Think outside the box regarding early season fly-patterns. The water is cold and there are minimal if any aquatic insect emergences. Trout will aggressively chase flies that are suggestive of such basic food items as scuds, leeches, dragonflies, damselflies, water boatman and backswimmers. Don’t be afraid to cast and quick-strip flies on intermediate to even type-5 full-sinking lines in water three-to six-feet deep. Attractor patterns such as Blobs, Boobies and Fabs can also work well at ice off, perhaps because fish often feed on readily available zooplankton which are often found in large clusters or concentrations. These brightly coloured patterns definitely work when fish are feeding on daphnia or cyclops, both common zooplanktons. Suspending orange or pink Blobs under an indicator can be an effective early season tactic.
