In case someone thinks that the answer to all their prayers is a Brassie Softhackle and an inside riffle there are other places that a good trout can be found.
Even on the most fertile of rivers with good upwing and caddis hatches , midge and other tiny "black stuff" play a very important role in the diet of the trout. The "small black stuff" is the bread and butter to many trout, consistently available and whilst these tiny flies may not have received the attention they deserve by angling writers they should not be ignored.
What I have found to be the case on my local may or may not be the case on your chosen rivers - bear that in mind in everthing I say, hopefully my experiences may provide inspiration to some to check out the possibilities on their river if they haven’t already done so.
There are certain parts of my river, small open slackish pools that always seem to have a few sippers of the black stuff ( off course it may be green, grey and a host of shades) . What I have found to be the case is that these will in general be small fish with an occasional medium sized one. Outside bends are another example of this type of water. These fish best when there is some gusty wind that funnels the food into the slack water, between the gusts is when the trout will be most active. The added bonus of the wind is that the surface will be riffled and that it helps disguise the presence of you, your line and leader. Occasionally you may find a good trout in such areas but in general they will be in an almost inaccessible location. Because these places are close to known good water and the rises are visible they will receive a lot of attention at times.
The second type of worthwhile location are back eddies. When faced with such a location it pays to sit and observe. Quite often you will note that instead of the half dozen trout you think are there it is in fact one or two trout patrolling the eddie. These eddies will be stuffed with food and simply casting out your size 22 and leaving it there may be a waste of time. Work out the trouts route. One tactic that works quite well is to cast, and when the trout sips within a few feet of your fly give it a small twitch, this works with regular success. This works whether it is a dry or a damp softhackle, its worth having a few stewart’s style or similar on very light wire hooks for these situations. Back eddies can yield a very good trout , particularily those eddies that have good bankside protection and rarely see the presence of anglers.
The third type and in some ways the most interesting are the long flat featureless pools, preferably with loads of tree cover and completely ignored by 99.99% of anglers and almost definitely ignored by anyone fishing nymphs or softhackles. The main thing here is that you need strong gusty wind , preferably downstream and towards your bank. You need to be a hunter that is prepared to walk , search and stalk. Such water won’t hold many trout but those that you find there can be well above average size. On my travels all the trout that I have found will be tight to the bank, and I mean tight, 6” to 3 feet and there is always some small feature, be it a few strands of weed, a fallen tree branch , something which diverts the surface water and provides some sense of protection. It is important to move slowly, taking time to study the water , 5-10 min’s may be required to survey a small stretch of water. Most trout when you are lucky enough to locate one it will be feeding very confidently and after that its all about stalking it, good presentation , a little luck is required presenting a small fly into a gusting downstream wind. When success comes it will be a defining moment in your angling life and one that will leave you sitting and speechless and very very content with the world.