Too hot for trout fishing? Beat the heat with these 5 summer fly-fishing challenges

For many anglers across Canada, summer is peak fishing season. However, it’s often a different story for fly anglers, especially those who mostly fish for trout in rivers. In many regions, low summer flows and higher water temperatures make trout fishing unproductive and, at times, ethically questionable.

So, what’s the ardent fly angler to do between Canada Day and Labour Day? For me, summer is a low-risk time to experiment with different fish species, places and techniques. If my other options are to ride the couch or accidentally kill heat-stressed trout, I’d rather get some fresh air and take a chance on the unfamiliar. Surprisingly often, I end up discovering enjoyable new aspects of fly fishing in the process. And even when things don’t pan out, I learn a lot from the failures. To help fire up your fly-fishing imagination, here are some ideas for fun summer challenges…

#1  ONE FLY

It’s a well-known psychological phenomena that working within constraints inspires people to come up with creative solutions. The ultimate fly-fishing version of this is spending a day on the water with just a single pattern. (Or if that’s too extreme, only surface patterns.) This idea has been around for a while, and I used to think it was pretty silly—until the day I hit the water with just a box of Muddler Minnows in sizes 10 to 4. For starters, I wasted zero time stressing about patterns. It also forced me to think tactically and focus only on high-percentage spots. Most of all, once you catch a few fish, it’s a vivid reminder that where and how you present a fly is very often more important than the pattern itself.

#2  HEAD DOWN

Ever wonder what’s downstream of your beloved trout water? When rivers widen and slow down, there’s often some pretty great action for other species. In my part of the world, the lower reaches of many trout rivers are swarming with smallmouth bass, and sometimes walleye, white bass, drum and even muskies. River smallmouth, in particular, are incredibly fun to catch on the fly rod and, in many places, rarely targeted by anyone, let alone fly anglers. This is also the perfect opportunity to wet wade in just your boots or even old sneakers, which is another one of summer’s great pleasures.