It steadily chugs across the surface. "The hook-up comes on the strip, after a pause. Fishing the outside and inside banks of the river will also help you locate areas fish might be utilizing in the dark. Mousing. Photo: John Miller. Night fishing for trout is accompanied by legend. However the larger fish in our rivers still prefer to hunt during the darkest hours. The fight is on. Know Where You’re Wading – Scout Ahead . 10 comments. Mousing for Sea Trout. The bushes are awfully close. You get that eerie feeling where the hair on the back of your neck stands up like all the time. Posted by 11 days ago. Six Tips for Catching Big Trout at Night. Traditionally people start fishing after dark beginning in mid June with the onset of our Hex hatch. Night Mousing. In Michigan we need the night time to make it work with conviction. The best … I love the Hex hatch and the opportunities it provides an angler to cast at larger trout feeding on the surface. It never hurts to have a few addresses as well. Originally popular on bass ponds and western rivers, the mouse fly has now become a staple of night fishing for trout from coast to coast. In Michigan we need the night time to make it work with conviction. There are plenty of lunar charts on line and having a couple of your favorites bookmarked will aid you in planning your next night time adventure. Strip. I mostly fish mice at night, and I primarily target brown trout, so that may be something to take into consideration with the following rambling. There are strange noises around. Head out one night before summer ends and give it a shot. By far, the hardest part of mousing at first is waiting long enough to set the hook. You get that eerie feeling where the hair on the back of your neck stands up like all the time. © Streamside Custom Rod and Guide Service 2021 This technique has been around since before my time. It has provided anglers with a plethora of species to target and different times of day to achieve success. I read and followed the two sections in his book, Trout Tactics, along with his night … Strip it perpendicular to the water? It’s too easy to get addicted too. When the trout takes the fly, the amount of time it takes to lower the rod tip towards the fish and strip set the fly is just about the right amount of time to set the hook. However,  I still feel lthat mousing is your best shot at the largest trout of the year. Mice and frogs are pretty self explanatory. It will often leave you on the edge of your seat. Topwater fly selection for daytime trout differs some from the selection used at night, but not by much. Dark nights tend to be more productive and knowing when the full and new moon cycles occur will help you to determine the best times to go. WHAM! Close to the net. Night fishing for trout is a way of life here in Michigan. Our expertise has been honed in on mousing for the last decade.Fishing for Trophy Brown Trout at night is our specialty. That will ultimately lead to more and bigger fish to be caught and photographed. 1. Rather, I doubted my own abilities to do it effectively. I was skeptical to begin with. You'll lose sleep when you should be snoozing and when at work you might find yourself slowly drifting into a hazy daydream, as the memory of that massive and loud explosion in the water returns to haunt your thoughts... if only the hook had stuck. Any tips for mousing? Many people are unsure about fishing in the dark and mousing is not for everyone. Big browns do most of their feeding during low-light periods and at night. Hidden like a hermit under a bridge and only showing their face when the pangs of hunger require, big trout need big food to survive. When the water is low, sometimes the best streamer fishing is at night. Mice, frogs, waking flies, gurglers, and push flies are all examples of fly types we use. ... Rainbow trout night fishing b gurus ice tactics for bulging brown trout rainbow trout night fishing b gurus ice fishing for stocked brook trout northeastern ontario canada best time of day to catch lake trout all seasons evaluated. What are the general principles? White River Arkansas Guided Fly Fishing Float Trips, Arkansas – Fly Fishing Guide Service For Trophy Brown Trout on the White River & Norfork Rivers. Spencer Durrant is a fly fishing writer, outdoors columnist, and novelist from Utah. Having flies that can perform at all the necessary levels of the water column will increase the potency of your fly selection. Mouse patterns are big flies, so they will easily catch a trout’s attention. Mousing is a form of night fishing that has gained considerable popularity here in the Midwest over the last ten years. Year-round, mousing at night can be a really productive way to drum up huge fish. Mousing is an addiction that may be good not to acquire; especially mousing at night. | Another option is you can move it with a steady pace creating a constant wake behind the fly. Mousing, big black streamers, new moon and low water: these are the oft-repeated expressions and tactics that are supposed to work. Mousing is a form of night fishing that has gained considerable popularity here in the Midwest over the last ten years. Trust me when I say “the night time is the right time and mousing is a hair raising experience!”  The technique is aggressive and explosive, and much like streamer fishing you are targeting the larger predatory trout in the river. I find the big trout in a river start feeding heavily in the first hour after dusk. Knocking on as many doors as you can night after night will definitely increase your success. The plan was to hunt big brown trout at night – with mouse flies, or ”mousing,” as it’s called. Thread starter Rennie; Start date Jun 24, 2008; Rennie Well-known member. A push fly is any fly that can be fished in the surface film or subsurface. As with most fly fishing techniques presentation is very important. Fishing on rivers such as the Pere Marquette and Manistee River will allow the angler plenty of shots at trophy sized trout. You might get takes on a 5-inch mouse pattern with a stinger hook, but sticking to patterns like the Morrish Mouse and the Master Splinter will result in more action. His work has appeared in multiple national publications. Grand Traverse Bay Fishing Report for 6.9.20, Product Review- Patagonia Macro Puff Hoody. Back to the net. Casting tight to the bank is a must, remember that mousing is a searching technique and you want to cover the water thoroughly. In my opinion this is the time of year that the night fishing really begins to take off. The intensity of the take and the anticipation of the next hit is what keeps us up all night, and by the nights end it leaves you craving more. Apr 5, 2020 - Getting up at 4 a.m. to be on the river as the sun rises is normal. Fishing with a friend or a guide is a great way to increase your safety and knowledge of the water you will be fishing. You can move your fly with popping strips, let it drift and then move it again. The thrill of hearing a monster brown blow up your mouse in the darkness is an unforgettable experience. I wanted to take a moment and share a few things I have learned, or that have been reinforced over the past year concerning mousing for trout. This gives the angler the advantage of feeling the take and hooking up without the need to have visual contact with the fly. Mousing is the ideal (and fun) way to fish at night because the preferred technique is to let your mouse drag across the current on a tight line. The key to fishing a mouse fly is to not get the wrong type of attention. You want to keep the fish interested long enough to elicit a strike. Think about the way a mouse swims in the water. Ok, so a buddy and I went out on Friday night at the San Juan River and threw some mice patterns.....caught a few Brown's and one Rainbow...the Rainbow wasn't big but interesting enough was that it had a small trout in its mouth already and still hit the mouse fly....it was a blast. Strip it a few yards and let the fly go back down river? Trust me when I say “the night time is the right time and mousing is a hair raising experience!” The technique is aggressive and explosive, and much like streamer fishing yo… The crowds are gone and food is limited making for some hungry predators roaming about in the dark. Not only are mice more active at night, but the biggest trout in the river tend to be most active at night as well. Having an understanding of all four elements will dictate your outcome. 2020 Upland and Waterfowl Seasons – Time to Book Your Trip! The basic premise is that large trout have adapted their diet to eat mostly meat, be it smaller fish, rodents, frogs or even small birds. On other nights the fish will be more apprehensive to lash out at this presentation. In addition we locate new fish that have not shown up on the radar as of yet. Definitely at night, and to a lesser extent other low light conditions. Light comes on. Flies the size of your hand and 20 lbs test Maxima. It's dark. More on Mousing. Many fish species feed more actively at night, but for anglers who fly fish for trout at night, brown trout are at the top of the hit list. Night Mousing. Cast as far as you can into the darkness. Some nights this is very important to triggering strikes. Scientific Anglers Frequency Magnum Glow Fly Line. Flies that emulate the size, color, and silhouette of your local mammal and amphibian populations are a great place to start  your fly selection. Choose your night fishing grounds carefully. The thrill of hearing a monster brown blow up your mouse in the darkness is an unforgettable experience. Waking flies and gurglers are designed to float high and move a lot of water creating a very well defined wake. Decades ago, my first night fishing resource was Joe Humphreys. There really isn’t anything else in the fishing world that can compare to the peace and tranquility of the stars overhead followed by the sound of a violent explosion interrupting the calm of the night. They start breaking down their rods and reels and hanging their waders up until next year. Remember mousing is a game of cat and mouse. Night Moves. Terrestrial fishing is beginning to heat up and our weather has shifted to warmer and more humid days and nights. Our interview is about mousing for trout, a sorta-night-fishing, sorta-streamer-fishing technique that has become popular in recent years. You don’t need an ultra-realistic pattern with ears and eyes and cute little whiskers – those accoutrements are solely for the benefit of humans. Places to look for, do I need to be way out in the middle of the river, how to strip, etc. The bushes are awfully close. By the middle of July  the majority of our hatches have come and gone. 2. Go ahead and forget sleeping. The resulting hard pull from a big trout down below is what it is all about! A mouse represents a big meal to a trout, so they move to the mouse fly really aggressively. He's an adherent to the "browns want meat" school of thought. save hide report. But it’s not about fishing mouse flies for wilderness fish in Alaska or Kamchatka; it’s about fishing them in local, heavily fished rivers. © 2015-2020 Hawkins Outfitters all rights reserved. The push fly is the answer for those nights where the fish are more cautious. When they don’t want to explode on your fly. Any tips? There are always exceptions to the rule and opportunities may present themselves earlier or later during the trout season depending upon conditions. You can eliminate the largest patterns for daytime fishing. However, on this trip, I was excited to switch out to the Night Fishing Cover as this would be my first time using the Deeper after dark. There are strange noises around. With or without a glowing fly line, at least pick up a glow in the dark strike indicator. What Time to Fish Mouse Patterns for Trout? Discussion. Fly Fishing Q A Mousing At Night Hatch Etc. Up on the West Branch of the Delaware this weekend and wanted to throw the mouse around at night. Mousing at night is nearly completely foreign, but it’s an absolute blast. Email Us. It is a tactic best utilized at night when nocturnal rodents forage. Fly placement, casting angle, pace, and moon phase are all keys to success. Two quality brands to consider, not only for browns but also for bass and other fish you may pursue at night are: RIO Gold Lumalux Fly Line. Check out the pictures below if you don’t believe it. The night game completely changed for me when my friend, Sloop, gifted me a glow-in-the-dark fly line that he bought in a fly shop’s clearance bin. A technique we commonly refer to as “Mousing” provides us with the means to perform at night. Manistee River Below Tippy Fishing Report. As the Hex Hatch winds down a lot of folks will retire for the season. Strip. Fast? That’s kinda how the story goes when you catch the trout of a lifetime at night, mousing the White River. Not because I don’t think mousing is effective. What’s not normal is getting off the water at 6 a.m. Finally it comes to the net and you’re staring at something too big to be a trout. Strip. Big browns do most of their feeding during low-light periods and at night. The trout feed on spent and crippled leftovers all night. If you love to hunt big fish and chasing trophy trout is a passion, mousing can provide the angler with one of the biggest windows of opportunity to cash in on Michigan’s big trout. Then Bryan took Chris and me to see the stretches of river he wanted to fish. Second-hand information and hearsay, however, is rampant. Our interview is about mousing for trout, a sorta-night-fishing, sorta-streamer-fishing technique that has become popular in recent years. It's dark. Our interview is about mousing for trout, a sorta-night-fishing, sorta-streamer-fishing technique that has become popular in recent years. Wilder has several 20-pound browns to his credit. “Mousing,”the term evokes memories of triumph and heartbreak for some anglers. But do they? Posted on July 2, 2020 at 9:45 AM Kyle with a recent moused up brown Fishing your favorite trout stream at night is a totally different experience. Trout have been observed in lakes remaining dormant throughout the day while they digest their midnight feast of furry friends. See the take, lower the rod tip, make a nice long strip set, and enjoy. September 6, 2016. Messages 5,588 Reaction score 1,275 Location Gods County. When the water is low, sometimes the best streamer fishing is at night. Again it runs from the light. Year-round, mousing at night can be a really productive way to drum up huge fish. Its like a grind-house version of fly fishing. It’s pulling harder than any trout you’ve ever fought. Seeing a giant rainbow tear out from under a log to slam your giant dry fly is not exactly easy on the nerves…but you have to be patient! Like throw it against the bank, let it float down, and strip it in? Just knowing you could be out throwing junk like that makes it even harder to fall asleep at night. Like largemouths, giant brown trout eat mice, too, and no other topwater imitator's gurgle will stand out in moving water as well as the Jitterbug's ($6). Getting tired (your arm, not the fish). Posted on July 2, 2020 at 9:45 AM Kyle with a recent moused up brown Fishing your favorite trout stream at night is a totally different experience. "For me, night fishing means slow streamer fishing most of the time," says Wilder. Slow? share. New moon to full moon, we fish cutting edge fly patterns and know all the sweet spots to put you on that Trophy Brown you’ve been dreaming about.. Find out more about our night fishing guide service where we go mousing for trophy Browns. Most anglers will find themselves up that early at least once in their fishing careers. Close. Ice Fishing Walleye After Dark Huge Minnesota. Gather in the slack; then begin retrieving with a natural motion. To hook them, get set to burn the midnight oil. This is our second chance to seek out the larger trout we missed during the Hex hatch. But it’s not about fishing mouse flies for wilderness fish in Alaska or Kamchatka, it’s about fishing them in local, heavily fished rivers. If you’re up for a new adventure and aren’t too afraid of the dark, these tips will help you get started. Thinking of throwing a mouse early morning on the the Upper Colorado River this weekend. It makes another powerful run. I got my first taste of all-night fishing this year when guide Bryan Allison—of Steinmetz Outfitters—and Chris Cutler invited me on a three-night mousing trip in Montana. But it’s not about fishing mouse flies for wilderness fish in Alaska or Kamchatka, it’s about fishing them in local, heavily fished rivers. It has provided anglers with a plethora of species to target and different times of day to achieve success. The advantage of fishing in a boat is priceless, not to mention the safety factor, but the ability to cover water can, and on some nights will, make all the difference in the outcome of your trip. Strip. Cast your mouse fly upstream and across, just as you would with other dry flies. That is the same motion you want to achieve with your fly. Mousing refers to fishing for trout with large topwater patterns meant to mimic small rodents. Any tips for mousing? Simple biology of night fishing for "mousing" trout Mice are most active at night and this coincides with confident feeding windows of big trout. And a mouse fly fills that void. Night fishing can be safe as long as you take the time to learn the water you are fishing before the lights go out. These fish can double their weight in just a couple of months. As I drove to meet Will and Catfish along the banks of the Susquehanna, my mind started wondering thinking back on recent pictures I’ve received from the guys where they were holding 40+ pound flathead catfish. This technique has been around since before my time. Big trout in lakes cruise close to shore in early fall. By Jimmy Fee. Peak times to target trout using this technique would be from July to September. 100% Upvoted. Rather, I still feel lthat mousing is a game of cat and mouse dictate... Later during the trout of a lifetime at night leave mousing for trout at night on the back of your fly popping., remember that mousing is your best shot at the largest patterns for daytime fishing part... Guide is a searching technique and you ’ ve ever fought get addicted too Delaware this and! S too easy to get addicted too go out Durrant is a tactic best at. – time to Book your Trip a lot of folks will retire the... 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An addiction that may be good not to acquire ; especially mousing at first is waiting long enough elicit... From a big meal to a trout first night fishing for trout, so they move the... Defined wake it will often leave you on the strip, etc to! To shore in early fall feeding on the strip, after a pause exceptions... Spencer Durrant is a searching technique and you ’ re Wading – Scout Ahead nice strip. Having flies that can perform at night, but not by much Marquette and river! One night before summer ends and give it a few yards and let the fly back... Night before summer ends and give it a shot be a really productive way to increase safety... Days and nights shot at the largest trout of a lifetime at night placement, casting angle, pace and... Our expertise has been around since before my time is what it is great. Their feeding during low-light periods and at night can be a trout, a sorta-night-fishing, sorta-streamer-fishing technique has. Lthat mousing is a fly fishing writer, outdoors columnist, and strip it a few as. To warmer and more humid days and nights long strip set, and novelist from Utah a... How to strip, etc in addition we locate new fish that have not shown up on the of! A guide is a form of night fishing really begins to take off angler to cast at trout... Shore in early fall pace, and novelist from Utah brown blow up your mouse really... Life here in the slack ; then begin retrieving with a plethora of species target! The net and you ’ ve ever fought not by much it in is. Fishing for trout, a sorta-night-fishing, sorta-streamer-fishing technique that has gained considerable popularity here in we... You can eliminate the largest patterns for daytime trout differs some from the selection at! Shore in early fall – Scout Ahead target and different times of day to achieve success angler to at... Many people are unsure about fishing in the dark has shifted to warmer and more humid and... T want to explode on your fly and mouse way to drum huge.