Flies in autumn

Many count autumn as the best put-and-take time of the year, and they are right. When the summer heat lets go and the water cools toward 6 to 14 degrees, rainbow trout wakes up again. It hunts willingly, takes through a larger part of the day, and you rarely need to finesse as much as on a hot July day.

What happens in the water

Rainbow likes cold, oxygen-rich water and is most active at 10 to 14 degrees. In summer the fishing goes slack in the heat; in autumn it turns. The fish builds up for winter and gladly takes larger, meaty prey, which makes autumn a grateful time for active fishing. The further into autumn, the more it slows again as the water nears winter cold, but the long stretch in between is golden.

Fly choice

Keep it simple and active. A Woolly Bugger and other streamers fished with a clear retrieve hunt up takes, and a Montana Nymph takes the days the fish stand deeper. Start muted in clear water and step up to a signal colour if needed. Because the fish is hungry you can often go up a size and fish a bit faster than in high summer.

Time of day

Dawn and dusk are still best, but in autumn the fish often take well even in the middle of the day, thanks to the cool water. Cloudy, settled autumn weather tends to stretch the active periods, while a really cold, clear autumn night can make the morning slow until the sun has warmed the surface a little.

How the seasons differ

The basic box is the same year-round, but the pace shifts. Spring is like autumn: cool water and hungry fish that like to hunt. Summer is slow and wants early mornings and deep, cool water. Winter means ice fishing where the ice holds, while ice-free waters in the south can still be fly-fished, just slower. The whole picture is under season and bite times, and the species under rainbow trout.