Trout Fishing Tips

We've gotten a couple of emails asking about the 2010 Fly Fishing Show.  So we thought we'd post the dates here for everybody!   So if you're interested in attending, you can catch the 2010 Fly Fishing Show at any of the places mentioned below:

Labels: Fly Fishing Show

One of our readers wrote in the other day asking what he could do to clear his muddy pond.  The pond is home to speckled trout and became muddy after heavy rains.  Since the pond is rather small, a quarter acre in size, the muddy water doesn't seem to be clearing.

In response, I did some research and came across this article published by a group in Texas.  Hoping others will benefit from the information, I wanted to publish the link here.

The article is title, "Clearing Muddy Ponds", and you read it by clicking here.

Folks at Virginia Tech published another good article, titled, "Clearing Muddy Pond Waters."

If you have a fish pond you need to take care of, make sure there is plenty of grass around the shoreline.  This will help prevent more mud from washing into the pond during a good rain.

There are compounds you can add to the pond to help clear the water also.  The most popular compounds include gypsum, agricultural or hydrated limestone, aluminum sulfate (also called, alum).  But be careful using these compounds as they can change the pH of the water. 

Adding Alum to the pond will lower pH, and keep in mind that trout typically don't do well in water with a pH lower than 6.  The lower the pH, the more acidic the water.  If using Alum, most experts recommend using it in conjunction with limestone at a ratio of 2:1 (Alum to limestone).

Read the above mentioned articles for more information and if you have questions, your local fish and game department will most likely be able to offer more detailed help in regards to using compounds to clear your muddy fish pond.

Labels: clearing muddy ponds, muddy fish ponds, muddy ponds

Roundtail chub are native to Arizona and are commonly referred to as "Verde Trout".  These fish live in the Verde River and are known to bite on many of the same lures and baits that trout do. 

The Arizona Fish and Game Department has been working the last few years to turn Fossil Creek into a prime fishery for Verde Trout.  On October 3, 2009, Fossil Creek will open for the first annual Verde Trout fishing season.

Fossil Creek will open the first Saturday in October every year and remain open through April 30th.  Only the middle 4.5 miles of the creek is open to fishing (there will be signs).

Since this is a special fishery, special rules are in place including:

• Single Barbless hooks only
• Artificial lures and flies only
• Catch and release only

The fishery is open to both spin and fly fishers alike, provided they follow the rules mentioned above.  Of course, all other Arizona Fishing Regulations remain in effect as well.

The AZ Fish and Game Department hope that this fishery will help anglers learn more about its native fish. 

Other fish can also be found in Fossil Creek including the Speckled Dace, Longfin Dace, Desert Suckers, and Sonora Suckers.

You can find more information about each of these fish, by clicking here.  Just click on each of the pictures on the web page for more detailed info.


Fossil Creek is located on the Tonto and Coconino National Forests approximately 15 miles east of Camp Verde and 5 miles west of the town of Strawberry. You can find it by driving along Forest Service Road 708.

Labels: arizona, AZ trout, Fossil Creek, Roundtail Chub, Sucker Fish, Verde Trout

I don't know about the rest of the country, but where I live (northern Arizona), temperatures are starting to cool down ... which means the Fall trout fishing is just around the corner.

Trout become a lot more active when warm summer temps starting cooling down. They like cooler water (which is typically more oxygenated) and so will start feeding near the water's surface. This is good news for anglers!

This time of year, the best trout fishing still tends to be early morning and early evening ... but as mid-day temps drop further, trout will be easier to catch all day long.

Happy fishing!

Labels: Fall trout fishing, fall trout season, rout fishing

Mepps Aglia Spinners have been a favorite lure for trout anglers since their invention. These simple in-line spinners have a great success rate in catching trout. Check out any trout angler's tackle box, and you're sure to find a couple of these spinners in it.

While in-line spinners aren't typically used by bass anglers, one guy discovered that Aglia spinners have helped him catch more white bass than the traditional spinner baits usually favored by bass anglers.

Judging by the Mepss Lure Selection guide, this comes as no surprise to them. They suggest several different Aglia spinners for white bass anglers.

So why are in-line spinners (like the Aglia) often overlooked by bass anglers? Probably because they're famous for getting stuck on weeds and rocks and anglers are always losing them. Unfortunately for anglers, large fish often hide in those same weeds and rocks (especially bass) and so if you want to catch them, you'll have to contend with the frustrations of getting your spinner stuck (and possibly losing it).

One of the attitude problems that many anglers tend to adopt is a "spare the spinner" mindset. Out of fear of losing $3-$6 lures, they tend to avoid rocky, weedy areas when fishing. While this can be more cost effective for the angler, the downside is that you're sacrificing opportunities to catch more and larger fish.

One way to combat this mindset is to make your own spinners. You can buy the parts in bulk and assemble your spinners which in turn can greatly reduce the cost of each spinner. And when they cost less, you don't mind losing them as much.

So the moral to story is don't be afraid to think outside the box (as this one bass angler did) and don't worry so much about losing those spinners (especially when the opportunity exist to catch more and larger fish).

Labels: Aglia, in-line spinners, Mepps, mepps Aglia, spinners

Wondering how the fishing has been in New Mexico? A new fishing report for the week of July 16 has just been published.

Trout fishing has been good to fair on the Canjilon lakes. Anglers have been using worms, salmon eggs and spinners. Same is true for the Chama River, although trout anglers have also been using grasshoppers with success there.

Anglers at Eagle Nest lake have been catching good size rainbow trout from the bank using worms, power bait and spinners.

You can read for the full fishing report by clicking here.

Labels: new mexico, new mexico trout fishing

Trout anglers are doing well in Southwest Colorado. Beaver Creek Reservoir is full and anglers are catching brown and rainbow trout on salmon eggs and powerbait.

Folks at Big Meadows Reservoir have been catching brook trout on flies, lures and other baits.

Read the full fishing report by clicking here.

Labels: beaver creek, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado, Colorado Fishing, Colorado Trout fishing

According to fishing report released today, anglers are having great success trout fishing in Great Falls, Montana.

Anglers are catching brook trout on night crawlers and gold spoons. Folks trolling cowbells tipped with night crawlers are also have great success.

To read the full fishing report, click here.

Labels: Montana, montana fishing