The opening of fishing in the first category sounds the death knell of a long period of truce for river fishermen.
This "delivery" is a moment not to be missed and to be well prepared to be in the right place at the right time, and to use the right technique and the associated material.
The choice of the fishing sectors
The rivers are generally high, tinted and cold at the beginning of the season and the trout will start feeding more regularly, but the periods of activity will remain short. It is therefore important to choose the right areas and techniques to open the score and catch your first fish of the season.
The trout are coming out of a long period of spawning and rest. They will have to replenish their fat stock and eat as much as possible for their growth and their good development. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the season, the cold waters will limit their energy expenditure and they will post themselves in very specific places.
Their metabolism is slow and depends on the water temperature. The weather conditions and the fishing areas, but also the region where you will practice your hobby will have a great importance and will influence your choices.
The geographical location and type of watercourse will be taken into account.
The reading of the water will be of capital importance to linger in the good places. The veins and fast currents will be avoided and it will be necessary to seek mainly the calm zones where the current slows down, the bunks, the posts of edges, the edges of structures (stumps, rocks, herbariums).
Which techniques to use?
In these early season waters, trout will mainly feed on the bottom or close to it, and move around quite little. The ratio caloric gain/loss of energy will be important and it will be necessary to pass near the fish with preys of rather consequent size.
Of course dry fly fishing will not be used, but at the hottest times (12:00-16:00) some insects will hatch and the first gobbles should appear. On the end of the streamers and in the riffle areas, some fish will linger for a short time to take advantage of this opportunity. You will have to be in the right place, at the right time, to try to get your first fish on the dry. Always a great satisfaction!
During these first days or weeks, the nymph fishing techniques with thread, drowned and streamer will be more appropriate to present our flies near the bottom. A slow presentation to decide the trout. It is wise to master these different complementary techniques to take full advantage of the season and to be able to start from the first days.
This versatility also allows us to adapt to any conditions and to do well at this time of year, but also later in the season.
Choosing the right material and flies
The equipment used will depend on the technique(s) chosen, but also on the type of river that you will tackle.
We do not practice with the same rods and lines in a stream, in a mountain river or in the plains and on large rivers. The wider the rivers, the longer the rod will be to control drifts and avoid dredging, but also to cast further and cover more ground. Today, there is a wide choice of rod lengths and actions, as well as line profiles on the market. From the 6 to 7 feet rod for 2 and 3 lines, for fishing in small rivers and/or crowded rivers, to the big 10 to 11 feet rods for 2 to 5 lines for nymph fishing, dry nymph fishing, or even drowning and streamer fishing, the possibilities are numerous. Choosing your equipment according to the technique and the type of river you will be fishing allows you to fish better and therefore to be more efficient.
Then, you have the choice to confine yourself to a specific technique and use the specific equipment by taste or by "concern" for efficiency. Or you can choose a versatile equipment to practice several techniques in the area you have chosen. Each person will see no matter what and there is no rule to follow.
The flies, decisive elements which come at the end of our leader and which constitute our final choice will also be to adapt according to the seasonality, to the encountered conditions and to the chosen sectors. The possibilities are infinite and making the right choices is acquired with experience, knowledge of our fishing spots, but also the confidence we have in our imitations. Some basic or all-purpose flies allow you to fish in many situations, but sometimes a more accurate selection will be decisive.
