First timer on a WTS

[DAG_NJFISHING]

Hello,

I would be fishing a WTS that is 5 minutes away from my house and I never knew it had trout, is a beautiful stream.

I'm wondering if any one can provide me with nymphing techniques, casting, approach, etc on how to fish a small stream. I will be using a 7'6 3 Wt rod, also I have a handful of generic nymphs I will be using, PH, GRHE, BHHE and others. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

By the way If have been fly fishing for about 4 months know and I'm hooked. Used to be a spinner/bait guy those days were fun, but I think I found my calling. I have also learned more in these four months about the ecology of streams/rivers etc than when I was spin fishing. Thanks for all your posts I enjoy many of them and learn a lot.

 

[BIGBOW]

I've found that most small stream fish are pretty hasty to bite something. I try to fish broken water in riffles or pools under small falls. If theres a deep pool but the water is still, try to crouch down low. The wild guys arent too tricky to catch and usually arent picky with selection, but make sure you've got a good presentation. Ive also found that a lot of them will bite most flies, but smaller hooks give you a better chance of hooking up. I remember one of my first days on a small stream. I landed a few little guys, but lost 3 times as many.. I switched to a much smaller hook and the problem was solved. This time of year you cant go wrong with a small GRHE on some 6 or 7x tippet. Also, make sure you're in Jersey and not NY, as their streams are closed this time of year. Not sure of the PA regs. Enjoy.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Good advice from Bigbow. You'll quickly learn about WTS that they are the first to fish well after a rainstorm. The big rivers can be blown out for several days while the smaller streams often fish well within a day or so. They can also fish very well just as the water begins to rise since the wild fish typically are hungrier than those in the larger rivers so they instinctivly know that when the water is rising there will be food.

The smaller the stream the more you should crouch down. Hope you have strong knees

You'll be pleasantly surprised at times at just how big a trout you will catch in some of our WTS! There are hundreds, mostly in the NW portions of the state. The state publishes something like 35 of them. I believe 3 of them have naturally reproducing brooks, browns and rainbows in the same stream. It's always fun attempting the trifecta

 

[BIGBOW]

One more bit of advice.. take what you learn on the small stream to the rivers. The same types of lies you find fish in at small streams, you'll find the fish in at the big river. Its really great practice, especially when you're dry flying. Of course its usually much easier to get a dead drift on a small stream, but you'll see what I mean.. most of the same tactics.