no fishing' period after the stocking that would allow the fish to get acclimated to their surrounding. They are pounded pretty hard the first couple weeks.

[rfd515]

Thats a very good assessment for the winter trout lakes. Initial frenzy last about 10 days or so and then it becomes real fishing. Some days can be real tough. Its that way year after year. Too bad there isn't a 'no fishing' period after the stocking that would allow the fish to get acclimated to their surrounding. They are pounded pretty hard the first couple weeks.

They're all going to get eaten anyways. There's no point in adding regulations since their chances for long-term survival are basically non-existant.

[Muddler4]

Yep, they’ve been condemned, they are “dead fish swimming”. However I don’t think there are any documented goals in MDCs trout management plan that include “food source”.

The goals of the program do include:

-Providing readily available fishing opportunities when fishing for warm water species typically slows down.

-Recruitment of new anglers. MDC makes no bones about this. More licenses + more trout stamps = more revenue for the programs.

So with that in mind, compared to put-and-take fisheries, delayed harvest regulations on certain impoundments provide a sustained catch rate over a longer period of time with less stocking requirements.

[patfish]

I will side step the discussion of whether or not eggs and jigs are fly fishing.

When did that discussion start? As you stated, they are hatchery fish. Hatchery fish eat eggs and jigs whether you consider them flies or not. It's a pond in a suburban area, not Montana.