Stripping streamers for fall lunkers

For many fly fishers, the best fishing of the year is still ahead of us.

You bet, I love to drift dry flies during summer hatches and even twitch a hopper pattern or two at the end of August, but, in both cases, we're really not targeting the bigger fish in the river.

Those little guys just beat those bigger, older guys to the fly.

Not so much the case in October and November, especially when big brown trout are moving up rivers in anticipation of the annual spawning ritual.

At this time of year, those big brown trout just can't resist an out-sized streamer that is stripped quickly, imitating a fleeing baitfish.

Last week I was fishing a stream near Missoula, noted for its fall run of brown trout.

Fishing was good, with a mixed bag of rainbows, browns, cutthroat, whitefish, and a few incidental bull trout.

But most fish were on the short side of 14 inches.

One morning I was fishing a long run below some riffles.

The left side of the river was about 4 feet deep. The right side tapered, allowing me to wade a third of the way across, then lob streamers up to the bank.

Except one large, flat rock, that extended about two feet into the river, there were no significant structures or eddies to attract fish.

But, my Golly! That rock sure looked good!

I knew if a big brown were hiding behind that rock, it would surely chase a streamer pulling in front of its nose.

I practiced casting, reading the current, and mending upstream from the rock, then slowly shuffled downstream into position for a cast.

The fly landed a foot upstream from the bottom end of the rock, six inches out.

The water swirled. I raised the rod tip. Something solid. A head-shaker.

The fish moved toward me as I tried to gain line with my left hand. The line tightened.

Then went limp. Broken tippet.

And the fishin's only gonna get better!