Fly Fishing New Water on the Big Walnut

Welcome back to another fly fishing video. In today’s video I am fly fishing new water…on the Big Walnut in south-central Indiana. Right up front I will let you know that this was a Saturday in early June and frankly the stream was crowded. I am not a snob or opposed to others fishing but for sure the more folks that tromp through a stream the more the fish get skittish and reclusive. Keep that in mind as you watch and pay attention to how and where I am able to catch fish; spots that the canoers and kayakers either won’t get to or more than likely can’t get to…where as I am on foot and able to explore the smaller hidden areas that will hold smallmouth.

By early June the fish have now spawned or are possibly in the spawn; they are also up in the water column and looking for baitfish. You will know that as you walk by watching for the number of baitfish ‘fleeing’ an area…heck, you might even get to see an incredible chase as a smallie rips into a group of minnows, in the shallows, much like a porpoise might ‘herd’ smaller baitfish in the open ocean. These incidents are what I key in on and try and exploit the smallmouth and its veracious need for food and calories.

Notably I didn’t land any giants on this trip but I did find some new water that for sure holds a good population of fish…even on a day when we were under high pressure and the fish just weren’t that active. I am carrying my 3 weight Winston rod and using a floating line…my fly is a white weighted baitfish pattern and proved to be effective. Best of luck to you as you pursue what I believe to be our number one game fish here in Indiana!