When September quietly presents itself next week with the subtle flip of a calendar page, with it comes the first true vestiges of autumn. Shorter days, cooler nights, trees beginning to color up, a delicate fall aroma of harvest, and of course the arrival of the first hunting seasons in a three-month parade of anxiously-awaited shooting sports. As much as I enjoy the gunning opportunities of native goose and early moose and bear seasons, some of my most enjoyable fly fishing outings of each year take place each September.

From my experience, early autumn angling offers the most comfortable and consistent weather conditions, and it won’t be difficult to outdo the excessive rain and high water of the past two months. Fall fishing offers an enjoyable variation in sights, sounds and smells, and best of all the action perks up as the dog day doldrums of August fade away. On most lakes and many streams, trout are more susceptible to certain fly patterns than they have been since spring.

Seasonable streamers

Tandem streamers and large, long single hook patterns are the mainstay of fly casters and trollers from spring ice out until mid June, when most sports cache them away until next May and turn to wet and dry flies. A good many outdoorsmen see September as the perfect time to pack up all their fishing gear and begin locating and preparing their hunting gear. Let me advise restraint on stowing the fly rod, and more attention to selecting a handful of moderate-sized, brightly hued streamers that may just alter your attitude about autumn angling.

September begins spawning season for several cold water game fish species, and with this reproductive drive comes an aggressive attitude that benefits fly casters. Trout and salmon, especially, will begin to group up in perennially favorite spawning locations, many of which are in clear, shallow water with a fine gravel bottom where fly fishing is favorable and sight fishing likely. Cast or troll a brightly colored streamer or large wet fly near a selected breeding lie and its protectively pugnacious pair of spawners and one of them will attack the intruder. Moderate to dark patterns and bait fish imitations will draw strikes occasionally, but attractor patterns incite fall fish like a red cape irritates a bull.

Dependable old-time favorites include a Mickey Finn, red and white bucktail, Miss Sharon, and a little brook trout. Many years ago I altered the original red and white by adding a two-segment yellow and black butt, six spears of black bucktail as the top wing layer, and jungle cock eyes as cheeks. For fall fishing I tie all hair wing patterns very sparse, since this presents a sleeker silhouette, allows the fly to run deeper, and offers a better view of the body colors. On some flies I go so far as to use red thread to create a more colorful and alluring head.

Some proven September patterns that every fall fly box should contain, but most don’t, include a counterfeiter, a pink ghost, a red-gray ghost, and my personal favorite, a ouananiche sunset. A trio of less colorful but reliable fall fish fodder would be a rainbow ghost, a Herb Johnson Special, and a Magog smelt. Autumn streamer patterns should be tied on size 6, 8, or 10 3X hooks.

Lonesome lakes

Ice-out trollers who are used to seeing crowded launch ramps and parking areas, and plenty of boats on the lakes, will find fishing very solitary in September. In the fall it’s not uncommon to troll an entire morning on a popular and productive early season lake or pond and never see another fishermen. At this time of year the cooler water and spawning ambition will colonize trout and salmon in specific areas of a lake, which is a definite boon to autumn anglers. Thoroughfares between lakes, inlet and outlet streams, and moderate-size feeder brooks are prime spawning areas and therefore top-rate September fishing locales. Trolling near the mouths of these moving waters, and even up into them if width and depth allows, is sure to produce action. Dragging flies against the current at a speed so slow the boat is just making headway and the baits are swinging leisurely near bottom is sure to induce strikes from aggravated fish.

When feeder brooks and thoroughfares are shallow enough, say 2-4 feet, casting a streamer will better cover the holding lies. Using chest waders or a canoe and anchor, start upstream and slowly work your way to the lake juncture step by step, casting to each shoreline from the center and allowing the streamer to swing its arc and then hang and sway in the current. On certain stretches of riverbed conducive to spawning, it’s possible to annoy a dozen trout or salmon into striking a fly on a run the length of a railroad box car.

While trolling the actual body of a lake, stay in 10 feet or less of water and if there’s a surface chop or mild wind, motor directly into it if possible to give more action to the flies. Give special attention to coves, points extending into the lake and any gravel bar that shows up on the depth finder. Be sure to drag flies across the mouths of even the smallest creek inlet and around all shallow spring holes. Game fish seek out the comfort and cover of deep water during the heat of summer, but with the first vestiges of fall, shallow water lake fishing comes alive again.

September streams

For myself, wading a wood-lined brook and casting a small streamer while vividly colored leaves flutter onto the water occasionally is the perfect fall fishing venture. Salmon seem stronger, fighting harder and jumping higher, and the trout are vividly marked and colored. Long, rock-strewn runs with moderate current are prime holding pools, as are the quiet basins above and below heavy sets of rips and rapids. More often than not, the irritated fish hooks itself on the swinging fly and then the fun begins.

Rivers are prime as well for fall wading and casting, but even more fish can be covered if a shallow-running canoe and motor combo is available. String out a couple of floating fly lines and motor upstream making slow progress against the current and troll diagonally back and forth across the waterway. Done properly, there’s five times as much lateral movement as there is forward distance, but many more fish are covered and the flies produce great motion. When river wading or trolling, explore eddies, quiet runs below islands, tributary mouths and lengthy, moderate-depth stretches where plenty of large rocks break up the flow and offer cover.

My indoctrination into fall fishing came during a hunting trip. I was partridge hunting one opening day in a new area and heard water while wandering through the woods. I spied a brook through the trees and moved closer to investigate. Marveling at the kaleidoscope of leaves floating by, I moved to the bank edge for a closer look and nearby jumped out of my skin when the water just in front of me fairly exploded.

After catching my breath and refocusing my eyes, I could see upwards of a hundred trout in the small pool, all in full spawning colors. I stood still and after a few minutes they calmed down and moved closer. To my surprise there were a bunch of 12- to 14-inch brookies among the average-size fish, which seemed odd for such a small creek. I revisited the spot the following September and had a fantastic catch-and-release outing, and many more since.

Fall holding pools stay the same year after year, so once a good one is located, it’s like a good well, it keeps producing. Although it’s legal to keep one fish, it is spawning season and I advocate releasing all the fish unless it’s the trophy of a lifetime and headed for the taxidermist. Hooking and playing fall fish can bring enjoyment season after season when most are quickly and carefully released unharmed.

September is no longer changeover month from fishing to hunting seasons, so keep the fly outfit at hand and fit in a trip or two more. Surprisingly, autumn fly casting and trolling might just produce some of the largest fish since spring trolling.

It’s a long, cold winter, so take full advantage of open water with a September streamer casting sojourn.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com