Each season is enjoyable and you take something from it. While the end of each season is dark, its fair to say that the excitement that each new season brings exceeds that darkness. And on an early season, that excitement is real, because the fishing can be legitimately good. The more seasons you fish, the more they blend together, but do so in a way that you create distinct categories that you vaguely remember. And one of those categories is an early season year. After experiencing one or several, you never forget the impact an early season has on the fishing, or where you fish, and you make adjustments.
The reason this is significant is that anyone that’s experienced an early season knows the rivers that offer real opportunity early on during such a year are different, and often are streams that you pass up on a normal or late spring year. They are streams that warm up a little quicker, and/or have bug life a little earlier than the others. They are also usually the rivers that you know aren’t as good as other rivers when all streams in a given area come alive at the same time and cause you to pass them up entirely during a condensed or even normal season that goes fast. Knowing, and choosing these streams is worth it on an early spring year though, as they give up not only good but great fishing along with a change of scenery before you fall into your regular season routine. You don’t just get active fish, but often dry fly action. There is also a sentimental value to revisiting these streams as you usually only get there once a year, and more honestly every other year at best as rare early spring conditions encourage you to go back there. Something that scares you and makes you realize time flies when you think back and realize how long its been since you last stepped foot there though it feels like yesterday.
Feelings aside, being aware of unique factors that cause some streams to perk up quicker than others is the difference between having slightly better than average/bad early season fishing, and having actually good fishing. Many fisherman become married to the rivers and spots that they fish or which offer the best overall fishing on a normal year. The fact is though, the same factors that keep rivers cold and most viable during a normal year are the same factors that often keep them cold, and less productive early season. That said, the confidence anglers have in these locations overrides the pure objective value of understanding that those waters are not the water type to see the first improvement on a year such as this. This particularly applies to large rivers. By sheer volume, these streams are the last to warm up on an early spring season, and even if you have had a few warm days, they barely budge a degree or two in water temp. On an early spring season like this, the above applies even to tailwaters which will not warm up as quickly as a small 100-200 cfs stream that has benefitted from a week of unseasonably warm 50+ degree weather. There is also the volume consideration, and the fact that fish in a higher volume river wont become active as quickly (because moving to chase food in a high volume river is work) as trout will in a smaller stream that has quickly warmed and presents spring like conditions a month or so in advance. You can launch your boat for the first float of the year and feel warm, and maybe that’s all you want, but throwing streamers to the bank is still the same as if you had done so in straight up winter conditions. Whereas, if you focus on areas slightly south, or of lower elevation generally, you can find warmer pockets that boast modest but meaningful warmer air and water temps of 5 degrees or more a day. You’ll will find smaller and medium sized streams in these areas progress much faster when the early spring warm up ensues.
One of the reasons I am not only sentimentally, but logistically drawn to these rivers on a season such as this is the fact that I’ve been shocked before to see what these rivers produce on a year like this. Especially after a prior season that included an easy summer and a good fall for the fish. Both rivers and fish are resilent and unpredictable, and you see it not only over the course of a season, but many seasons . Over a prior year that included a tough summer, fall, and late spring the following year, a stretch can seem barren and “ruined”. But after a good summer, fall, winter, and early spring, that same stretch can seem healthy and hold/produce fish that you are stunned to hold wondering how did that fish end up in the stretch of water you are fishing? The fact is, fish don’t just redistribute automatically, and after spawning in the fall, brown trout remain in odd places if conditions allow them to. If conditions have allowed fish to get comfortable for a length of time, an early spring allows you to catch them in that transition and out of place, in water they shouldn’t necessarily be found, and often in a quaint uncrowded setting.
In assessing what waters provide legitimate opportunities for not just good, but great fishing early season- you need to think about the geographical layout of the area. Streams that have a limestone or spring influence obviously are sped up. Streams that are smaller to medium in size and in areas that are slightly warmer in terms of air temp, flow wise have been stable prior to a warm up, and/or are not fed by purely cold mountain freestone sources, all help the chance at converting on early season outings. A big thing that sometimes doesn’t get considered is the the major difference in night time air temps on slighter southern/lower elevation areas as well. Temps aren’t dropping into the low to mid 20’s, they’re staying in the mid to high 30’s. This further accelerates the progression on these streams versus areas that yeah are hitting mid 40’s during the day but still going back to fridged during the night time hours causing the fish to go back to square one each morning with regards to their metabolism. Some streams also seem to be early blue wing olive, midge, and dry fly oriented fisheries early season, whereas others seem to be cold and sterile and late starters regardless of whether they are spring influenced or have any of these unique variables. Sometimes knowing the early starters is just a matter of pure experience, seeing a river, or knowing it has “the look” that reminds you of a prior occasion on a similar early season year.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that sometimes certain rivers will benefit greatly from a warm spring like this, but only from a nymph perspective. The buglife, or behavior of the fish generally doesn’t cause them to rise but they are active and a good nymph angler can do well not just on numbers, but on taking some of the biggest fish they will catch all season. The biggest fish are in predictable lies after the winter season, and lets be real early season fish just tend to be bigger. Often, this is an opportunity that is overlooked. Instead, early season streamer fishing gets hyped up, however the reality is this is nothing more than a traditional early season sell to get eager anglers outside casting away. Early season streamer fishing is very low percentage and in my opinion the worst approach for targeting fish that are just waking up. While a couple anglers hit top end fish each spring doing this, the reality is better decision making makes your chances more than a mere crapshoot on an early season year. On a warm early spring, tailwater or otherwise, fish are not geared to chase flies on a large and cold river. And most guys don’t wanna feel like they are jerking off a hamster which is what “good presentation” means and requires to be successful when streamer fishing in a 1000k cfs river that has been under 45 degrees for months. Add in the fact that drift boats have become a way of life and there is no such thing as the non-busy season, you know others before you are throwing the same shit to the bank. From a tactical standpoint, the slow presentation required really plays more into the realm of a swung fly/trout spey (a concept and rod I think is overkill for a fish measured in inches not pounds). Fishing in this slow fashion is also out of line with the adrenaline rush most anglers feel when first hitting the water as well, making it hard to commit to a method that feels very much like winter. All things considered, and the likely undisciplined fashion you are going to fish when the adrenaline rush of a warm spring hits you, changing waters and targeting certain streams early on allows for sped up and high quality fishing. You just need to be willing to break the routine of heading to your typical waters on a typical year.
It seems odd to experiment on waters that are unknown and not your bread and butter, especially before the season is even officially supposed to be underway. That said, what do you have to lose- the fishing is supposed to blow anyway. The reality is stocked/holdover water that holds wilds but gets marginal in June is the water that’s good in march and early April on a year like this. The water that feeds a legit wild trout river, has spawning fish in the fall, and kept them there up til now fishes good right now. The water you can’t put your boat and yeti in right now, but warmed up 8 degrees in two warm days is good right now, not the 1500 cfs river that stayed the same because its 50 miles north and too much volume to notice a mild temp shift that was even less noticeable when considering the fact it’s a meaningful 50 miles north. And if after even acknowledging these points as logical, you can’t change your routine, you are every bit of the person I thought would read and subscribe to gink and gasoline in the first place. 🙂
April is not June- and June is not April. Especially on a year like this. Each year is different, and your approach should be different in response to those seasonal changes. And know that waters that overall may not compare to your river of choice, can still offer opportunity. This year is one of them.
You must be logged in to post a comment.