David's Question:

One of the most productive times on the rivers where I fish is Trico time. I've seen wise old fish become giddy at the chance to slurp down those tiny spinners, but when I toss out a size 22 or 24, I can never spot my fly as well as I'd like after it lands on the water. Big flies like a Royal Wulff or a tan Caddis are no sweat, but what are some tips for spotting those tiny flies?

David Dusek

Mark's Answer:

David,

There are several things you can do to improve your trico-fishing skills. The first and easiest way to trick trout at Trico time is to time their rising rhythm.

If you cast where the fly passes through the rise ring or the rise ring area when the trout is moving up to feed in its rhythm, you'll know better where the fly should be.

You cannot see those size 22s or 24s. They are virtually invisible — especially in the middle of so many small naturals. So the second way to improve your success rate during trico (or other small fly hatches) is to use a dropper rig. See my skills article on fishing multiple flies.

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There are two methods you can use here:

1) Select a dropper fly you can see, regardless of size, say a Royal Wulff. Tie a thin tippet to the fly and attach the trico fly.

2) Select a dropper fly that is a notch bigger than the adults on the water, a trico adult in a size 18 instead of 20. Then tie a dropper fly in a nymph form under it. In this way, you can see the dropper fly and you are covering two stages of development of the prevailing hatch.

In either case, the top fly (the larger fly), works as an indicator. You watch it and know your other fly is 12-18 inches beneath it. If the indicator fly moves jerkily or sinks, set the hook.

Another way to better see your fly is to change your positioning, reduce the glare. You don't always have to fish upstream in trico hatches. A western technique frequently used is to fish down and across, the fly leading to the rise.

Also, improve your casting skills so you can quickly and accurately pick up the fly and place where you want so you can time the rise. Another simple method to improve your trico time efficiency is to cast, cast, cast. The better caster you are, the more you will develop a feel for knowing how to sense the end of your leader and the fly.

And lastly, you can purchase flies now with hi-visibility material, making it far easier to see. If you are fishing at dusk, don't go with a lighter-colored fly — try a darker fly for contrast on the water, and you'll see the fly . . . and catch more trout.