Streamer Fishing Only for One Season

I had always heard it said: “If you want to catch big trout, you must present big flies.” For over two decades, like most UK river anglers, my trout fishing experience had never seriously delved into streamers. The most I had done were some stillwater action with small lures like yellow dancers, humongous’ and damsel patterns. Two seasons ago, however, I dedicated a significant portion of my time on the river to streamer fishing only. This was a shift that felt as much like a challenge as an evolution in my fly-fishing story.

Why embark on this experiment and put away the nymphs and dries for an entire year? The inspiration came from following a few seasoned UK anglers on Instagram who consistently landed the kind of wild brown trout I had long considered to be once-in-a-lifetime fish. These were real unicorns of the river. What was more surprising was that these fish weren’t just lucky breaks; they were being caught week after week. I had to find out what was going on.

After a few enlightening conversations with these anglers, countless hours watching videos on YouTube (often contradictory to each other) reading blogs from fellow anglers in the USA, and diving deeper into the world of streamer fishing, I felt excited to get out on the water and give it a proper go. This was not going to be straightforward. I was accustomed to the finesse and elegance of dry flies and nymphing. They have a certain gentle presentations and poetic pace. Throwing around large, water-disturbing flies felt almost barbaric in comparison.

Nevertheless, I set a goal to fully embrace streamer fishing for an entire season. I wanted to learn as much as I could, no matter the weather or water conditions. I was as ready for the very real possibility of getting skunked for most of the year. Every day would be a school day, and I was ready try, fail, learn, and evolve.

Where to Begin with Streamers?

There is no shortage of information that you can find on streamer fishing out there, but when I started, I kept it simple and made do with what I already had at my disposal. My setup was a 9ft #4 rod, paired with a floating line. Looking back, it wasn’t ideal for casting larger flies, particularly as I began scaling up fly size. However, it was enough to get started. On my first outing of the season, I took to the river armed with a few basic streamers—size 12 woolly buggers with 3mm tungsten beads. My initial approach was straightforward: casting upstream and stripping back, just as you would do when fishing nymphs upstream. I was trying to make my black, heavily weighted humongous fly seem like a natural meal for hungry trout by diving up and down throughout the water column.

It only took about ten casts before I felt it—BOOM! A solid, aggressive take that bent the rod over and got my pulse racing. I had caught some decent fish before on dries and nymphs, but this was something else. It was an explosion of power, the fish leaping and running wildly. Five minutes later, I had my biggest river trout ever in the net—a respectable three pounds (what I would consider big in most UK rivers). Surely just a fluke, I thought. But on the next three outings, I broke that personal record again and again. I was armed only with a few simple streamer patterns and a very basic understanding of the method. The tug certainly had become the drug.

To be clear, streamer fishing isn’t a magic bullet. You’ll face more blank days compared to using nymphs or dries. But for me, the thrill is in casting into a likely spot and waiting for that electrifying jolt. The lure of a big fish kept me coming back for more and more.

Gear upgrades for Streamer Fishing

Before long, I upgraded my gear to a 9ft #5 & a 9ft #6 rod. If you have a 9ft #7 for Stillwater, or even smaller river rods, those will do the job if you are wanting to start. Just get out and give it a go. I also picked up a sink-tip line to better handle deeper, faster currents, and a fast-sinking 8ft poly leader that could be added to my floater if needed. My Fulling Mill leaders ranged from 5 to 9 feet. I cut them down depending on the conditions. In clear, shallow water, a longer leader helped avoid spooking the fish. In contrast, in murkier conditions, I’d go shorter and heavier. Using anything between 6 and 8lb World class fluorocarbon will see you right. Though, some anglers I know go even heavier.

Adjusting the leader length also helped me control how the fly moved in the water. A short leader produced sharper, more aggressive movement. In contrast, a longer one resulted in a softer, more natural swing. The fly’s weight and balance also played a role, and a lot depends on the river itself. It was all about trying, experimenting, and figuring it out as I progressed through the season. In truth, streamer fishing can be much more technical than it appears, sometimes just as technical as dry fly fishing. Casting across the river and letting the fly swing has become my favourite technique, especially in higher or falling water. Using a sink-tip line helped me get the fly to the right depth that I needed on those days when the rivers are higher and dirtier, brilliant conditions for streamers.

Like nymphing or using spiders, systematically working through every pocket of water, not just deep pools was key. Big fish often hid in spots that seemed unlikely at first glance. The beauty of streamer fishing is just how much ground you can cover in a single session. I tried casting into shallow pockets with streamers tied on jig hooks and often found surprisingly large fish hiding in these modest areas. I also tried using a euro-nymph setup for streamers but found I preferred a 5wt fly line; it allowed me to cover water more effectively.

If you want to try euro nymphing with jig streamers, head over to our YouTube channel and watch this tutorial with Signature Tyer George Daniel.

My Favorite Streamers

As for fly patterns, traditional bugger styles in size 12- 4 worked wonders. I used tungsten heads to get flies down quickly for faster water. Larger articulated patterns like the Cheech Leech or Complex Twist Buggers were also fantastic. Over time, I started tying my own patterns using many of Fulling Mill’s tying materials such as marabou and zonker strips. My own flies, although not the prettiest, caught plenty of fish. The best colours for me were the classics: black, brown, and olive, with brown coming out on top. Conditions would dictate the exact choice—dark colours for dark days and clearer colours for brighter conditions. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Dark day, clear water: Blacks, dark olives, dark clarets, browns.

• Bright day, clear water: Whites, light tans, light olives, browns.

• Dark day, coloured water: Black with blue or red UV flash, or dark brown with UV.

• Bright day, coloured water: Dark olives or tans with a bit of flash.

This approach worked about 70% of the time, but trout can be fickle, and adaptability is crucial.

When fishing streamers, the goal is to trigger a predatory response from the trout. Just like we manipulate a dry fly with subtle mends or movements, an erratic strip can cause trout to strike out of instinct. It’s essential to mix up your retrieves, and if a fish follows but doesn’t strike, be patient. Let it settle before casting again—just as you would let a chalk-stream trout get comfortable before presenting a dry fly. Timing is everything.

Streamer fishing also isn’t about standing in one place for long. It involves covering a lot of water, and if nothing happens after a few casts, it’s time to move. Sometimes, you’ll walk miles and cast endlessly for just one fish—but that fish might just be the one of a lifetime.

I certainly don’t claim to be the most seasoned streamer angler, and these aren’t necessarily the best techniques, but they are what I’ve picked up in a relatively short time. They’ve helped me land some rather lovely trout. Let me leave you with a few tips:

Top Tips:

• Three to five casts per spot: change up your retrieves—fast, slow, erratic. Then step down a few feet and repeat.

• Cover ground: keep moving; don’t get too settled, explore the water, every piece of it, you never know what’s around the corner.

• Trust the fly: focus on depth and retrieve rather than changing colour constantly. If nothing bites after an hour, then switch colours. If still nothing, try downsizing the fly.

• Fish high or rainy conditions: these are often some of the best times, and you’ll likely have the river to yourself. Almost all of my 3lb plus fish have come on rainy days.

• Make it look alive: make your fly move like a baitfish. It sounds simple but takes practice, might sound silly but I say in my head “just keep swimming, just keep swimming” to ensure I keep the fly moving at a rhythm.

• Note the time of day: patterns can change, so make note of what worked and when in a little notebook. Also note where you found your trophy trout.

• Buy quality tippet: there’s nothing worse than loving s big fish due to break. I’ve personally stuck with Fulling Mill’s Fluorocarbon because I know that it works.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to give the streamers a bash. Though I am far from an expert, I do love fly fishing, and streamer fishing has been an exhilarating addition to my experience. I’m certainly have enjoyed the delicate takes of dries and the subtle game of nymphing again, but streamers have definitely earned their spot in my fly box. May you all land that trophy in the future.

Tight lines, Conan Turnbull.               

Instagram: Native_edn_flyfishing

If you want to read more about streamer fishing, check out some of these other articles on our blog.

Conan Turnbull

Conan is an angler and tyer based in the UK that specializes in trout fishing.

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