Mike Lawson
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An interview with Mike Lawson
There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you’re standing in a cool spring creek, watching the sun make its way across the morning sky, casting your line, and finding your rhythm in order to make that first great trout catch of the season. But what if you’re standing in the wrong part of the creek, or throwing the wrong fly, or just can’t quite get the timing right between your cast and the trout’s rising pattern?
Listen to Mike Lawson's show:
Fly Fishing Spring Creeks
Mike Lawson was born and raised in southeastern Idaho and has fished the Henry's Fork, a classic spring creek, his whole life. Mike worked on his latest book, "Spring Creeks", for over 12 years producing a comprehensive work about fishing spring creeks and tailwaters. You'll enjoy hearing Mike share his knowledge about fishing spring creeks and tailwaters on this show.
Well, then you might want to talk with spring creek fishing expert Mike Lawson to sort out those little nuances that can make your next fishing excursion a success or a failure. Lawson has been fly fishing his entire life, is the owner of Henry’s Fork Anglers shop in Last Chance, Idaho, and the co-author of /Fly Fishing the Henry’s Fork/. On a recent visit to the /Ask About Fly Fishing Internet Radio Show/, Lawson discussed the characteristics of spring creeks, the types of insects that live there, and how to successfully fish them. His tips and techniques just might
transform an ordinary fishing trip into an extraordinary one.
According to Lawson, a spring creek is one that derives its water source from an underground aquifer. Because of their underground source, they generally have a constant, unchanging flow and maintain a relatively stable water temperature. The mineral content and other nutrients are usually very high, producing the types of insects trout like to eat. Spring creeks are also high in alkaline, creating optimum conditions for more insects to live there. All of these factors make spring creeks a great place for trout to live and an even greater place for fly fishers to visit.
Similar in makeup to spring creeks are tailwaters. These are man-made creeks that originate below a dam creating the same type of effect that an underground aquifer does, such as constant flow, stable temperature, and enriched water. Because of these factors, Lawson feels that "tailwaters and spring creeks are the best trout streams in the world." They can be found just about anywhere.
The different types of insects that exist in a spring creek are limited due to the constant water temperature. A freestone stream, one that is created from snow melt or rainfall in the mountains, has a constant change in temperature. It goes from freezing in the winter to warm in the summer, creating a changing environment which allows a large variety of different insects to develop. In comparison, a spring creek maintains a constant water temperature, no matter what time of year it is. This limits the diversity of insects that are able to exist, however it does create a higher density of certain insects, such as midgies and mayflies.
According to Lawson, "Midges make up the highest population of the trout foods in spring creeks and tailwaters." You might also find mayflies, caddis flies, and stoneflies, depending on the temperature. The colder waters usually only support midgies and the warmer waters will have the other insect varieties. While the basic lifecycle and biology of these insects remain the same, every creek is different. It's best to contact the local experts in the area to learn more about the makeup of a particular creek.
There are a variety of different techniques Lawson recommends for fishing spring creeks. On a big river, people tend to cover a larger area of water and fish to a specific point. In spring creeks, you want to cover less water and "pick an individual trout out to really spend some time determining how to approach either the fish or the fishing area," Lawson says. If you try to fish a spring creek like a big river, you're going to spook the fish away. This is because there are large concentrations of trout in a small area, so you need to focus on finding an individual fish. The key is to move slowly and "have a lot of patience," Lawson says. You really want to concentrate on finding where the trout might be holding, based on a trout's basic needs: food, protection, and a resting place. The best areas that fulfill these needs are undercut banks, submerged rocks, and changes in water depth.
You also need to be aware of a trout's feeding and rising patterns. On a spring creek, trout feed in the morning and again in the evening. When fishing between those peak times, you can focus on observing a trout rising and determining its feeding rhythm in order to best get your fly to that fish at the right time. A spring creek trout "gets into a feeding rhythm because every time he rises, there's likely to be food there," Lawson says. "You might determine that every three seconds he's coming up," and "when this happens, no matter what fly you're using, if it isn't arriving in the fish's window about the time he is going to be making his next rise, he's not going to see the fly." Again, the key to successful spring creek fly fishing is patience.
For more information on Mike Lawson's fly shops, guiding service, and fly fishing gear visit his web sites at Henry's Fork Anglers or South Fork Outfitters.
To order Mike Lawson's books go to Mike Lawson books.
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