Mousing for big rainbow trout at Alaska West is exciting. Big Alaskan Rainbow Trout like their protein and small mammals like mice, voles, and shrews offer them an excellent opportunity to get their protein fix. Watching big trout eat a mouse is quite an experience!
The same goes for grayling. Grayling also have an appetite for destruction when it comes to furry little mammals, and the takes are just as exciting as a Rainbow Trout. At Alaska West, the Kanektok River’s moderate flows, back braids, and grassy banks offer perfect water for mousing both Rainbow Trout and Grayling.
It is a hoot if you have never experienced mousing at Alaska West, and you should put it on your agenda. Here are Five tips on Mousing for Rainbow Trout at Alaska West. For those who have had the pleasure of mousing, these tips are a good reminder.
Be Patient. When your mouse pattern goes under via a trout or grayling, your first instinct is to trout set. DON’T DO IT! When you see that mouse go down, give it a second before you try setting the hook, or you’ll find yourself pulling the fly out of the fish’s mouth. You want to wait for the fish to close its mouth and turn away. With this action, the fish will set itself. This is incredibly challenging since you’re on high alert and have adrenaline coursing through your body. Remember, relax, and breathe before each cast. Be patient and let the fish eat.
Hit the bank. The tiny critters come off the banks or limbs of trees, where fish expect them to be. So do your best to emulate a mouse coming off the back. Rainbows, in particular, will hug the banks keeping an eye out for a fall mouse or vole.
Strip and Swing. You don’t have to stick to the banks strictly. Once you’ve made a cast, strip and swing down and across, make it look like a mouse swimming in the water. Many will “skate” a mouse across the water, which can be effective. That said, a simple strip pattern will work and is easier to do.
Don’t Linger. Once you’ve hooked a fish in a spot, you should move to a new location. Or if you’ve cast to a spot trying to get a rise in the same spot multiple times, odds are the fish is not there. So move on, because the fish have.
We hope these tips help you get better takes, more hookups, and a fantastic fly-fishing experience!
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