SEA TROUT NIGHTS : PART TWO
The second part of Sea Trout Nights draws on the experience of the author to guide the novice in his quest for that first elusive sea trout. We learn about the nature of the Sea Trout, its life and habits; Where and When we might hope to find them; The Weather and Water conditions likely to give us the best opportunities to catch them; The Way and Means we might employ on the river – the tackle and tactics; and the Flies we might use and how to tie them, most simple, sparse dressings, easily and simply tied – one the the most effective of all the author’s night flies consisting of no more than a sparse bunch of black squirrel tail hair tied to a slim stainless steel needle tube.
How to catch a Sea Trout on the Fly at Night
Now, even the least observant of my readers thus far will have noted, from the foregoing pages, that I have not, over the years, posed a serious threat to the Scottish sea trout population. Nevertheless, I have spent a great deal of time trying and, what little I have learnt may, I hope, be of interest, and perhaps of some modest benefit, to anyone dipping his toe uncertainly into the dark waters of sea trout night fishing.
In Part One, I took you with me on a journey through four decades of summer nights spent in search of elusive sea trout on widely differing Scottish rivers. Each river had its own uniquely special character. Each held its own shadowy secrets. The key to unlocking those secrets, I concluded, was in essence quite simple, if not always easily or quickly found. The key to catching sea trout was, if I may be forgiven an overused cliché, to be in the right place at the right time. Sounds straightforward enough! My problem was that, for much of the time – and I had spent a lot of it – on those sea trout rivers, although I am sure that I was rarely in the wrong place at the wrong time, I all too often found myself in the wrong place at the right time and once I had eventually found the right place, arranging to be there at the right time was by no means easy.
On those infrequent occasions, when we do manage to accomplish that first essential, of being in the right place at the right time, we must be sure that we are adequately prepared to make the most of the precious opportunity. We must have learned to cast a delicate line, safely, effectively and consistently, on a dark night, often in adverse windy conditions. We must be practised in wading quietly, stealthily and confidently, at varying depths and strengths of flow over varied riverbeds. We must make sensible judgements on line and fly choice, so that we can present an appropriate lure effectively in the appropriate place, at an attractive depth and speed. On hooking a sea trout, we must conduct the ensuing battle in a calm, measured and efficient manner, allowing for the unexpected, which, in playing a sea trout, is very often to be expected.
Once a sufficient level of competence and confidence in the whole business has been reached, there really is nothing in the whole world of fishing to compare with the catching of a sea trout on a fly on a summer night. It is what many of us live for. For those yet to experience the great thrill of it, I hope to present here some guidance on how to go about it with a reasonable chance of success, and perhaps shorten the search for that key.
Let us imagine that we are about to plan our first trip to catch a sea trout. There is much to consider. We must first decide where and when we shall go, with a view to arriving at that right place at the right time. Then we must think about how we shall fish and with what tackle and flies. I should emphasise that I will write here only about fly fishing on rivers at night. I have less experience of catching sea trout by other means. I hasten to add that I am not, in any sense, a fishing purist. I care not by what means others gain their piscatorial pleasures and have myself, over the years, caught sea trout, at one time or another, by all legal methods. There is skill needed and pleasure to be had in all fishing. I simply now derive most enjoyment from fly fishing for sea trout during the hours of darkness.
But before we make our plan, perhaps it might be sensible to begin with a brief consideration of the nature of the sea trout. Some rudimentary knowledge of its lifestyle, habits and behaviour will, after all, be essential if we are to have a reasonable chance of success when it comes to fishing for it. What, then, is a sea trout and how does it differ from a brown trout or, indeed, a salmon?
First edition printed hardback copies of SEA TROUT NIGHTS may be purchased at Coch-y-Bonddu Books