Bigger not better on trout trail

To my surprise, several anglers already were lining the pond bank when I pulled into the parking lot at Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City on Friday. I figured there would be some fishing pressure, but I wasn't expecting to see that many people on a weekday.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times and a testament that a day of fishing can soothe the troubled soul, even for someone who might be out of work.

I suppose one could argue that a local pond lined with anglers of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnic backgrounds also is a testament to the popularity of urban fisheries programs here and in other metropolitan areas across the country.

With the economy at a near standstill and fuel prices creeping back up toward the shut-down-America mark, these local ponds provide an affordable alternative for anglers who no longer can afford to travel the distance to more remote fisheries.

To my disappointment, a couple of anglers already were fishing in my favorite spot, a place where I easily can cast a fly without getting hung up in the trees. So I found a place down the bank a ways and went to work.

I tied on a No. 12 Hare's Ear nymph and, about 12 inches below that, a size-16 dropper fly in a pattern whose name I can't recall and couldn't find. It resembles a bead head Pheasant Tail nymph but is tied with a green-blue tinsel thorax and wing case. And about 2 feet above the Hare's Ear I added a strike indicator.

A fish took a swipe at my rig on the first cast, but I was slow on the draw and missed him. So I went back to the same spot.

This time, as the flies still were on their way down, the strike indicator suddenly lunged forward, and I set the hook. It was good to feel the energetic tug of a feisty rainbow on the end of my line. I released him and, on the next cast, caught another. Both fish had taken the dropper fly.

During the next 30 minutes, I caught and released another half-dozen rainbows measuring anywhere from 8 to 12 inches in length. The average was about 10 inches. By the time the action shut down, more than a dozen fish had fallen for the little green-blue tinsel nymph. Only two hit the Hare's Ear.

And while I was having my fun, so were the other anglers nearby. The gentleman to my left had caught and released several fish while using salmon-colored PowerBait. And to my right the two guys fishing with their little girls managed to reel in their limits. They too were using PowerBait, only in the green variety. Other successful anglers were throwing small hardware like Rooster Tails and Super Dupers.

A key to fishing for trout with baits like PowerBait or worms is that bigger usually is not better. Trout have small mouths and often will refuse offerings that are too big. I recommend using nothing larger than a No. 16 treble hook if you are planning to keep your fish and a single barbless hook if you plan to catch and release.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at dougnielsen@att.net.