In this post, we will discuss what equipment is key for sea trout fishing and the optimum time to fish for them!

Consistent with folklore, when the Dog Rose (aka Wild Rose) is out in full bloom, the mysterious seatrout are in.

A gurgler on the surface

A gurgler on the surface

When to fish for Seatrout? May onwards…

There are many opinions, many superstitions, and many facts about when to fish for seatrout. There are few anglers however that really know what is fact and what is pure theory. We would suggest you do some leg work, research some pools and calm yourself, because this can be the most exciting fly fishing on the planet, but the window to get it right is short and rare.

It is important you wait until the right time to fish the best pool available to you. For all you “9-5 anglers”, a shock to the system is coming, some seatrout anglers won’t even start fishing until 11pm. Below is when you need to be ready to fish the best pool on the river. Before these things all align, fish a rubbish pool to get the excitement and the rusty casting out the way, or just sit on the river bank and wait, prepare a few fluorocarbon casts with a dropper if you like and have them handy for easier ‘fumbling in the dark’ later:

  • When a layer of cloud insulates the evening after a hot day.
  • when the colour of the grass on the far bank fades to just grey.
  • When the bats are out.
  • When the blackbirds start their evening territorial screeching.
  • When there is no mist on the water – mist on the surface means the air temperature has just dropped below water temp, fish hate this.
  • And, when fish are leaping out the pool and landing on their tail is the easiest tell if you are in with a chance.

Gurglers, Muddler heads and traditionals.

What not to do:

  • Don’t wade – stay out of the water.
  • Keep quiet – seatrout will hear you walking over stones.
  • Eat carrots – Do not shine your torch anywhere near the pool you intend to fish even when tying on a fly or replacing your tippet. Carotene has been proven to help your night vision. On that note, don’t drive up to the river with your lights beaming over the pool either. Its game over before you even get the fly wet.

How to fish for a seatrout:

  • Overhead casts – ripping line over the surface of the pool with roll casts is a ‘no-no’.
  • Short casts – there is absolutely no need for a long cast when seatrout fishing. When active a seatrout will patrol a pool like a lion in an enclosure, your short cast is going to cover it at some point.
  • Present your cast – because your cast is short, you will be able to control the line presentation in the dark and have confidence your fly is fishing as soon as it hits the water.
  • Move the fly – in the ripples at the neck of a pool, let the current swing the fly naturally, you can even hang the fly to slow it further. As you move down the run and the water slows, start a figure eight retrieve. No faster is required
  • Bomber on the dropper – a wake fly on the dropper and a small butcher/invicta/staots tail on the tail is deadly. Droppers are not essential and can tangle/foul easily in the dark.
  • Dont strike – a seatrout take is so aggressive it will try to take the rod out of your hands. Striking will only put more strain on your tippet and knots and will result in break offs.
  • Fish a loop – have a 1ft loop of line gently pinched between your index finger and cork handle. This 1ft section of line will absorb any misses from the seatrout, and before you can react the fish will have hit the fly again anyway.

So… What equipment do I use?

Many have opinions on how to hook the spookiest fish of our local rivers. If you get all the conditions right a night session can be the most exciting game fishing you’ll ever have! Nothing out of the ordinary is required. If you have a 9 or 10′, #5 to #8 trout rod and a floating or clear intermediate line to match you’re almost ready to go.

At the business end of your floating line you’ll want to  get a few clear floating and intermediate trout polyleaders in 5 and 10ft, a spool of co-polymer nylon tippet or leaders for strength and low glare and a few of each of these flies below recommended by Malcolm of Caledonia Fly Company and Fishpal and that’s you sorted. Oh and a torch, this can be the make or break of an evening.

Surface Wake Flies

Traditional Seatrout Patterns

Larger River Aluminium Tubes

Brackish or Saltwater Patterns

Whatever you do, be safe, take your phone, try to be as quiet as you can on the gravel, don’t wade, and keep any torch light off  the water. And so ends the recipe for a good night at the seatrout. Good Luck!