5 Ways to Catch More Rainbow Trout

Catching rainbow trout at Alaska West is not all that difficult – in fact it’s easy to catch ‘some’.  That being said, great anglers catch more, and great anglers catch the bigger ones.  Here are 5 ways you can make yourself into a ‘greater’ trout angler in our part of the world.

1. Mend less.  Our trout are not particularly sensitive about drag-free drifts.  Hitting as many good spots as possible is much more important than presenting perfectly.  Don’t get all cutesy with your mends – hit more spots with decent drifts.
2. Let him eat it.  Particularly when mousing or fishing big leech or sculpin patterns, it’s very common to see a fish tear out from under some structure to crush your fly.  Don’t jump the gun!  Let him eat your fly, close his mouth and turn before you set.  With big flies, a quick trigger is a bad thing.
3. Leave your 5 weight for the dollies and grayling.  Listen Tex, don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.  6s and 7s are the norm for trout on our rivers.  Unless you’re sight casting to fish that you know aren’t super-grande, it’s best to fish a rod that’s capable of landing the big boys.
4. Fish flesh.  Our rivers get choked with salmon flesh, so our trout love eating salmon flesh.  Even in the early season when you don’t yet see rotting salmon everywhere, don’t overlook your flesh flies.  In small water and big water, early season and late season, good conditions and bad conditions, flesh flies are some of our most consistent producers.
5. Fish the couch water.  That soft water on an inside bend is often overlooked, and often the home of Big Jerry.  Fish it.

Have you spent some time fishing for trout in Western Alaska?  Got some more ways to catch more trout?  Leave us a comment and share the love!

More Ways to Catch More Fish (or Not)

• 6 Ways to Catch More Silver Salmon
• 5 Ways to Blow a Shot at a Bonefish
• 5 Ways to Catch More King Salmon