Stocked trout flies

[pescador7]

Trout season is starting in southern cali for trout and need help in picking flies for stocked trout. I will be fishing in a private lake that is rather big but know were the fish hang out. I picked some woolly buggers in size 6 in colors black, green, and yellow with red to try out. Are there any more that you guys would recommend to add to my arsenal.

 

[williamhj]

At 'stockerfest' back in the Detroit area the fish went crazy for white wooly buggers. Could take some on dries, nymph and other streamers, but just couldn't resist a white wooly bugger. Don't know if it would work there.

 

[romanl]

hey where in So Cal (i live in Long Beach) are there lakes to fish?
thanks

 

[Guest1]

What a coinkidink! This subject came up today with a member of the forum I was talking to on the phone. A thread from the deep dark past on here has mentioned a place they had just stocked and the guy threw everything in the fly box at them and got nothing. I asked him how far away the hatchery was and it was not real far away. I suggested taking a ride over there and asking what the fish food looked like. I told him he should then tie up some Purina Trout Chow flies. Match the hatch(ery). I also got some comments that it was kind of cheating, but I fail to see how it is. :confused

hey where in So Cal (i live in Long Beach) are there lakes to fish?
thanks

Castaic has Trout and monster Largemouth that think they are lunch. You have some really extraordinary lakes for Largemouth. When I lived in So. Cal. I went to Castaic once and the very first fish I got was a Largemouth in the 8 pound zone. There have been some serious monsters caught there. Call the DNR. They can point you in the right direction.

 

[williamhj]

I've tied up some dog food flies, it was Old Roy because that's the brand my wife's uncle uses to feed the fish in the stocked pond behind his condo. I noticed though that it was hard to get them to take it if I just threw the fly out there. But if he threw in a handful of Old Roy and I tossed a foam or deer hair pellet fly they'd take it. They wanted the sound of all the pellets hitting I guess.

 

[Guest1]

They wanted the sound of all the pellets hitting I guess.

That makes sense. Part of matching the hatch so to speak. What kind of fish were they?

 

[thewalker1013]

It's that time of year around here too... Woolly's work we'll, actually found that dead-drifted works better on stockers often. Rainbow warriors, zebras also seems to work well, not sure why... I scratch my head on stockers all of the time, but, hey, it's what I've got this time of year

 

[jpbfly]

I'd be interested to see if stocked trout like the flying moththink they shouldhttp://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/share-patterns/213010-jps-flies-step-step-beginners-7.html
let me know ....

 

[troutbanger20]

Try some junk food...eggs, blue assassins, San Juan's, y2k's. until the fish get smart they will eat that stuff up.

 

[williamhj]

That makes sense. Part of matching the hatch so to speak. What kind of fish were they?

Mostly rainbows with some browns and brookies mixed in. Some beautiful fish in there, some of which had been in the pond for years.

 

[Rip Tide]

They wanted the sound of all the pellets hitting I guess.

That's exactly right
I worked at large trout hatchery and I tell people this all the time.
It's not the pellets themselves, it's the sound of them hitting the water that the hatchery fish respond to.
Using a pellet fly isn't going to help you catch a stocked trout.

When I ran the state "pay-to-fish" ponds I'd sometimes "chum" for young new fly fisher-kids.
I'd throw out a handful of trout chow and have them cast into the center of it.
It didn't matter what fly they used. Only that they cast into where the fish had focused their attention.

---------- Post added at 09:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 AM ----------

Here's one of the ponds with the hatchery in the background

 

[theboz]

Thanks for reinforcing what I've been saying for years Rip! When they stocked the developments up here for opening day would take my kids at the end of the day when everyone and the mob scene died out. Grab a hand ful of beach sand thrown it out and the kids would have fish while guys standing there all day had none! Always worked!
My oldest girl would comment "Dad you better help them get fish they don't look to happy!"

 

[williamhj]

An interesting thing about this pond is that the fish had been there long enough to get picky. They'd be in a feeding frenzy when the Old Roy hit the water but still take a second to inspect the pellet or my fly. It was a great place to get some folks their first trout and teach them casting and hook set, but catching was not guaranteed.