Don’t Overlook Streamers

Arizona Outdoorsman / AZOD

Don’t Overlook Streamers

By Chip Chipman

Most of the time when I go trout fishing here in the White Mountains, I tie on an old tried and-true brown beadhead nymph. It has been my most consistent fish catcher for several years.

Yet, sometimes it doesn’t work in the manner to which I am accustomed. It’s not because the fish aren’t there. I can see them take a look at the fly and refuse it. When that happens, I change to a streamer, and more often than not, start catching fish. Streamers imitate the baitfish on which larger fish feed.

Streamers have been around since the 1800s, but started getting popular just after the First World War. There have been hundreds of patterns and some of these endure to this day. They wouldn’t be around for so many years if they weren’t effective. Some of my favorites are the Black Ghost, Mickey Finn, Gray Ghost, Black-nosed Dace, Grizzly King, and Parmachene Belle.

As with nymphs, streamers can be fished upstream or downstream. The easiest, especially for beginners is to cast downstream and strip the fly back. When a fish hits the streamer from downstream, there are two jolts-- the one on the end of your line, and the jolt of adrenaline rushing through your body.

If streamers are not available at your local fly shop, most fly- fishing catalogs carry them; Cabela’s, Orvis, and L.L. Bean do for certain. And, they are easy to tie. I tie mine in sizes 12 and 14. They work well in the small streams.

In our small shallow streams, a floating line with a 7- and- a half or 9-foot leader is all that is needed. When stripping the streamer from downstream a 3x or 4x leader will eliminate a lot of break-offs.

I prefer to fish streams, but in early spring, they are usually inaccessible and I will fish the lower lakes. Using streamers with an intermediate sinking line will net good results. Pun intended.

I bet a lot of you have a few in your fly box and never have gotten around to using them, tie one on and hang on!

It works for me.