Bull Trout flies (and techniques)

mcswny · Feb 27, 2022

mtskibum16 said:
I couldn’t remember so I dug around at the old site to find what I said about it originally. It’s heavily influenced by Gunner Brammer’s Trout Nugget. But sized down and lead eyes. Here are a couple color variations. Looks like I did do white. The bigger one is a by the book Trout Nugget I think. I'll quote myself from the old tying threat.

"I am using the stacked SF blend belly Gunnar Brammer uses in the "trout nugget." I tie in the eyes, then make a thread bump at the hook bend (to stop the bunny later), few strands of flash, stacked belly, collar, rubber legs (on some). Then poke the bunny strip on and pull until it hits the thread bump. Stretch and tie off right behind the eyes. Single dubbing stack in front of eyes. It's actually pretty quick and easy after tying a few."

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Thank you!

QuickreleaseEN · Feb 27, 2022

I would imagine that stud bull trout likely aren't concerned with most of the flies that we throw at them. Tempting those fish means throwing something they deem worthy, and to a fish upwards of 30", that may be a 12-14" whitefish or sucker.

I've spent a bit of time snorkeling in bull trout country and find a pretty strong correlation between bulls and whitefish, typically with the biggest and baddest of the pool hanging out right behind the school of whities. Slightly complicating matters is that Bull trout in general, similar to other highly piscivorous salmonids have a preference for nighttime feeding and activity. I would imagine that the true specimens of Bulls are more likely to be encountered in the wee or after hours of the day.

That said, even in our large rivers you'll occasionally find those specimens more than happy to chase 2-3" streamers. Thankfully Bulls are opportunists!

Pink Nighty · Feb 27, 2022

QuickreleaseEN said:
I would imagine that stud bull trout likely aren't concerned with most of the flies that we throw at them. Tempting those fish means throwing something they deem worthy, and to a fish upwards of 30", that may be a 12-14" whitefish or sucker.

I've spent a bit of time snorkeling in bull trout country and find a pretty strong correlation between bulls and whitefish, typically with the biggest and baddest of the pool hanging out right behind the school of whities. Slightly complicating matters is that Bull trout in general, similar to other highly piscivorous salmonids have a preference for nighttime feeding and activity. I would imagine that the true specimens of Bulls are more likely to be encountered in the wee or after hours of the day.

That said, even in our large rivers you'll occasionally find those specimens more than happy to chase 2-3" streamers. Thankfully Bulls are opportunists!

A friend who snorkels sw wa rivers says he has been charged by big bulls when he gets into their hole. Definitely cant fish too big!!

QuickreleaseEN · Feb 27, 2022

Pink Nighty said:
A friend who snorkels sw wa rivers says he has been charged by big bulls when he gets into their hole. Definitely cant fish too big!!

They are often very brash and rarely are even the modest sized ones too wary of a passing diver. They will analyze and follow you even if they don't feel the urge to throw their weight around.

SignorVince · Mar 12, 2022

Pink Nighty said:
A friend who snorkels sw wa rivers says he has been charged by big bulls when he gets into their hole. Definitely cant fish too big!!

Reminded me of this photo from John McMillan

Chadk · Mar 12, 2022

25-30 some years ago I found my first bulls on the upper elwah. Some amazing bows and big hungry bulls. I'm really curious how that river and those fish are doing now that the dams are down and river has been closed...

Smalma · Mar 12, 2022

My understanding is that those rainbows are serving as the foundation for a developing summer steelhead population.

Many of the bull trout have taken advantage of the access to the salt becoming anadromous. As a result, they achieve larger sizes at maturity.

Curt

Josh · Mar 12, 2022

I really wish I'd ever gotten over to fish the upper Elwah before it closed. As happy as I was to see the dam come down, and I absolutely was happy, I was also a little bummed about losing the opportunity.

Dr. Magill · Mar 12, 2022

Josh said:
I really wish I'd ever gotten over to fish the upper Elwah before it closed. As happy as I was to see the dam come down, and I absolutely was happy, I was also a little bummed about losing the opportunity.

Fishing the lower Elwah hatchery summer runs was awesome

mtskibum16 · Mar 21, 2022

Josh said:
I really wish I'd ever gotten over to fish the upper Elwah before it closed. As happy as I was to see the dam come down, and I absolutely was happy, I was also a little bummed about losing the opportunity.

I was pretty new to the area at the time, and finally got over there near the end of the last season it was open. Just a quick overnight but we caught a lot of fish including some pretty healthy ones. Best trout fishing I've experienced in western WA by far. I was (and still am) bummed that was the one and only time I got to fish that great fishery.

Like you, I'm happy to see the dams come out, but it does suck that it was at the expense of such a great stream trout fishery (rare on the west side).

Pink Nighty · Apr 17, 2022

Smalma said:
My understanding is that those rainbows are serving as the foundation for a developing summer steelhead population.

Many of the bull trout have taken advantage of the access to the salt becoming anadromous. As a result, they achieve larger sizes at maturity.

Curt

I'm curious about this. My understanding for most anadramous repeat spawners is that lacustrine life histories generally offer the largest potential specimens. In those reservoirs they are apex predators with a huge food base and without the cost of going from fresh to salt.

Is this larger size at maturity documented somewhere? It makes more sense to me that resident/adfluvial populations would benefit, but not so much the lake fish.

Smalma · Apr 17, 2022

Lacustrine/ad fluvial (lake dwelling fish) are often larger than the resident or anadromous components of the population. In basically boils down to the available forage to the bulls. Many of the largest individuals have come for lakes with robust kokanee populations to provide the forage base. In the Skagit basin Ross Lake has a decent population of bulls that can reach achieve decent size (in excess of 10#). Downstream in the anadromous potion of the Skagit while the average size of the bulls is smaller the largest individuals are significantly larger than those found in upstream reservoirs. While some of the Skagit bulls can switch life histories over their lifetime the largest individuals that I have seen have had anadromous life histories.

On the Elwha once the migratory life histories of bulls gained access to the salt the found more complex and abundant forage than what they found in the reservoirs prior to the dam removal. Thus the large size adults post dam removal.

Curt

Pink Nighty · Apr 17, 2022

Smalma said:
Lacustrine/ad fluvial (lake dwelling fish) are often larger than the resident or anadromous components of the population. In basically boils down to the available forage to the bulls. Many of the largest individuals have come for lakes with robust kokanee populations to provide the forage base. In the Skagit basin Ross Lake has a decent population of bulls that can reach achieve decent size (in excess of 10#). Downstream in the anadromous potion of the Skagit while the average size of the bulls is smaller the largest individuals are significantly larger than those found in upstream reservoirs. While some of the Skagit bulls can switch life histories over their lifetime the largest individuals that I have seen have had anadromous life histories.

On the Elwha once the migratory life histories of bulls gained access to the salt the found more complex and abundant forage than what they found in the reservoirs prior to the dam removal. Thus the large size adults post dam removal.

Curt

Thank you for your answer, that makes sense to me.