Nebraskaland Magazine
You know I love predator/prey dynamics and believe an understanding of them is a major key to finding and catching fish of all kinds. For my latest “installment” on this theme, let me share a picture with you.
I have a nephew that is a trout bum (when I call him a “trout bum”, it as a term of respect, I say it with pride and a little bit of jealousy). This summer he has been guiding fly anglers on the Big Horn River in Montana, Bighorn Angler . Here is a picture he snapped on the river a few weeks ago. I really like it!
Trout in rivers and streams consume a variety of prey. In many cases, much of the time, they consume a lot of aquatic and terrestrial insects. Fly-fishing is THE way to imitate “bugs” and catch trout that are feeding on them. But, never forget that trout are predators too, meat-eating predators, especially big trout, especially brown trout! Big baits = big fish ( Optimal Foraging Theory ).
I have seen mice consumed by other fish too. I may not have cleaned a lot of smallmouth bass, but there was one that had a mouse in it’s stomach. As you hit the water this weekend, always keep that in mind. I will.
Oh, and sometimes you might want to keep your hands out of the water!
