Dry Dropper Rigs for Lakes

When most people think of trout fishing in lakes they automatically think of sinking lines and stripping leeches and wooly buggers. While this is certainly a tried and true tactic sometimes it isn't the best tactic in the early season.

Early season trout tend to feed closer to the surface than they do later in the year. The shallow areas of 2 to 10 feet or so are often where more prey is congregated in the early season because this is often where the water warms first and brings insects and other trout food to life.

My favorite tactic for fishing the top 2 to 10 feet of water in the early season is to fish a dry fly with a dropper nymph. Simply cast and let your flies rest where you think fish will cruise. Vary the depth of your dropper until you find fish.

Also, though its not conventional, don't be afraid to twitch your flies occasionally. The rising action of the nymph when you do this often entices a strike. My favorite dropper fly for lakes is the bi-color brassie. This is a great imitator of chironomids and other midges. Don't be afraid to also try other nymphs like pheasant tails, prince nymphs, hares ears, and scuds.

In windy weather or with heavy nymphs you may want to substitute a strike indicator for the dry fly. This will suspend your nymphs at a certain level and you can easily vary it until you find the fish's preferred feeding depth. Give this a try on your next trip and hopefully it will pay off in lots of great early season fish.