Arriving at the lake, I was greeted with 15 mph winds blowing from the southeast, which told me right off that it was going to be a lot of fun in an 8" pontoon boat. No matter, this was the reason in mind when somebody invented the life jacket. If I did lose it, the wind would blow me back into the docks at Rocky Point - they'd find my body sooner or later and provide me with a great excuse for missing the marshmallow roast that evening at camp.

My first cast ended up in a wind induced pile about 40 feet from me and I scrambled to rapidly strip and transfer the wad of line on the water to a wad of line on the casting apron in my lap. When the leader finally began to respond, the burnt orange Flash-a-Bugger began a methodical stop-and-go dance as I tried to quickly gain line with 12-18" pulls and prepare for another (hopefully better) cast.

When I still had about 20 feet of line out, my 9 1/2' Lamiglas 7 weight about came out of my hand and a four pound plus rainbow leaped six feet skyward with my fly in the left corner of it's mouth. Thank goodness the hook was barbless - I might have actually caught that fish if I was paying attention!

That wind-created error has inspired me to develop a technique I've referred to as "Combat Fishing." The method is simple and after a couple of years thinking it through, my meager explanation as to why it works just might make some sense to you.

While there is no doubt that large trout eat midges, caddis and other minuscule fare when necessary, they did not become trophy size without eating something more substantial. And substantial trout prey doesn't hang around waiting to be eaten. It's doing everything in its power to keep from becoming lunch! Just like Bass, Salmon, Stripers and other predatory fish, a trout will react to a fly or lure out of instinct as opposed to hunger. This is the key to the technique - fishing a reaction bite for trout!

Equipment

This is not a technique for the lighthearted or for the three weight, 20-foot leader tapered to 8x crowd. Combat fishing requires heavy artillery! The ideal setup is a lightweight, 9-11 foot 7 weight rod and a high capacity reel spooled with a full sink line and 150 yards of backing. The new "Copper River" series rods from Lamiglas are 15% lighter than other graphites and can be fished all day without killing yourself! I have been using Orvis "density compensated" type II sinking line and it has been working perfectly. The "density compensated" design allows the entire line to sink at the same rate, keeping a bow from forming as it sinks insuring direct contact with the fly at all times. For leader, I use a 9-12 foot fluorocarbon tapered to 2x, and a two-foot tippet of the same material and size. Even small fish (1-3 pounds) will hammer the fly and break any smaller diameter tippet. That's the beauty of fluorocarbon - it has nearly the same refracting index as water, rendering it "invisible" to the fish. You can get away with using a stronger tippet without fear of spooking leader shy trout.

For mobility, you can't beat a float tube or a pontoon craft. Tubes are less affected by wind than a pontoon and are a lot easier to carry in to remote areas. In addition, they will take up less space if you have a car full of camping or outdoor gear. On the other hand, pontoons offer greater mobility when traveling to different areas when on the water. Oars can be used to get to a hot spot and with the aid of fins, you can back pedal for close in work. They provide a higher casting platform, drier ride and are great deal faster if Mother Nature calls and it's a half a mile back to the truck!

Flies

I fish one fly pattern in two colors. I've developed this fly over four years fishing a dozen different lakes, and while a Wooly-Bugger, streamer or a baitfish imitation can be used, I have had greater success with this pattern than any other. It resembles nothing in the trout's diet. Very ugly and easy to tie - my kind of fly! The fly can be tied most any color you want, but the most effective have been burnt orange (see picture top of page) or white. Tie two bead chain eyes or bead head on a size 10-12 streamer hook. The tail is flash-a-boo or some other highly reflective material. The body is then wrapped with sparkle chenille and palmered with saddle hackle of the same color. The wing is tied "Trude" style and is of the same material as the tail. Takes two minutes to wrap one up, done deal.

Technique

No matter which fly you fish choose, the success comes in where and the way the fly is fished. We are not "matching the hatch" using this method, but creating a situation that requires the fish to strike out of instinct.

Start by finding weed beds, creek inlets or outlets or drop offs adjacent to feeding flats to begin. Fan cast over the tops of your chosen structure and retrieve the fly back with 6-12" pulls as fast as you can strip. Pick up the line when the leader is almost at your rod tip and cast again. Using your flippers, maneuver around the structure while casting and retrieving from every angle. Remember, you're not matching the hatch. The trout should not be able to count every leg, wing or antennae on the fly. All the fish should see is movement, color and flash, triggering an instinctive reaction to strike out at a fleeing meal. (Note: You cannot strip the fly in too fast! The method can be enhanced by back pedaling during the retrieve.) The Double Haul or the ability to shoot out line will help a lot when casting this heavy stuff in windy conditions, as will keeping your back to the breeze.

Why have I dubbed this technique "Combat Fishing"? If you are making 3-4 casts per minute, you've got the rhythm. That's 180-240 casts per hour or up to 2,000 in a full days fishing! No fancy loops, delicate presentations - just throw it out and crank it in. You are on a "search and destroy" mission - on the offense, making something happen as opposed to waiting for a hatch and chucking and chancing into a fish. Combat Fishing is most productive in breezy conditions and when the sun is on the water. If a hatch is going on, by all means fish it! But if you can tolerate the stares and glares from the Bug-gis Hatch-is crowd as you out fish them three to one, prepare yourself for some fast and exciting action!