Mouse flies are an easy and exciting way to target big fish. Here’s how

TACKLE

For mousing, a basic fly outfit with a floating line is fine, but it should be on the heavy side of what’s appropriate for your water. For example, if I usually fish a 5-weight, I’ll go up to a 6 for mousing. That’s because mouse flies are bulkier and a bit harder to cast than other trout flies. In addition, you’re targeting the biggest fish. That’s also why you want a much heavier and shorter leader than usual. Ten-pound-test is the minimum, and 12- or 17-pound isn’t unreasonable; anything longer than six feet is just asking for tangles.