If you are around a fly shop during the fall months you may have heard the terms "Throwing Meat", "Working The Deli Counter" or "Big nasties". All these various fly fishing colloquialisms are references to fly fishing for trout with streamer patterns. It is that time of the season again where anglers flock to their favorite rivers and throw the biggest, gnarliest streamer they can get away with. Since it is that time of year, today, I am going over five streamer patterns to have in your fly box this fall. But, before I dive in, let's do a quick run down on these bad boys.
If I were to describe a streamer pattern quickly it would be a large shanked hook wrapped with a bunch of feathers and an obnoxious amount of flashaboo trailing off the bend of the hook. Honestly, that's pretty much it. But let's look at this a little bit closer. When we look at the various flies that fill our fly boxes we are pretty aware of what they are imitating. You know, hoppers are imitating various grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and dry flies are imitating a number of gnats, mayflies, or caddisflies but, what are streamer patterns imitating? A majority of the time, streamer patterns are imitating baitfish, leeches, crayfish, minnows, or sculpins. All are enticing and hefty meals for various trout species especially brown trout. But, why do streamer patterns work?
In the early fall months (September), brown trout start to prepare for their spawning season, during this time brown trout become aggressive and territorial. And, like any territorial being, brown trout will chase down, smack and strike at anything that gets in front of them. That is the short reason why streamers work. But, for those interested here is some more clarification. Typically when fishing streamers, you are tossing them tight to the banks, where brown trout typically hold this time of year, once your streamer is in the water, you strip, twitch and stop your fly as you see fit. If presented properly in front of a big brown, the brown's territorial instincts will kick in and lead to one of the most aggressive strikes you've ever had. Oh, and one of the most thrilling fights you've ever had if you remember to set the hook right. MAKE SURE TO STRIP SET PEOPLE. Now that we know the quick and dirty of what streamers are imitating, and why they work, let's go over the five patterns you should have in your fly box this fall.
