One method of fly fishing that consistently takes trophy sized brown trout is the method of using trout streamers.  Streamers are used to mimic a plethora of different food items.  These items can include minnows, mice, leeches and a variety of other creatures that fall in between.  Flies used to imitate these species can generally all be used in a similar way using similar techniques.

Trout  Streamers can easily be divided into two distinct categories.  Imitators and Attractors.  Imitator flies are tied in such a fashion that they resemble a food item as closely as possible.  In each and every river that holds trout, you are also likely to find countless species of bait fish, as well as the fry of young game fish.  These are all likely candidates for imitation streamers,  and are probably the key food source of trophy brown trout.

Attractor style streamers, or intruders as I like to call them are a different style of streamer.  Large trout are very territorial.  Because of this territorial behaviour, large, gaudy, bright and loud streamer patterns are likely to bring big trout out of hiding.  When bait fish, or any other animal for that matter get too close to large trout, they are immediately ambushed and either chased away, or killed on the spot.  Attractor style streamers are usually tied large and bright.  They don’t necessarily resemble any one thing in particular, but they are intrusive, and thats what gets big browns to roll on them.

Fishing with streamers requires a different approach than what you would use fishing dry flies or nymphs.  You need to cause the fly to make a commotion.  It needs to be very apparent that the fly is intruding, so a noisy, fast strip is required.  The best method that I employ is to cast up stream slightly, give a gentle mend upstream, and immediately begin a fast retrieve of the fly.  Attention must be given to ensure the fly is coming across the current as it comes down stream.  What you are really trying to do here is cause the fly to be presented broadside to any fish holding in the run or pool.  Don’t be afraid to strip the fly right up into the shallows as big trout will often chase a streamer quite far before they actually commit to killing it.