The Tug Is The Drug! ............... Confessions Of A Night Time Streamer Junkie

    I started fishing at night when I was only nine or ten years old.  Of course, I wasn’t fly fishing then. It was a pretty simple under taking that involved lathering up with DEET to ward off the Wisconsin mosquitos, grabbing my trusty Zebco 33, a coffee can of worms, and heading out on my grandparents dock to catch some bullhead.  When I was a few years older, my parents allowed me to camp out with friends on a small lake near my home that had channel catfish.  The fishing method was much the same but these outings were a little more adventurous as it meant being out all night, braving the dark unknown, and relishing in the freedom of no adult supervision.  These outings continued into high school before other interests lured me away and put an end to my night time fishing.

     Two decades passed and, although becoming fanatical about catching fish on the fly, night fishing rarely creep into my mind. That changed in the spring of 2012. Colorado had a below average snowpack that winter and springtime temperatures soared with no rain in sight.  Flows on the Pueblo Tailwater were unusually low when I got a call from my buddy Eric Stulb, a.k.a. Big E. He told me he had been fishing until dusk with dry flies and then switching over to streamers once it got dark… and the steamer action was hot! “Okay” I said, “you have my attention. When are we going out?”

        A few days later, we met up at the Nature Center shortly before sunset.  Flows were only 90 c.f.s and I wasn’t too concerned about wading after dark.  I had fished this stretch of water more times than I can count but there was still this level of uneasiness in the back of my mind that I didn’t remember having when I was a kid. We geared up, grabbed our rods and headed for the river as the sun began to dip below the distant mountains.  As we started fishing and I noticed clouds setting in as the final rays of light faded.  Casting as close to the far bank as possible with an upstream mend and a slow retrieve, I couldn’t help thinking we were in for a pitch back. However, the clouds acted like a mirror, reflecting enough of the city lights to render my headlamp obsolete, save for tying on a new streamer, and I noticed the uneasy feeling I had early was gone.  We had less than three hours to fish before the entrance gates were locked but in that time I experienced some very memorable fishing. After nymph fishing for most the proceeding few years, I had forgotten what a rush it was to feel the heavy grab of a fish. While the hookup ratio was low the number of takes was high and every tug on the end of my line sent a fresh jolt of adrenaline through my veins. With only limited vision, my other senses were magnified and totally fixed on the connection between rod and fly.  I only landed a hand full of fish that night, with the largest just under than twenty inches.  By day light standards, these fish were not out of the ordinary.  But under the cover of nightfall they all seem like trophies in my mind…. I was hooked!  

      Our set up consisted of a 9’, 1X leader with 12 – 18” of 2X tippet  to the streamer.  We used fast action 5wt rods that night, but now I throw a stout 6wt and Big E likes his 8wt.  I prefer using a floating line which allows for mending the
line to control tension and drag, while the relatively long leader helps get the streamers down in deeper runs and pools.  Since the first night out last April, I’ve logged a couple dozen more outings at night, all on the Pueblo Tailwater.  By far, my preferred approach is to work downstream, casting toward the far bank, at a slight up or downstream angle, or behind mid current structure such as the plentiful boulder clusters found on my home water.  The retrieve I use varies slightly based on water type but one thing is consistent, slower is better!  When it comes to the hook set it’s natural to set with the rod but it’s a habit you need to break.  Start with a strip set and if you feel the fish come tight then you can follow with a rod set.  On the other hand, if you miss the fish on the strip set the fly is still close enough fit it to strike again which happens more than you might think.  Some favorite streamers include the Sculpzilla, Big Gulp, Slumpbuster, and Jawbreaker.  Fly

color doesn’t seem to play a big role at night.  On a recent trip this May, during which I caught my largest trout from the Pueblo tailwater, I caught multiple fish on every color Big Gulp in my box.  It’s more important to use patterns that have a large head profile to push water, and body materials with good movement such as rubber legs, rabbit strips and marabou.  It is also important to choose a pattern with the right amount of weight for the given flow and water depth.  Casting at night is challenging enough and adding weight to your line should be a last resort.  If night fishing with streamers is on you bucket list start lookingfor a river or stream with a moderate gradient that you are familiar with. Plan on going out when flows are low and the moon is at least half full. This will make wading at night less dangerous and reading the water will be easier.  If moving water at night is not for you, consider hitting a still water fishery.  As a precautionary measure, pick up a pair of stylish safety glasses and wear a P.F.D.  Oh yeah, don’t fish alone… how else are you going to get a picture of that monster fish?