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

#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.