I believe this is a kalloop rainbow trout or something like that in Nee Jersey which was for sure stocked. I fly fished for it today. I had an indicator rig with a size 16 brown perdigon (which had previously caught a WILD brown trout a few days ago in the same conditions) and a green zebra midge (that’s what I had for a much smaller fly lol). I got to sneak up on it, and it was in feeding mode. I gently casted way in front of it and made a dragless drift. He looked at it 3 TIMES and then denied them. Every cast after that he ignored them. In fact, it got to a point where he was spooked by them!?
I then tried redworms I dug up and buried a size 10 hook into it. It wasn’t scrunched up and it was as natural as it could be. It wiggled in the water like crazy and had a perfect drift. Still no. Then I tried lures. Spinners, jerkbaits, and jigs. NOTHING. Not even the wooly bugger!
Last year I lost three rainbows at least each in the 2 foot range with one spitting the hook and the others taking me under debris and logs, and I’ve caught a 26 incher this year but just one, but I need redemption! (just joking lol). I‘ve been using an arms length of 4 pound mono leader and 5 pound moss green braid on my spinning gear, with the fly rod using 5x tippet. Do I need to perfectly imitate the flies since the water’s SUPER clear right now? I don’t have many flies since I’m sort of new and I’ve had just a few that have been working for me. I am planning on filling my fly box up soon. Or is there something else I’m doing wrong? What would you guys do? It’s crazy how a wild brown trout instantly smashed my brown perdigon with the same technique and rig without me sneaking up on it in the same conditions, but this STOCKED rainbow has been denying it with me trying everything I can to make myself unknown.
Posted by Imaginary-Title2838