Techy Thursday - Stream Mouth Intel

PHOTO: Jakub Kanok

Picture your typical lake stream mouth. These can fish well at this time of year but are not as easy to fish as some think. On a clear day you may hit one or two fish, but they will be finicky and few and far between as clear, bright conditions leave them rather exposed. Youre better off hunting out a weedbed. If starting at the creek mouth I would probe the drop off with an Airflo Clear Camo intermediate fly line and a smaller, more natural streamer or pair of wets retrieved slow but it's in the deep where most fish will be found on days like this, the domain of Airflo Di7 Forty Plus integrated shooting head and a trained cast.

Now throw in a night of rain. The creek is now pumping and discolouring the shallows... This is the time when these areas fire. A fast inter through to Di5 line depending on depth, a Yoshi Bugger, Dores Mr Glister, Rabbit or similar sporting lots of movement, fished in teams and stripped fast to grab a reaction can be killer. Fish feel less exposed in foul weather, choppy or coloured water and good numbers will move right up onto the flats in, and adjacent to the creek mouth.

If the action slows then fish your way along the lake shore as winter shoals will often roam, and by staying mobile, covering water and working it you will no doubt locate them again.

August is a great month for rainbows, and some rather large fish too. Wrap up and get out there!

August river mouth tips from Dore

• Attach your fly with a loop, and what better knot than a Leftys loop. The extra movement this allows, especially on clear days will pay off on finicky fish, and can even bring less articulate flies to life.
• Fish your feet first. Think it looks too shallow? It isn't...
• Use fluorocarbon for abrasion resistance and check your tippet often. The transition between the depths and shallows on these lakes are usually strewn by masses of sharp rocks and debris, and your leaders will get a hammering.
• Start off natural and light on clear days in the shallows as fish will be more wary, and go to something with a bit of flash and colour once you wade out to plug the deeper, open water.
• Keep changing it up regardless if you're not getting hit. Make changes in size, colour / accents and shape / profile of your fly.
• Important too is switching up your retrieve. Super slow crawling, long slow draws, short fast strips, stopping, hanging, fishing the drop...keep playing until something works.
• The change of light is the prime time to hit fish massing at stream mouths, particularly immediately following a fresh.
• Beware of unstable drop offs which may drop away beneath your feet - safety first!
• Keep a couple of rods rigged up at the car. This makes for a quick change between a fast intermediate, Di5 and Di7 say.
• Rug up and enjoy!