I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Stocking was on Oct 16th it's been 5-days now. I don't know what to use, no one the pond are catching any but early in the morning you see than rising and all throughout the day you see some rising. In the 5-days only one person caught a trout using power bait. Some other people that are fly fishing for them are having no luck, I heard that they gave them enough food before the drop off. A day before the stocking I tied some Black wolley buggers with some extra flash, and I got one to chase it on the 3rd day after that nothing. I have tried so far, Olive wolley buggers, Black wolley buggers, Pheasant tail nymph, Mosquito, Gnat, Slate drake (wet), Wolley worm, ant, flying ant, Olive wolley buggers with gold bead head, black wolley bugger with gold bean head, Bumble bee, inch worm, Red san juan worm, brassie, even a all white clouser minnows, look's like they are chasing minnow that are in the pond. I don't know what else to try. Oh the water is a little warmer than usual. Any Tips/Ideas?

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Try a midge larva under an indicator.

Hatchery trout are not fed for a week before being stocked.
A whole tank full of trout puking up their dinner during a bumpy truck ride would suffocate them all.

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Uh, you might try something that plops down with a splash, like a heavy weighted Hare's Ear. Try a size 10 or 8. The food pellets they feed to hatchery trout while raising them make a distinct splash when they're put into the water. That's what they're used to.

They'll adapt to the food in the pond, so whatever is there they're eat. Keep at it, eventually you'll find a fly they'll take.

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Last stocking in spring, I nailed them as soon as they got up the truck, this lake nothing, The guy's said they were fed prior I don't know how true it is tho. I think I gotta tie a few midge larva patterns tonight. Just a Basic all red midge larva?? And tie some Hare Ears nymphs. I'am not giving up.

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

I don't have the opportunity to fish stocked trout so take my advice for what it is. If the fish are coming to the top, I would try an ant or beetle pattern. If you tie then ants and beetles are really easy to tie up and give them a try. For the past month I have been having really good luck using a size 12 or 14 parachute adams with a size 16 beetle dropper or a size 16 ant dropper. I'm using the parachute adams mainly as an indicator so I have an idea where the beetle or ant is located, but I'm finding that about 50% of the hits are on the parachute adams. The fish could be eating midges, in that case try a Griffith's Gnat pattern in a size 18.

Larry

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Hatchery trout are conditioned to respond to hundreds of feed pellets hitting the water at once... not just one.
When I ran the state pay-to-fish ponds here in CT, I'd sometimes help young fly fishers by "chumming" for them. I'd throw out a handful of trout food and have them cast into the center. It never mattered what fly.
:secret:
I don't recommend this as it's not at all sporting, but if you wanted to simulate this, you could try throwing out a handful of sand and see what happens.

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Give them time, they'll get hungry and start eating everything that looks like it edible.

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

The sad thing is that the following day after stocking there must of been at least 40-50 trout swimming edges breathing heavy and having cuts on their mouths. Some guy was there snagging them 10-15 at a time he left came back and started again. He must of had 50 trout. Call the Game Warden up by that time the guy already was gone. they only stocked 170 trout. Since than he hasn't shown up tho. These trout that were stocked are at least averaging 2-3lbs some must of been 5-6lbs. I will give it a few more days to let everything calm down plus less and less people are showing up, but you see those trout rising every morning.

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

Sad to hear something that bad is happening to a limited resource. If you see him next time try to get a very good description, his license plate number and maybe a photo, that would give the Game Warden more to go on.

Larry

Re: I Can't catch a stocked trout
 

A local stream had 1000 browns and brookies stocked at the beginning of the month
You'd have to try hard to not catch one :rolleyes:. They're all a cookie cutter size of 8" though.
I've tired of that and am going elsewhere today