19 Jun Successfully Mousing
The 4 Keys to Mouse Fishing The Aniak
With the Alaska summer kicking off, it will not be long until our guests and guides are waist deep into some of the best trout fishing in the state. As most of you already know, our favorite way to take on our giant rainbows is by twitching a little fur in front of their faces.
Mouse fishing is fairly simple at its core, but there are a few things that we see anglers do wrong on a regular basis that may limit their success. So, in the spirit of keeping our family of anglers on the top of their game, here are four things to keep in mind when fishing mouse patterns.
1. You do not need a perfect cast.
When mice fall into the river, it is almost always at random. When they hit the water they have nowhere to go but to the shore. So, as an observant angler, we should take this as a sign to fish each and every cast we make. If your cast is imperfect do not pick it up and cast again. The fish will key in on the commotion, and then watch your mouse jump completely back out of the water. This is obviously unnatural and will raise reed flags to the trout. If it touches the water, fish it. Plain and simple.
2. Let him eat it.
When you finally get a fish to take that large mouthful of mouse, make sure you let him eat it. These big patterns are difficult for a fish to take down. If you set immediately on the take, you often times will pull the fly straight out of it’s mouth. If you can hold back your excitement, wait for the fish to pull it underwater for a few seconds, and then give it a solid lift. This simple reactionary delay will bump your hook up ratio many times over.
3. Mice can’t swim upriver.
While it may seem like stripping your fly back would be a logical style of retrieve, often times it does more harm then good. Mice create a lot of drag when swimming, and their tiny little feet simply can’t propel them upriver. So instead of stripping your fly, lift your tip and wiggle it from side to side. This will swim the mouse across the current naturally, while not moving it upstream.
4. Fish your fly patiently.
Mouse fishing is addictive for two simple reasons; it is novel, and it often targets larger fish. Keeping this in mind, not every trout will take on such a large pattern, and the actual number of takes may be harder to come by. So, fish it thoroughly to fish it effectively. Confidence is the key.
