Dry fishing, streamer fishing, drowning or nymphingâeuros¦ everything is possible depending on the fishing conditions, the season or the time of the day. The angler's reflexion and his capacity of adaptation will be solicited, whether it is for the choice of the techniques, the material, the fliesâeuros¦ Here is a small overview of what awaits you during your next trip in altitude.
A range of techniques depending on the conditions
Dry fly fishing is one of the options often preferred by fly fishermen at altitude. A technique that can be effective even in the absence of salmonid activity on the surface. In this case, it is not necessarily necessary to lengthen your casts, fishing the edges can reveal excellent surprises: spiders, small black set flies mounted on 16 or 18 gauge, or small duck asses remain safe values at altitude. As always, observing the nature around us is essential: in the summer, when grasshoppers accompany our steps on the hiking trails, a Hopper will make the difference on the waterâ?¦ and in case of ants falling on the water, the choice of the imitation will be quite found, no question of having forgotten your ants in the plain that day!
But it is often at daybreak, when the sun's rays are not yet warming the atmosphere, when regular gobbles are breaking through the surface of the water, that some fly fishers spend their best moments on the lake shore in dry conditions. As the day progresses, as the conditions and the behavior of the fish evolve, it is necessary to know how to change technique to interest the fish.
As on any body of water, fishing for chironomids, which are an important part of the fish's diet, can give very good results. In case of windy or rainy conditions, which disturb the surface of the water, it is a train of drowned fish that will make the difference. Imitations that come to prospect just under the surface, while others explore a little deeper. Salmonids are surprised by these artificial fish that are so rarely offered to them.
When the conditions allow on the contrary to observe the activity of the salmonids close to the banks, it is the sight fishing which is essential: small nymphs, meticulous approach, delicate casts and long leaders will be recommended here.
On the other hand, it is not forbidden to offer sometimes big preys to these fishes living in these environments where the food is not so abundant. Streamer fishing, with minnow imitations for example, has already proved its worth at high altitudes. You have to be daring and think outside the box, bright colors might not spook a nice fishâ?¦ What if you took a â??reservoir bobbyâ? out of its box? You might be surprised at the resultâeuros¦
The right equipment
For all of these techniques, a 9-foot whip with 4 or 5 lines will be versatile enough to tackle different fishing conditions. For streamer fishing or windy conditions, a 6' line is best, with several line densities to be able to explore different water layers.
Adapt to the salmonid species present
It is important to be well informed before leaving, in order to know the species of fish present in the desired body of water. This will allow the fisherman to adapt his approach and to implement in priority a technique which is a priori more efficient.
For the fishing of the cristivomer with the fly, it is advisable to know the behavior of this so particular fish which can reach strong respectable dimensions. It is a species which feeds rather at night, preferring to avoid the sunny hours, and which seeks cold and oxygenated waters.
To target nice subjects, it will be necessary to fish as early as possible in the morning, or at nightfall, without hesitating to offer nice preys. In this case, streamers imitating minnows could make the difference, either animated on the edges in relative darkness, or swimming in the depths of the lake. Plunging silk (or intermediate) of 6, double traction will be here precious alliesâeuros¦
It is sometimes the fountain salmon that the fisherman will like to flush out. A species that manages to adapt to high altitude, and that remains active in all seasons, including sometimes in the middle of the day when the farios are stalled and flee the sun. Brook trout can attack large prey, and nice insect imitations will not scare them. During windy conditions that agitate the surface of the water, a little dredging of your artificial could even make a difference.
Take advantage of the opportunity to fish the streams
When going up to the lake, during a hike between 2 bodies of water, or when it is time to leave his little corner of paradise, it is not uncommon to come across a small mountain stream. It is in this case always very tempting to put a line hoping to cross small wild and combative fariosâeuros¦ Another opportunity for the fly fisherman to change his approach and techniqueâeuros¦
