Fly fishers have long bemoaned summer time as “the dog days of trout fishing”. This need not be so!
I’ve written previously about issues of oxygen levels/water temperature, here I’m going to talk food. The bottom line is, summer is a time of plenty. This simple fact is often seen as a negative by fly fishers, fish are picky, satiated, lazy, it’s difficult, etc. However with a little thought, this can be quickly turned into a positive advantage for the fly fisher.
Firstly pick your water. Rivers and lakes at higher elevation are often cooler and food for trout is in shorter supply (generally speaking, there are exceptions). In these instances trout will be keen to make the most of any bounty in order to survive leaner times. Spring fed lakes and rivers are my other go to during summer. Yes, there will be lots of food for trout, but cooler temperatures see them feed well at key times and where the water is clear you can place your fly closer to feeding fish. Where the water is coloured, we can adopt other tactics to increase our chances.
Then pick your times. Early and late are classic times to fish during summer for good reason. There is no need to rewrite the rule book here. One addition I make however, is for lakes, morning is often better than evening these days. This is because the water is much cooler.
In all cases you are going to contend with huge amounts of natural food. If your fly is not right in the trouts feeding zone, it might as well not be in the water! Summer time is Yo Sushi for trout, the food is rolling along in front of them, to pick at as they like. Fishing in the right place at the right time turns the table to your advantage. Remember this and have fun!