Brown trout and rainbow trout - Grayling - Chub - Salmon/Sea trout - Ide - Pike

Brown trout and rainbow trout

Author: Jarko Jaadla

Brown trout has closed season .09-31.12, rainbow trout do not have it.

Time after the end of the closed season is relatively good time for chasing trout, because brown trout has a great appetite after spawn. In winter, trout is relatively lean and weak, so chasing trout in winter won’t give you that enjoyment that it gave you in summer and in autumn.

In the end of winter, exfoliation of stoneflies happens- at that time you may get very good results, if you happen to be in right place, in right time. Unfortunately this period is quite short in Estonia. So fisherman must keep his eye on the river all the time.

In early spring, there is very much water in rivers, but despite this, trout is biting quite eagerly. If rivers are very high, you should avoid fishing in rivers and fish in smaller streams.

After rivers have flowed off, best time of the year begins. Weather is already much warmer, and fish is more active. Trout begins biting floating flies.

At the end of may, larva’s of the mayflies are maturing and using nymphs as bait may give you very good results. This is one of the best times in year for chasing trout.

Soon after this mayfly-season begins- this is period what fly fishers wait impatiently. It is impossible to forget large swarms of mayflies and moment when large trout grabs a mayfly from the surface of the river. During this period, Estonian fly fishers practically live by the river, unfortunately this period is quite short, usually less than a two weeks. Usually it happens in the end of June

About week after the end the mayfly season, there is about a week, when trout is totally gorged from mayflies and quite passive.

Next very good period is exfoliating of caddis larva’s. At this period, fishing is best in dusk or even complete darkness. This fact makes fishing really thrilling and brings fisherman skills to the test. Usually, this period falls into a middle of July.

From the end of the period till the beginning of the closed season, You can fish, using a streamer, nymphs and floating flies. Trout has good appetite thru a whole summer,  but couple of weeks before beginning of closed season, trout becomes very active in order to gain some weight before spawn.

 Grayling

It is possible to catch a grayling in winter, but it is not too usual.

In spring, before spawn, grayling becomes more active and it is very possible to catch it.

Grayling usually spawns in May.

Period after the spawn is the best time for chasing grayling. During this period, fishing may be very interesting, because during this period, grayling usually feeds on floating insects. Another good time for catching a grayling, is mayfly-season. During this period, you may catch very big graylings.

Grayling is active during a whole summer, and bites floating fly very eagerly.

Grayling is caught until October, because it is quite difficult to catch it later.

 Chub

In winter, chub is passive and catching chub is quite hard.

In spring, when weather gets warmer, chub becomes more active and could be very easily caught before spawn.

For spawning, chub rises to rapids and eagerly bites bait.

Fishing on rapids is very thrilling and with good results. Chub spawn usually from the end of May to middle of June. Chub is also quite active during a mayfly-season.

In midsummer, chub is quite passive and it is harder to catch it, only exception is period of exfoliation of caddis larva’s in July, when chub becomes active for short time. In the end of summer chub becomes active and less cautious. Chub could be caught till the beginning of November.

 Salmon/Sea trout

Closed season 1.09-31.11( different on different rivers)

Salmon-season begins in the end of September or even earlier. And lasts till the end of the year. In autumn, best time for chasing salmon, is period after big storms and strong northern wind. In sea, salmon gathers at the seashore sometimes already in the end of summer, but usually in middle or in the end of September. Salmon chasing in sea gives you good results from the end of September to the end of November, but it is possible to chase salmon till the freezing of sea.

In the river, You can chase salmonides, which stayed there for winter.  In the beginning of spring, new season for chasing salmon begins. Best time in spring for chasing salmon is from the end March till the end of May. Results may be as good as they are in autumn. Fishing can be successful in both sea and river. But fish is way leaner than in autumn. In summer, salmon holds far from the shore and chasing it is very complicated. All, what was told about salmon, is also valid for the sea trout.

 Ide

It is possible to catch id in winter, but it is way more complicated than in warmer time.

In spring, id becomes more active before spawn and catching id before spawn is very common.

Id spawns usually right before melting of ice, and is one of the first spawners in our waters.

For spawning, id gathers in swarms and makes catching it very easy. Daily catch may be very big.

It is possible to catch id through a whole summer, but results are usually better in early summer and in early spring. When weather becomes colder, catching id becomes more and more complicated.

 Pike

In winter, pike is less active and stays more in one spot, but catching it is possible despite that.

Pike spawns right after melting of ice. Pike has closed season 15.03-10.05 in rivers and lakes and 15.03-1.05 in sea.

After spawn, pike tries to restore energy and fat it used during the spawn and becomes very active. That makes this period best period for catching pike. Pike is active all summer, only in midsummer it may be little bit more passive.

In autumn, pike tries to collect some reserve before winter and becomes very active. This fact makes autumn seconds best period for catching pike.