In freshwater fly fishing, few things are better than a trophy trout, stretching the tape of what we thought was possible, chasing down and eating a streamer. For many, it’s a lifelong pursuit in search of this fish, but what if I were to tell you there is a trout species that grows to giant sizes and is eagerly awaiting streamers—the bull trout.
Outside of a John Gierach story (Chapter 2 of Fool’s Paradise 2008), I didn’t know much about bull trout before I moved out west. Given that they live in just a handful of US states and Canadian provinces, I guess that it’s understandable, but before I moved to Washington, I only had an easterner’s basic knowledge of browns, rainbows, and Appalachian brook trout. In Idaho and Montana, stories of massive bulls chasing hooked trout are common, and in Washington and Oregon, salmon and steelhead anglers often encounter them when swinging flies. Through my experiences in the PNW and encounters with these fish in BC, I’ve learned quite a bit about targeting this species. Below is a complete guide to bull trout fishing, covering biology, habitat, and fly fishing techniques.
Biology and Habitat
While called a trout, bulls are actually part of the char family. With that, they resemble brook trout with larger jaws and heads, distinct white spots along their back, and white tips on their fins. Regionally and historically, they’ve often been mistaken for dolly varden, an oversight that’s actually led to some state records being re-recorded. Bull trout prefer large, cold rivers and lakes draining high mountainous areas and tend to frequent the bottoms of deep pools. In some coastal regions, ocean-run fish also exist, living a similar lifestyle to steelhead.
Throughout their range in the Pacific Northwest, bull trout grow to impressive sizes. Both Washington and Oregon state records are 22 and 23 pounds, respectively, with Nevada and Idaho state records each standing at an impressive 32 lbs. Most of these fish came from lakes, but the Washington record is from a relatively small river in Yakima County, which should give you an idea of what’s possible in a river with enough food and cover.
If you look through IGFA World Records for fly anglers, you’ll see that all but one of the records comes from Fernie, British Columbia, the unofficial bull trout capital of the world.
Alongside a bull trout’s impressive size and natural aggression, it’s important to recognize their vulnerability and rarity. Their willingness to move to flies makes them great sportfish but easy targets. Their relative rarity has resulted in both state and federal protections in some cases. In my home state of Washington, even though they’re classified as a gamefish that can be legally harvested in some waters, most of their populations throughout the Pacific Northwest are listed as “threatened” by the federal Endangered Species Act.
Fishing
Here’s everything you need to know to find and hook a bull trout of your own.
Where to Look
Much like dry flies can define grayling or cutthroat fishing, streamers define bull trout. They are aggressive, predatory fish that like to chase their meals, so streamers are the name of the game. Generally speaking, the bigger the better.
Salmon and steelhead anglers will be familiar with the slow runs that hold bull trout, and I make a point to look for slow runs with a walking speed current where a fly can be swung down and across the current effectively. The water on the down-stream side of islands where a run-off connects back with the river typically slows as the two currents meet and is a good area to target, along with log jams, boulder gardens, and shelves. Grabs can come mid-swing, on the hang down, and even while stripping the line back in for your next cast.
For anglers fishing single hand rods, don’t pass up those tanky pools where the current slows and streamers can be stripped. These spots can usually give up some of the largest fish on the river and the takes from an aggressively stripped fly can be jarring.
Fly line and leader selection will depend on the situation. Oftentimes, a floating line with a 9′ leader and a weighted fly will do the trick. Sink-tip lines can fish a little deeper while staying deeper for longer and are also excellent choices. And finally, for those impossibly deep pools where only 20-pound fish live have a full sinking line strung up. If you’re floating a river where it’s practical to carry a number of rods, I highly suggest having all three setups available.
Flies and Tackle
My bull trout fly box usually has these flies:
- Dali Llamas – these beastly, heavy, wind-resistant flies are not especially fun to cast, but their color contrast and meaty rabbit strip bodies get a bull trout’s attention like nothing else. Natural colors like white, olive, and black and combinations of these colors are all great choices.
- Graboid Leach – Jonathan Farmer’s killer leach pattern is a nice option when water is clearer. This is a more subtle profile and presentation than a Dali Llama, but still has that rabbit strip goodness that bull trout just can’t resist.
- Intruders – Much as the Clouser Minnow is a staple of saltwater fly fishing, the Intruder is a regular producer on rivers where flies are swung. Color choice can vary from river to river, but blue, black, pink, and purple are all good flies to have in your box. I’ll usually go with a brightly colored intruder when water clarity is poor and I’m trying to stand out.
- Squidro – There’s something about rubber legs and a bit of pink marabou that make this fly a consistent producer when all else fails. Some guides say that any anadromous fish simply have the color pink imprinted on their brains after they come back from the salt, and they’re probably right. I also think that their general lack of buoyancy makes these flies sink like a rock and get down to where bull trout live a little better than other flies.
- Something big and crazy – Every fly shop has that secret drawer of giant flies that only the craziest streamer fisherman will throw. These are the big, creative, articulated flies that most fish will refuse, but giant bull trout will inhale. If you’ve ever wanted to strip a fly like this through a deep pool, now’s your chance. The mad scientists at Rio always have something like this so check out the website for their latest creation.
For single-hand rods, I like a 10’ 8 weight over a 7 because the flies tend to be a little larger, and a heavier rod handles them better all day. A 9 might be overkill, but if you’re throwing big flies for 30″ fish, going a bit heavier might be a good idea. Any floating lines with aggressive tapers designed for casting big streamers are a good choice for bull trout, and reels with larger arbors designed for picking up line quickly will be handy when you need to get a big fish on a reel.
For two-handed spey rods on larger rivers, my rod of choice is a Burkheimer 81209-4, a 12′ 9″ 8 weight with a 540-grain Airflo F.I.S.T. head. I love how this setup casts big flies and keeps them swinging through holding water for as long as possible.
Fishing Regulations and Conservation
If you’re interested in targeting bull trout, it’s critical that you check local fishing regulations before heading out on a trip. These amazing fish exist in only a few special watersheds in North America. Where recreational fishing is legally allowed, it usually means that bull trout populations are in generally good shape and capable of supporting some great catch-and-release fishing opportunities.
In other areas, bull trout may be present, but with low populations, recreational fishing is not allowed. This means you cannot target bull trout, and if you catch one as by-catch, they must be released without removing them from the water. That being said, these fish are fundamentally rare and should always be handled with respect. On some rivers, it’s technically illegal to remove them from the water.
Top Locations to Target Bull Trout
- Washington – Skagit River
- Oregon – Metolius River
- Idaho, Snake and Columbia Rivers tributaries
- Montana – South Fork Flathead River
- Alberta – Oldman River
- BC – Elk River and Pitt River
Fishing for Sea-run Bull Trout
Recently, I experienced a unique sub-sect of bull trout at the Pitt River Lodge. In southern BC, the Pitt River has a unique strain of anadromous bull trout that can often reach lengths of 30”. Because they’re anadromous fish, these bulls are that perfect blend of aggression, strength, and stamina. The resident Skagit River bull trout that I’m familiar with share the first two characteristics, but the stamina gained from spending time at sea was immediately apparent after I hooked my first. The decisive take and weight against the rod were familiar, but the charging runs, and the prolonged fights were unique to the Pitt.
On my first day of fishing the Pitt this past June, we found fish fairly consistently, but the bite felt off. The rain had been consistent all day, and while fishable, the clarity began to drop. We used light sink tips on our Skagit heads to fish the inside edges of slow runs, and despite the rising water, we found fish immediately on our first night in the home pool—a good omen for things to come.
Our guide, Brody, apologized for the fishing, as guides tend to do when everything’s not going as planned. But despite the conditions and relatively slow fishing, our float on the upper Pitt was fantastic. There were a number of runs that swung beautifully, and although the takes weren’t as solid and decisive as they could be, we still found steady action.
Later that evening when we got back to our cabin, we dried off and grilled up dinner. With some daylight left, we decided to wader up again and head back to the home pool to close out the day. After the short walk, we were shocked to see how much the river had dropped in just a few hours. What had once been a fairly featureless run with a soft current along the bank was now a perfect outside seam and swing through random buckets and boulders. I pulled one nice fish before walking back to the cabin, and I went to bed that night with genuine optimism for the next day.
The next morning, the valley was capped with low clouds, and the rain and light wind had all but disappeared. I drank my coffee, ate my breakfast burrito on the porch, and watched a kingfisher work along the branches above a deep back channel across from our cabin.
As we launched our raft, we could immediately see that the river had dropped back into shape. The visibility of the river was perfect, and many of the bars and runs that we’d seen the previous day were now even fishier. As far as the fishing conditions went, we could not imagine better. If something magical was going to happen, it was going to happen today, with the river on the drop and a full day of fishing under our belts.
As soon as we got out of the raft to the first run, I found myself fishing with hope, familiarity, and confidence. I was making beautiful backhand casts just off the far bank and fishing with a calm intensity. And like the literal answer to a prayer, I got an aggressive take about two casts into the boulder garden run. After the relative slowness of the previous day, the grab from this fish was desperately needed, but after a moment, it shook loose. My heart dropped, but Brody told me to keep fishing and that there were likely other fish in the run.
My next cast through the same spot yielded an even more aggressive take, and this time, a firm connection was made. Although it’s a fairly stout rod, my Burkie is truly bent to the cork with a heavy fish and line screaming off my Farlex numerous times as the fish made run after run. It didn’t feel at all like the bull trout I knew back in Washington; it felt more like a fired-up salmon.
After a tense but sustained fight, Brody netted the fish, and we gathered around it in awe, in thanks, and in general celebration. It was a spectacular fish, impossibly thick at the shoulders and tail, chrome bright, and unmistakably spotted. It was a perfect specimen of a sea-run bull and a fish that I don’t think I have ever needed quite so badly.
Oregon Angler Lands Potential State (and World Record) Bull Trout
