After a long cold winter most of us fly fishing anglers are chommping at the bit to get out there and hook that first trout of the year.To cover all the bases, your fly box for opening day should be filled with a careful selection. A series of weighted stonefly-nymph imitations is a good pick. Most trout streams hold stoneflies. The real nymphs, hatched the previous summer and will now be a good size, providing a great meal for that hungry trout. On streams with plenty of baitfish, the fly rodder should also have a good supply of weighted zonkers and bucktail streamers. A slow, deep presentation with these should produce some great action. A short leader and a strike indicator will help detect hits on sunken flies.
I personally like to work with a small streamer through the pools and riffles. The fly is capable of quicly covering a lot of water, so you can keep moving and ultimately be more successful. Cast to all the most likely holding lies, but also work sunny shallows where the fish might hold for the warmth. Vary your retrieve from fast to slow and even erratic, until your presentation attracts a fish.
On opening day you can't carry every known pattern. This selection will not weigh down your vest. But it's a solid start to hooking that first trout of the season. Just remeber the first day out there is just that, your outdoors fishing again. Catching that trout is just the icing on the cake.
Get Out There and Enjoy!
