Streamers for small-stream browns

[wschinke]

Hey guys:
Any tips on fishing streamers for small-stream browns (small stream with a lot of big browns in it)? It's fairly clear (very sandy soil) and there are tons of log jams.

1) Is smaller and more drab the way to go in clear water?
2) Should I give it a lot of action and swing it as close to the log jams as possible, or just sort of dead drift it to show the side profile? (maybe a lot of factors to consider?)
3) How long of a leader/tippet is recommended? Would that mainly depend on the depth you want your streamer at?

Thanks in advance,
Will.

 

[JuniorFloatnFly]

I use large streamers (2-4 inches) in areas with little fishing pressure with high success often. I jerk them very fast across pools and logjams for large aggressive fish, covering as much water as possible. Sometimes you have to go deeper, although they often will come up for it. Large browns in most rivers feed on minnows, chub, sculpins,etc. In highly pressured streams(fergus), fish are moody and spooky and often will feed more on nymphs instead. Generally the larger fish are smart and take a lot more skill at catching. Streamers can work in these areas although you may have to find that perfect retrieve and fly to get a response. The length of leader all depends on the river, larger and deeper will need a longer leader opposed to smaller streams where you will need shortened casts.

 

[Shmogley]

this is what i do
toss it straight out to the opposing bank/log/obstacle/seam and keep your line somewhat tight but let it dead drift, once you get to the end of your dead drift let it swing right out till it cuts across the section of water you are working, then take a few steps up/down and repeat. the swings is where i get the most strikes and incidentally they also cover the most water.

keeping the line a bit tight really helps detect and set the hook fast enough as a lot of times if theres too much slack youll miss the chance. also it stops you from catching bottom in shallow runs.

at the end of the swing you can give it a few tugs/peels to entice any curious bites but tbh thats where ive gotten the least amount of strikes. unless its a tight spot and all you can do is peel it through a thin channel.
also i find if they dont strike the streamer within the first few drift theres no point standing there trying again. its one of those things.. theyll either take it right away or ignore it all day/night

also try to get used to setting the hook with a line peel rather then pulling your rod up, especially in areas where you have foliage behind you preventing a standard cast. almost everytime ive gotten my stuff stuck in a bush its because i got too excited trying to set the hook and forget in the moment that i am in a roll cast only area lol

in gin clear water smaller is better. my personal best brown was caught on a one inch brown bugger.
not to say bigger streamers arent a bad thing. they have their place too.(when visibility sucks mainly)
i personally find olive/brown to be the hottest colors right now and black if its muddy.
just make sure the olive is not the same color as the plantlife in the area or it will lose a fair bit of appeal.

as for tippet the regular 5x 9 foot leaders that you can buy are fine. i personally use an 8.5lb top and a 5lb tippet attached to the fly. some would even consider that overkill but i use my setup for other fish too
you can go a lot shorter(ive seen guys catch fine with 4 feet of lead) but having the extra is nice when you hit a really deep spot and have a floating fly line. a couple of shot on the lead and youre good.

hope it helps bro
i wanna see some pics soon

 

[wschinke]

Thanks a lot guys...that's a ton of valuable info! I'll definitely check back in with photos if it works out!