Trout Archives - Flyfishing FWSW

We’ll, I mentioned in my previous HSK report I would do a re-run of the trip if possible.
So I talked to my supervisor at work to get some more time off which was no problem
as it was quiet on the project front.

I opted for the last week of the trout season in Germany, closing oct. 20th.
In the distant past the river I intended to fish would be open after that date
due to the fact that grayling where present.
The grayling season extends normally over the winter but alas not anymore on that stream.

Since the fishing had been slow during the past visit I opted not to buy day tickets for
my travel days .. too expensive for what was offered in my view.
My goal for this trip where to catch some grayling and take pictures of the fall colors.

Since I arrived early on my first day I decided to hike to the viewpoint on top of the hills.
I was not exactly well prepared as I had (in hindsight) the wrong coordinates and
got lost early in my hike … luckily I crossed a hunter who directed me in the right way.
As I went farther and farther up the hill I noticed lots of signs of wild boar tearing
up the soil next to the path.

I was up on the ridge in a pretty dark part of the forest when I heard something
moving in the forest.
The path I was on looked less travelled and it seemed to dead end so I got my
bearing and finally got the correct coordinates for the viewpoint.
Turned out I walked past it as I took a wrong turn.

The fishing, well as previously quite tough … although it had rained the waterlevel
had hardly risen. With the algae bloom ended the water was clear and littered with leaves.
Still the grayling bite was a lot better than a month before and I caught some nice fish.
The brown trout was bite was not as good, had difficulty finding fish and I
did not expect that at the end of the season the fishing club would be stocking new fish.

Having said that I did manage to catch some nice fish and my pb for brown trout.
That pb fish came on a dry fly in a very shallow part of the stream.
I had learned not to ignore the shallows and long casts with sedge pattern often
delivered fish from places I would normally pass.
The weather was usually pretty drab, light rain and fog – overcast – low temps.

On my last fishing day the sun came out and a lot of sedges started to fly.
As it was in the weekend all day tickets had been sold out so fisherman where
everywhere and many spots had already been ploughed trough.
With no fish in the deeper pools my last chance of a good fish was the shallows
and just by luck I spotted a rising grayling and could nail it ending the trip
on a positive note.

Germany – HSK 08-2025

29 September 2025 admin

Had not much to do at work so I decided a road trip might be in order.
Arranged time off, got the location sorted and went on my way.
Turned out to be a very tough trip fishing wise as the promised rain didn’t came
and the river was on the absolute low point with hardly any flow.
Still, I caught some fish and had a very good time being out and about.

Might try for a second trip before the trout season runs out.
Still have to to better with the big grayling… they eluded me.

Germany, 19-07-2025

22 July 2025 admin

This was the first session on the stream since my return from the USA.
I had already gotten a warning about how low the stream was and boy it was certainly low.
Since it would be a hot day I left early and was at the water on time.

When I stepped into the remaining stream I had planned to fish a deeper spot downstream.
What I did not expect was to encounter a fish in the shallow water in front of the pool.
So the first fish of the day was scared away, one of many.

I dropped a nymph in the deep pool and soon was rewarded by a bite.
A solid hit by a nice rainbow trout which I suspected was the fish I scared away.
I checked out some other spots nearby and actually had hits on a dry fly from small dace.

When I returned to my starting point I noticed a trout again in the shallows.
It was clearly a brown trout so that was the fish I spooked right at the beginning.
With the water being so shallow I opted to change to a dry fly as not to scare the fish.
That did not help though … scared away the second time.

I checked out many other spots on the stream but the low water made it tough.
Approach fishing without spooking them was difficult.
Still I had plenty of hits from roach, rudd, dace and the odd gudgeon.
I even had a large perch chasing one of the roach I caught.

The low water meant that you had to fish many spots with deadfalls and debris
as the fish where hiding there.
It also meant losing a lot of flies by getting hung up in the rootwork and debris.

Late in the afternoon the heat reminded me that not taking anything to drink with me
was a foolish decision.
I called it a day and went to one of the local restaurants for something to drink and eat.

The hot weather reminded me also that the season was slowly slipping away and I
had not even been on a proper chub session.
So I chub session is called for in the near future when the weather conditions allow it.

Germany 30-03-2025

31 March 2025 admin

I opted to fish last Sunday which unfortunately was the day with the worst weather possible.
The rain showers where as expected and relatively light, rhe wind however was brutal.
Despite the conditions I could still spot some blue winged olives on the water … heck I call all small mayflies that name.

Any dry fly action was off course out of the question.
The blossoms of the elder trees where covering the water along with dead leaves.
I noticed algae growth had started in earnest as the floor of the stream looked dark from the growth.
It was time to deploy the nymph to see if anybody was home.
I noticed fish in the first pool I came along and managed mall dace and a little brown trout.

Another likely spot was void of fish, I had seen a report from a friend who caught quite a few big
browns so I was hoping to encounter some.
I tried a lot of places but with the low water due to weeks of dry weather fishing was tough.
Also without cover of the leaves and the strong wind stealthy approach was out of the question.

I moved up to another section that boasted more deeper pools but even there I hardly got
any bites. The best I could manage was yet another small brown trout.
I finally spotted a larger fish but from the high bank … I was also spotted and the fish
made fast tracks to safer places.

There was one spot where I had high hopes of catching a decent size trout.
The tricky thing was the wind and a submerged brush at the head of the pool where I expected
a fish. After a few casts short of the target I hit the mark and hooked a big trout, for a short while
though as the hook came out.

Against better judgment I tried a second time at that spot knowing full well it was unlikely that the trout in question would hit the fly again.
Surprisingly though I hooked another fish, smaller thought but I also lost that one.
Other marks I fished where empty.
When I got into another shower I figured it might be time to call it a day and head for a sheltered place to get something to eat and drink.
Luckily my old haunt from days gone by was open again so I warmed up there and had dinner.

Germany 20-09-2024

23 September 2024 admin

The project I was working on was on hold and since I had nothing better to do on my Friday home office day I decided to go fishing instead.
With the exceptional fine weather soon ending I could think of no better way to spend the day.

In the bright sunshine it seemed pleasant to hide under the canopy of the trees as they still had leaves. I fished a spot I had avoided most of this season as it just was no good anymore.
Fishing the nymph and getting no bites was a reminder why I skipped this spot.

A glimpse of hope was the sign of a continuously rising fish.
The way the fish rose was for me a sign that it had to be a trout.
A light breeze blew a steadily supply of debris on the water that caused the fish to rise.
My weapon of choice was a spent mayfly due to its silhouette and color and it did the trick
as I could hook a nice brown trout.

With the water being very low I could not find good deeper spots that held fish.
Most of the time I spotted fish moving in front of me in the shallow water.
With a small nymph I was able to get the odd roach or dace.

It was time to move to other spots that boasted deeper water.
My goal was still to catch more trout and at a deeper pool I thought that I
spotted a dark green back of a rainbow trout.
Again the fish was feeding in the debris lane.
I tried to re-acquire the trout after setting up but could not see it anymore.

Luckily I saw an even bigger fish further downstream actively scouting the debris.
The fish was of such size that I opted for heavier tippet, I also tied on a spend mayfly pattern.
As soon as the fly came into view range the trout hit it and it gave quite a fight with jumps included. Second trout of the day was a fact.

My last shot of a trout came when I spotted one standing right under the adjacent bank.
I figured a 100 percent hooking chance when drifting the spent mayfly over but the fish was suddenly gone.
I could not see where the fish had gone… until I spooked it by wading upstream.

For the remainder of the afternoon I could not get anything anymore to bite.
I still spotted some fish but no trout, with sun getting low I called it quits and
visited my home away from home for dinner.

Germany 01-09-2024

2 September 2024 admin

Last weekend boasted exceptionally fine weather.
I choose the Sunday for a trip to the stream.
Fall was in the air, fields harvested … the swifts already migrating back to Africa.
With a relatively dry week I expected the stream to be at a low stage.

The stream was low indeed and it was also pretty clear.
There was a warm breeze blowing with but very bearable when under the canopy of trees
that dotted the stream.
I fished the most accessible section of the stream as I had good results there on previous sessions.

My hope was to catch some fish on the dry fly and maybe the one or other trout.
Despite the clear warm weather there where not many insects flying so top action
was almost non-existent. I spotted some dace and tried a large selection of flies on them.
The best I could do was for them to inspect the fly and then reject it at the last moment.

I spotted a rainbow trout in the surface whom was also resistant to any dry fly I dropped.
After presenting anything from sedges to mayflies I tried nymphing.
The squirmy yield a half hearted attack but the trout was not convinced.
A dragging with the streamer failed to get any takes.

Nymphing finally yielded a trout but it was the smallest rainbow I ever caught.
I switched to fishing nymphs and that yielded some roach and dace at various spots.
At a spot that regular held large dace I tried the sedge again in order to get a fish on the dry fly.
After some heart-stopping takes I finally bagged one on the sedge.

I came along one of my friends and talked shop.
While I was doing that I noticed a consistent rise and knew it was from a trout.
As my friend went on his way I tried to nail that fish but it was rising in a tight spot.
My cast where to clumsy and it resulted in the trout racing past me for safer grounds.

I had one last shot at a trout when I hooked one at a spot where a small creek flows into the main stream.
That creek dumps water from a treatment plant but it is pretty clean water.
A drift near one of the tree roots yielded an instant hit.
The tippet I fished was light though and my attempt to prevent the fish from running in the
brushwork backfired … not at the fly disintegrated.
Called it a day after that breakoff and went for dinner.

Germany, August 4th 2024

5 August 2024 admin

With thunderstorms and rain predicted last Saturday I postponed my fishing session one day.
As was common this summer, the amount of rain dumped resulted once again in a blown out stream. Sunday morning I checked the stream gauge and deemed fishing might be doable.

At the stream the brown soup did not gave me confidence of catching anything other than gudgeons.
Those gudgeons where the first fish being caught on the squirmy I fished.
Oddly despite the high and murky water I noticed a rainbow trout rising close by.
I tried a spent mayfly first to no avail and then opted to use the squirmy.

That failed also so next was the mop fly, that fly floated at first despite the tungsten bead on it.
To my surprise the trout came up for the fly and took it right from the surface.
It took me some time to coax the fish close enough to net it but it got off at the last minute.
I then switched back to the squirmy and fished some of the shallower stretches catching more gudgeons.
I was lucky enough to run into another trout, again a rainbow and this time I could net it.

I checked a spot where I had previously missed trout hoping they would still be there.
A pool behind some branches only yielded bites of the gudgeons.
In front of the pool I fished a nice run in the bend of the stream was obstructed by branches.
No way to get a cast in there without getting tangled.

The murky water was now a plus as I could wade close enough without being seen to just
dump the fly among the branches.
After a few drifts a trout hit the fly at exactly the spot where I had seen a riser during an
earlier fishing trip.

Other spots where I repeated that tactic brough two nice roach to the surface.
En route to the next hot spot I decided to fish some shallow sections that looked fishy and
surprisingly caught another brown and missed one.

One of the last spots I fished had a deadfall that shifted position during the last blowout.
Instead of laying in the water at a 90 degree angle it was now 45 degrees.
I positioned myself next to the deadfall and dropped the fly over the trunk in the water.
There was only a short drift possible but I had noticed a rising trout.
The trout however did not fall for the trick so I had to admit defeat in this case.

I did scout out one last spot but it was so overgrown that I could hardly reach the water.
Himalayan Balsam growing everywhere and slippery banks due to the sediment deposited from the high water. I could not spot any fish and with only bites from the gudgeons I decided to call it a day.

Germany 23-06-2024

24 June 2024 admin

Last Saturday I deemed the waterlevels of the local streams too high due to the many downpours but
on Sunday all looked good.
I went for an early start hence the number of deer encountered en route was significant.

As I had noticed last week that fish where stocked I tried one of the upstream stretches hoping to
find feeding or rising fish.
Well, I found plenty and had some nice battles with jumping rainbow trout.

Most fish came on the mop fly but also a few on the squirmy.
Although mayfly action was zero I tried a spent pattern on some dace I spotted in front of
a pool. I could only nail one on the mayfly but it was good fun.

The particular stretch I was fishing should better be left alone on Sundays due to the path
alongside it = to many dogwalkers tossing sticks in the stream.
I had one dog jumping right next to me in the drink but on its own accord …
The fish returned though once the dog was gone.

I caught most of the fish species available in the stream.
From gudgeons to roach, rudd, dace and trout all where inclined to take the fly.
Not many insects on the water but at some spots fish where regularly taking
stuff from the surface.

Germany 21-05-2024

24 May 2024 admin

With Tuesday as a day off coinciding with the last day of somewhat stable weather I went on a mission to catch something on a large mayfly pattern.
With the water still murky I first tried the squirmy and that got me a small rudd.
No signs of stocked trout not even on the spots where you are not allowed to fish…

I next tried the section of the stream where the syndicate issues day permits to so non-club
members can fish there also.
Off course it is a big scam as there are hardly any fish in there particularly the advertised trout.

Streamer fishing only caused lost tackle as you could not clearly spot the obstructions in the water. I soon was back on track fishing the dry fly hoping to get one or the other fish that way.
There where some fish rising but they where dace not trout.
I tried the sedge first but they rejected it every time.
A large mayfly pattern was investigated but did not meet the approval of the fish.

My last resort fly which I had never used was a spent mayfly pattern.
That seemed to be the ticket as it immediately was gobbled up by the dace.
In front of me a fish was aggressively rising and I was sure it was a trout.
The brushes in front of me however prevented me from presenting the fly properly.

When the action died down I went out to search for the fish but my due to my clumsy wading the trout spotted me first and bolted off.
During all this dry fly tossing the wind picked up and the skies became darker.

My final spot was in a woody area and by now surface action was almost zero.
I had one go at a rising dace but that soon ended.
As I stood on the bank watching for possible targets near a likely spot I saw another trout scooting away. It became pretty overcast fast so I called day before the rain came.

Germany 11-05-2024

12 May 2024 admin

This Saturday I choose for the lazy option to travel the first leg to my fishing spots.
I opted for the first train to Germany.
The train however was late and when I settled in the train driver walked by and notified
me that where not leaving any time. The reason … a dead body on the tracks.

So rather than waiting for service to commence which usually takes several hours I opted
to bike the distance. Since early fishing was now off the cards my first port of call would be
the mill pool at stream nr 2 as it was the closest and probably void of anglers.

Luckily the mill pool was empty and at first I dragged a streamer with a trace through the
shallow water in case any pike had remained after the mill weir was pulled permanently.
No response from the pike so next step tying on a small black streamer with an orange tungsten bead.
That yielded a tiny perch and off course nibbles from small gudgeons.

I then tried the squirmy and got a good hit right at my feet from something big.
Turned out the be a carp and frankly that carp showed me all the corners of the mill pool.
With the light tippet I could not exert any pressure on the fish other than the bend in the rod
and the line dragging in the current.
In the end the barbless hook came out, otherwise I think I could have landed it.

I fished downstream from the mill pool in the now very shallow water and caught some
dace and roach in the remaining deeper pools at bends and under tree roots.
I noticed that by now a lot of sediment that had filled the mill pool after the weir pulling had moved downstream into the river.

I tried the mill pool once more with the squirmy and got one roach and actually missed the
take of a trout, quite unexpected.
Next I headed to stream nr. 2 where I caught some roach and had a go a rising dace with the sedge.
Caught one nice dace on the sedge but could not find more rising fish despite numerous
big Danica mayflies on the water.

The rest of the stream was pretty quiet, no action until I arrived at one spot where a small brook enters the river. By now the stream was shallow as hell so spotting fish in the open was rare.
At the inflow rising fish got my attention, one rising fish was quite aggressive so I thought it must have been a trout.

I entered the stream somewhat ungraciously due to the steep banks but luckily far enough downstream not to cause fish to flee.
The sedge did not work so I tried a small mop fly that was not too heavily weighted.
That did the trick and I could hook a spunky small brown trout.
Called it a day after that trout and went to one of the local restaurants for dinner.