Size Isn't Everything

Airflo’s Ceri Thomas and Tim Hughes highlight the beauty of summer small-stream fishing, where the fish may be small but fun and enjoyment are enormous.

- Ceri Thomas and Tim Hughes

Fishing in small brooks and streams is often overlooked in favour of the larger rivers that are easier to fish and are perceived as holding larger fish. While this might be true to some extent, small streams can hold decent trout and provide an immensely satisfying challenge, especially during the height of summer.

In the UK as a whole, interest in fishing small streams seems to be growing, thanks in part to habitat restoration charities like The Wye & Usk Foundation, as well as increased coverage on social media by organisations such as the Wild Trout Trust. It’s now easier than ever to find a small stream full of trout where brilliant sport awaits.

The small tributaries of our noted rivers in particular are numerous and very much under fished – you will often never encounter another angler. What these tributaries might lack in size they make up for in terms of pure variety. Some hold fewer fish but of better quality, others large numbers of six-inchers. But each one can have a totally different character and that makes them incredibly engaging to fish.

When To Fish Them

Visiting a small stream too early in the season is a schoolboy error – I’m sure many stream anglers have fallen into the trap, overeager to get out after a long, cold winter dreaming about the fishing to come. In March and April these waters are still very cold and fishing is tough, if not impossible, with the trout seemingly in a state of hibernation.

So, for best results, it’s worth waiting until the leaves appear on the trees. When things do finally warm up in summer, wild brown trout seem to come out of hiding from the very deepest holes, or make their way up from downstream overwintering haunts. Wherever they come from, the fishing only really switches on from mid-May in my experience, and keeps on getting better and better, right up until the end of the season.

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