"A Secret To Hard Fished Waters"
by Mike Mercer

With todays burgeoning ranks of new fly fishermen, the amount of pressure on well-known, quality trout water has increased, in some cases significantly. This means fish are seeing more flies. Often, the same patterns over and over. This can lead to a "negative conditioning response," or a situation where the fish start to ignore, or shy away from flies they see too much of, or have been hooked on too many times. These trout get the deserved reputation as being "tough", or highly selective. A prime example of this would be the fish in and around Hat Creek Powerhouse II. It's not unusual to see 8 or 10 anglers fish for hours for only 4 to 5 fish. That's tough!

There is a solution for fish like this. Showing them a new and different pattern will often result in a hook-up. Particularly, showing these fish a tiny nymph can be like magic. Many has been the time I've turned a miserable day into a great one by switching from a #14 nymph down to a #18 or #20. Pounded fish just seem to respond better to small stuff. Don't be afraid to tie a little flash into that micro-pattern either. I'm a big believer in flashbacks, pearlescent ribbing and tiny beads.

Anyway, remember those tiny nymphs on your next foray to a hard-hit fishery. I think you'll see a significant upswing in your "grab" ratio!