As someone who mainly spinfishes with big baits for hopefully big trout I read with interest comments by fly fisherman on another thread about catching big trout on streamers. What techniques are used in this kind of fishing?
Are some streamers alot better than others especially for targeting larger trout? I might have to take up fly fishing again.
Brian,
Hi thanks for asking. Streamers are like spinners in that they trigger predatory strikes as opposed to choosing the right fly for selectively feeding fish.
One drawback for MN is that the water is tight and swimming a streamer is key to triggering that fish…the longer the time in the water the better the chances. As for patterns well it does help to imitate forage patterns. Once a trout is 17 inches and above he/she depends more n more on forage,
small trout, sculpins, crayfish, even mice etc for sustinence. Now I am tellin ya my secrets on one condition….you put those big trout back! 
The other thing is that with the single hook on a streamer you rarely hook a trout deeply and they can be released safely.
Kevin
I have about three or four go to streamers that produce consistently, mainly wooly buggers in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors work best for me. I fish bigger water mainly for larger trout so I have more casting distance and retrieve distance, plus more water to work. That being said, I have targeted some smaller type streams and had taken some real nice fish – I just fish smaller patterns than I would on bigger waters,
The method that has produced well for me is to cast up and across, let it sink a bit and strip it cross current. The lower water temperatures that happen this time of year will make me slow down my approach some.
Like Kevin said, let those big boys go. Catch, photo, and release – come back another day when they are even bigger and catch them again!
Thanks for the info guys, I think I’ll dust off the old fly rod and give it a shot this weekend. As far as keeping big trout, not an option, they all go back. Eating big trout will make you sick!
Hey Brian!
I don’t know if eating big trout will make You sick…but it makes Me sick when someone else does! 
LOL
Good luck in this wind storm casting streamers I hope you crimp the barbs…much easier to dig em out of yourself when they are barbless! 
Kevin
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