Several factors come into play in March when anglers can take advantage of spring-like weather to catch the biggest trout of the year.
The old saying the worst day fishing is better than the best day at the office is simply not true. It’s almost true, but there are some really bad times to go fishing like whenever your brother-in-law wants to go.
We’re enjoying a cold snap right now, but a lot of our trout lakes don’t ice over. And the water is begging to be fished as soon as daytime temps get back to the low 50s.
This is the time of year when an angler has a chance to catch bigger trout for the table. The fish hatcheries want to find forever homes for surplus brood stock, putting those big old rainbows that can weigh 4 to 8 pounds out to pasture while last year’s holdover legals can go 12 to 18 inches.
While food sources are scarce, bigger trout can be easier to catch than they will be in May. Flashers and hoochies and wedding ring spinners tipped with bait can catch fish, but fly fishing methods are a better bet.
A lot of our favorite lakes are too low to put boats in; Haystack, Hyatt, Chickahominy, Duncan, Prineville and Ochoco reservoirs are in build back better mode.
Instead, when planning a road trip for rainbows, tow the boat to places like Pine Hollow Reservoir (call the resort to check the ice), Lake Simtustus, Willow Creek Reservoir (Heppner), Lost Creek Reservoir (east of Shady Cove) and Dexter Reservoir along Highway 58.
In the winter, trout seek shallow water because the shallows warm first, which promotes weed growth which in turn promotes the insect activity that draws in little fish. Larger trout feed on the minnows, crustaceans and insects.
While shallow water offers better feed options, they are also a danger zone where larger trout may be taken by ospreys. Trout tend to rest and rove along the ledges where the light green shallows give way to deep blue depths. Rocky points, submerged rim rocks and even – in bigger reservoirs – flooded road and railroad beds also offer the kind of habitats where big trout like to hunt.
For the fly angler, a slow-sinking line is the best option because trout may be closer to the surface. Optimal trolling speed in most cases will be between .8 and 1.2 miles per hour, about the speed of a slow walk. Establish a trolling circuit to follow a contour line or to hit the rocky points. Feed out 30 to 50 feet of line behind the boat.
Vary the trolling speed and change direction by zigzags over the trolling circuit which changes the action of the flies. A lot of strikes come on the deceleration or on the outside of a turn.
Rods can be kept in rod holders, but strikes are often missed on fly gear because of the shock-absorbent nature of the line. Hold the rod in hand, the tip near horizontal. If a fish bites, lift the rod and set the hook with a quick strip of line.
A slower initial speed allows lines and flies to sink. Watch the amount of drop, the angle of the line and length. The boat operator can control depth by adjusting speed and lengthening or shortening the lines.
Watch the weather for the days between storm fronts when temps come up and the wind is light. Like grandpa told me, trout and salmon bite ahead of a storm front, and again after a low pressure system.
Late last winter we fished Lake Simtustus. Dad caught a fish on the first pass and then Randy and I doubled up when two trout grabbed on a turn – nice fat rainbows that had fed well over the winter. Then we could not get another bite. Looking at the solunar tables now, I see we fished two hours too late, but still it was better than a day at the office.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac says the best days to fish are when the moon is between New and Full. That means we want to fish March 10 to March 24 and then starting again April 8.
My grandpa used to watch the barometer and tell me when the fishing was going to be fair. He would say something like, “When the barometer is below twenty-nine-point-seven, the fishing won’t bite as good. What you want to see is when the barometer is low and rising.” Then grandpa would say, “But it’s always a good day to go fishing.”
People have been studying this subject for millennia. We don’t need a new brother-in-law, but we ought to remember the factors our grandfathers employed to forecast the fishing.
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For a copy of the Fishing Central Oregon book, send $29.99 to Gary Lewis Outdoors, PO Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709 To contact Gary Lewis, visit www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com