Learning the Twitch for Trout Fishing

Some days, trout need more than just the perfect fly and a drag-free drift to convince them to bite. When you're trying to catch trout and none of your standard tricks are working, try imparting subtle movement on your fly to get the job done. You can do this by using well-timed rod tip twitches during the drift. These twitches will give your fly a life-like appeal that will tell trout that it is a natural prey and not an impostor.

The goal isn't to pop, skate, or splash your fly on the surface. All you need to do is move it just enough to twitch its rubber legs and make the material of the fly “breathe” in the water. With a little practice, you'll soon get a good feel on exactly how strong or gentle the twitch needs to be, depending on the type of water you're fishing in.

One important tip: this technique works exceptionally well for a fly that imitates big food sources such as a salmon fly, although it has also been proven to be effective for smaller flies. Some anglers particularly like to occasionally twitch their flies when trout fishing in deep or slow moving water. Doing so seems to attract trout in from farther distances more than usual.