Often described as ‘Nomads Of The Tide”, it’s near the coast you will find Sea Run Brown Trout or Seatrout as the Europeans call them. Here in New Zealand these fish can migrate large distances in salt water and often frequent river mouths, lakes and lagoons near sea level. Here they mainly prey upon baitfish such as Whitebait, Smelt and Bullies { Sculpin } but also shrimps, crabs and nymphs, it’s for this reason these fish can grow very fast and thrive. The sensation to be fishing for these trout with the sights and sounds of ocean life in the background is exhilarating and multi day clients often comment it’s such a contrast that one day you are in a remote mountain headwater, the next fishing near the ocean.
The true predator nature of trout feeding upon bait fish, sometimes very close to shore in shallow water, is a sight to behold as is casting streamers with anticipation of a violent strike. A new aspect for me and clients is sight fishing streamers! This is often mind blowing when first experienced. Sea run fish move about in random ways and can be hard to track down that’s where the skill and accumulated knowledge and being tuned in come to the fore. At times the larger fish will move up river and group together in pods and at these times we choose to sight fish with accurate casts using weighted nymphs. Such trout are huge and need innovative patterns to entice them to take.