Fly Fishing Tips | Why Streamers Are Perfect for Brown Trout

Swinging streamers is a criminally underrated method of fishing for trout, and when it comes to brown trout, it can be a total game changer. Brown trout are inherently aggressive eaters, and they’re typically not afraid of a big meal. On days when they don’t seem to be feeding on the surface, tie on a streamer and don’t think twice.

Realistic Imitations

Brown trout have evolved to target protein-packed meals. While they still eat their fair share of insects, they’re also happy to prey on crustaceans, other small fish, amphibians, and even small mammals. Streamers are designed to imitate larger prey animals, and brown trout love them.

Reaction Strikes

Sometimes, swinging a streamer will provoke a strike from a fish that wasn’t even focused on feeding. Brown trout are highly territorial – if you swing a large fly through the area where a fish is holding, it’s not uncommon to trigger an instinctive bite.

Reach Hidden Fish

Brown trout tend to occupy water that is deep and has lots of cover. If you want to get your fly under an overhanging tree or an undercut bank, and you want it to sink quickly in the water column, casting a streamer on a sinking line is going to be a whole lot easier and more effective than a nymph rig.

Low-Light Killers

Brown trout are ambush predators, and low visibility conditions, when prey animals are more vulnerable, make for prime hunting time. During these times, trout rely on their ability to feel the disturbances their prey makes in the water. Stripping a streamer through the water makes an intentionally large disturbance, giving brown trout a compelling target to pursue.

No Hatch? No Problem.

It's common for fly anglers to try to time fishing trips with insect hatches. Unfortunately, insects hatch when they hatch, and they have no care for when you’re able to get off work and get on the water.

Streamers can be a trip saver. Even if a hatch isn’t coming off like you thought it would, trout still need to eat – these are the times when brown trout turn their attention to other types of prey, and you can clean up with a thoughtfully presented streamer.

Give ‘Em What They Want

Trout survival comes down to a delicate balance between expending and taking in energy. If you can present a high-calorie meal in a spot where a fish doesn’t have to work hard for it, you’re going to have success. Brown trout are naturally inclined to seek out larger meals, so show them what they’re looking for.