What Are These BIG TROUT Doing in Such a Tiny Creek?? (Tenkara Fly Fishing) 

Don't forget to pick up some fly tying yarn for yourself from my shop >> flytyingyarn.com/ -Tristan

I asked a rancher for permission to fish a stream in Idaho that looked just like that on private property. He said "Sure go ahead but there isn't any fish in there." I caught a fish on the first cast and then proceeded to catch many more. I saw the owner on the way out and told him what a great time I had and thanked him. He said "Make sure if anyone else asks to tell them there isn't any fish in there"

Back in my late teens I was fishing a larger stream for brown trout in Utah when I decided to follow up a feeder creek into a cow pasture. The creek couldn’t have been more than 2-3 feet across. I had been seeing dragon flies landing left and right and I caught one in my ball cap. I placed it on my hook with its wings still beating and floated into softly into the water. The instant it hit the water I saw the water boil and a mouth come up and swallow it. The fish dove and my line instantly popped. From just looking at its mouth/head I see the fish was a monster. It has been over 40 years since that day and I remember like it was yesterday every time I go out fishing. Good luck landing your monster in that creek, you will be thinking about it until you get back there to try again. I never did catch my monster brown - but I will one day.

Back in the 1960's my dad, brother and I went up to Chub Lake in Ontario for walleye. It was too rough to go out so my dad asked the owner if there were any small lakes or rivers around we could fish. He directed us to a tiny lake close by but warned there were no fish in it. We walked down a trail and found the lake. Fishing form the shore on a huge rock we cleaned up on beautiful brook trout, what they call specs up there. Back at the lodge our cooler drew a large crowd and the next day we couldn't' get anywhere near our fishing rock. Even the locals heard about and flocked to Cheney Lake. A little off topic, but one of my favorite memories.

It just goes to show that even the narrowest creeks can hold some amazing fish. The fact that those fish fought their way off your fly may be proof why they got that large! Thanks for an awesome video.

Some of my favorite fishing streams I've found in my entire life are tiny little ones in high desert looking environments like that. I've thought for years on how such big fish can live in such small streams, the best idea I've come up with is that it's the only water for miles and miles around, so all the bugs that need water for part of their life cycle, mating or reproduction or larval stage or whatever, are forced to use that one tiny stream, so even though it's tiny, it has a much higher than average food supply, which supports larger than average fish.

Fished a few small mountain "cow pasture" streams in Idaho and Utah just like that. Small packages yielding big prizes. 😁

I fish little creeks in the Pocono Mountains in PA. Always amazed by how wide open the mountain stream of the west are. Use a heavier tippet next time. Trout are not as line shy as they’re given credit for being.

This is the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen

these occurrences are golden. If you fish long enough in your life, you find places like this. It's the," there shouldn't be fish here" story where you just nail them. great native fishing.

Fished one like that in Wyoming in the early 80’s. Blew my mind how many brown trout in it. Huge undercuts gave volume.

My favorite kind of fishing/hunting. So much strategy involved in it. So satisfying to catch each fish.

Yep, nice video, while living in Utah a friend said he knew a great fishing creek, we drove about 2 hours and to my disappointment when we arrived the creek was about a foot wide and a foot deep!!! A few minutes later I caught my first wild brook trout about a 14 incher and many more!!!

I love this. The excitement in your voice is palpable! I feel like I'm fishing right there next to you. Can't wait to see you return to this stream!

One thing I learned on streams like that is let the fish take the fly. Don't be too quick on the set and slow down the set. The Tenkara rods are very flexible and the fiish taking the fly will set itself. The fish don't get any pressure and they are usually hungry. I love those creeks. I'll fish em every chance I get. I caught an 18" cut in a stream in WY that was 50 miles from anywhere and about as wide as a sidewalk and 1-3 feet deep. It was probably the most memorable trip I ever had. I fished for 3 days and didn't see a sole. Keep posting. Tenkara fishing is so much fun!!!

These videos are legitimately therapeutic. Keep it up for real!

Spring creeks usually offer trout great food supplies. Nonetheless, it’s pretty amazing that so tiny a creek could produce such large fish. Great video - many thanks for sharing! Hope we can see this creek again!

That takes me back to a time when I was a hunting guide in eastern Washington. Between hunts I would grab my fishing rod, and head over to a tiny stream just like the one your fishing. At times when the grasshoppers were heavy, I would bow cast a hopper fly off the grass alongside the creek, and it would bounce off the grass into the water. Them browns were huge, and always provided me a delicious shore lunch. It was my little oasis, and no one would of ever guessed that was fishable.

Thanks for taking us along. Lovely adventure, great views!

Thank You for putting the fish back and I am speaking and I consider myself someone who enjoys fishing..

Awesome video! Absolutely astonishing that those fish can live in that creek! Looking forward to hearing about your return trips

This is one of your best videos as far as fishing big trout! Keep up the great videos, above all enjoy!

What a beautiful seemingly healthy stream. When I was young I fished a stream in south-central Idaho that looked good just like this one. Possessing deep channels, watercress, clear water, and no signs of historical erosion we called it the "slaughterhouse" because there were so many trout of all sizes

I fished little creeks like this all over Lassen and Tahoe in CA and it was always a surprise to catch these 10,12,14 inch fish in them.

Loved your reaction to the big ones. I know that feeling... such a rush.

Indeed, your videos is something like a therapy in this dark time. Thank you man.

Amazing. That looks like a larger creek that has suffered form prolonged drought and is invaded by grasses and so on. The water is clear and coming form the high rocky source? Lovely place..

Definitely looking forward to the rematch ! That big rainbow was a beast . Being new to this I would not presume to offer advice , but , I " think " you might want to consider stronger tippet for round two . Reality though is you just released it a little sooner than planned . Awesome👍👍

Those tiny creeks are so cool simply because of the challenge. One of my favorite uploads from you !

Great lil creek with some beasts in it! We have all had days like that, but can't wait to see you land a beast next time!

Man! I love fishing small creeks like this one. It's fascinating how big fish are hiding in these little streams. This video is for sure going to be your hit soon! Great content 🤘🤠

love the places u go to fish! brings so much exitement to fish in small creeks

Surreal , 9 inch wide stream with huge trout ......amazing ! Very enjoyable to watch !

Your life rock's! Keep it going from creeks to streams to rivers to lakes and all over again....beautiful !

Whenever it's been a bad day I can always come to content creators like yours to escape to a good place. Keep em coming. 😊😊

the small bodies of water you find with fish are just incredible. Can’t wait till the season opens around my area

This is by far the best tiny creek fishing I have ever seen. Well done! I will never look at one of these little streams the same way again.

i've always looking a youtuber that fish tiny creek and finally i found more than i asked and guess im a new subscriber here id love to keep up with your channel, my wait is paid off thanks for providing such content.

This is actually insane so cool man! Love the videos every week

My first fishing experience as a little kid was in a stream that I could step across as a 7 year old. Caught many beautiful brook trout in that tiny stream of crystal clear water.

That was a struggle, but it was awesome to see how many fish were in that creek! Your casting is spot on!

I love small technical creeks like this, you never know what is lurking in the crevices!

Im always amazed by the speed and stealth of these fish Your casting skills are impressive

This is my favorie video of yours. I'd like to see an other video of this stream!! It's always great when you hook into big fish the tenkara. Seems like a challenge and that'a what I like to see!!

Man! That's just awesome. Can't wait for you to revisit that stream. Would be interested in seeing you start further downstream, it seemed like they got smaller as you went. Would love to see you pull some of your flies that you lost back out of their mouths!

I like to hear that line sing! The tug is the drug

Your excitement was like getting the present you've been asking for but thought you weren't going to get. I could feel your excitement. It made me laugh. Fishing is a lesson in persistence, and you have it in spades.

Rooting for you all along! crazy little creek! fun to watch!

Spring creeks like that one can have real surprises.

Most of the 16+ inch trout I've caught have been out of super small creeks like this. They are nuts during hopper season!

Mann thats beautiful scenery and catching trout that size in that little creek amazing!!

Super cool spot! Would love to see you fish it again soon. Keep at em’

When you caught the big "dragon" brown, you asked how you are supposed to fight it in there. I think that given that the creek is actually wider than it looks (I noticed you standing in shallow water 2 to 3 feet out from the center), that you just need to lift that fish's head up and get him up on the wet grass. Once he's out of the deep section, you have the advantage.

Amazing! Gotta say that the most impressive part is that you are able to accurately cast and land in that tiny width of water, with grass and forbes along the edges, without constantly getting snagged.

This would be perfect for an ultra-light spinning set up! This is such an awesome video! I would love to learn to fly fish and that setting is breath taking!

Finding streams like this is always the most fun

I have seen tiny creeks and pass them up. Can t wait to try.

You can get into some feeder streams in Wisconsin that get like this. It’s always impressive at the quality of fish you can hook up with if you can make the cast.

Great videos. I live in Ketchum, Idaho. Have been fly fishing past couple of years and just got into tenkara fishing this summer. I have caught the tenkara bug now and have two rods. Having a lot more success with tenkara. Sawtooth Lake, Warm Springs creek, bigwood and big lost river. You inspire me to explore all the smaller creeks in the area as well. Keep posting👍

A very good friend of mine taught me how to do accurate casting using a solo cup ,its an amazing way to learn

This is very addicting. I just ordered two rods, one for me, and one for my wife and daughter to use. Those won’t be the last. Can’t wait for the creeks to open!!

Haha, that was very exciting at times. What a beautiful landscape.

love it when the line sings

You are becoming the huge trout small water specialist. If the trout are not moving seasonally, it could be they are chilling in the cooler water (maybe a nearby spring) until nightfall when they move to larger dead water with more food. I once encountered a 24-inch brookie in a narrow quickwater in between 2 large deadwaters about a mile away on each side.

so amazing how accurate you are with your casting

I use to stay with my uncle when I was a pre teen in Marshall Washington, the creek was called Marshall Creek. I was told to fish with a hook and a worm only. The creek was similar in size to that creek. I caught a few fish then the biggest trout I have ever caught a 20 inch RainbowTrout. My uncle said that it was the biggest trout pulled out of that creek at the time. Best time fishing I ever had.

That looks to fun!! Wow!

Oooooohhhh. Man I miss home! Up here working in Montana, fishing is pretty good but I miss home. Been there, fished that. Thanks for the reminder.

Very nice tiny creek with beautiful fish.

Gotta love it when the fish seem to be too big for the water they live in, its almost always a pleasant surprise anyways awesome video and take it easy.

Great video. Shows that small creeks can host some big trout!

Well that is one hell of a creek. You just earned yourself a new permanent subscriber. Keep growing bro.

I give you credit on your aim! I would be getting snagged in the gras every darn time.

Love the mini creek fishing

This kind of fishing is what got me into Tenkara!

Incredible Tristan! The dragon will be waiting for your return :-)

awesome day!!! huge fish man!

I love it Here in Southeast PA I almost caught a Brookie in the headwaters of a stream it was also about 1 foot wide at that section of the stream

I know the feeling well! I have a secret creek, grossly overgrown, deep, very hard going but a 7 1/2 ft rod 40 lb braid main line and 6 lb tippet with heavy Euro-style nymphs literally dropped in from as far back as possible works. Best brown to date 7 1/2 lb and many more lost to the undergrowth but the adrenalin rush is unbelievable.

Fished a creek like this on the Pitchfork Ranch in Wyoming. Didn’t have to cast. Tie a hook on the end of the line, put on a nightcrawler and drop it in the water. Followed the creek and stopping to fish where there was an overhang or deep pool. Never caught so many fish in my life. All nice size cutthroat trout. A Summer to remember.

Loved the video.. Please go back to this beautiful stream with very large trout soon because i want to see you land one of those giants!!!

That first big brown made me jump LOL! This reminded me of my great-uncle telling me stories of small streams and Far Eastern Oregon when I was younger where he would catch huge trout in a little stream like that. Small streams that nobody ever fished.... I think you hit the Goldmine here just have patience and come back again I can't wait to see more! Thank you for sharing!

Thats crazy! Awesome video 👍

Welcome to Idaho. I love our outdoors here. You see little creeks like that all around here, never thought they held such monsters!

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻greatvideo man! Tuning in from South Dakota

Excellent stuff bro

My dad and I use to fish little streams all the time. I have caught more fish on little stream than on large waters. Great fun.

We all have days like this, such is the nature of flyfishing 😁

Amazing who would have thought that this would hold such nice fish

Amazing brutes lurking in those small spaces 😃

makes me smile!😀

I've seen the same in the tiny creeks running into lakes in NZ. Amazing.

I had never heard of Tenkara fishing until about 20 minutes ago when I found your channel. I am going to be buying a Tenkara setup this Spring for sure. I am both intrigued, and a little intimidated by the simplicity of the rig. Talk about stripping fishing down to the bare essentials. Looks easy to get the basics of the technique, but difficult to master.

how fun , great video , tks

I just subscribed. I like this man's idea of how to fish as I like that style of fishing myself though it's a little different here in eastern South Carolina. The same feeling applies.

This is my kind of dream creek 😍

I can't believe the size of those fish there haha. Great stream brother

Love the vids man. Looking to get into tenkara myself. Would you recommend the 9ft Aventik Z IM12 Nano 6:4 you covered in one of your videos as a starter rod? Or do you think it's worth spending a bit more and getting the DRAGONtail MIZUCHI? How would you rate them in terms of portability and fishing experience? I normally fish small and mid size streams and catch fish in the 6-16 inch range. Thanks for any input!

My best guess is that this is a tiny third or fourth order tributary either draining - or coming off - a body of water like Silver Creek. Given that it's spring fed one way or another, and the lower pressure referenced by a lot of the comments (cattle rotating range?), it's pretty sweet habitat for those fish that make their way into that creek. Spring fed gives year round conditions; temps, invert life, cover... Sweet find / score with landowner! Best wishes on return~

I just love your videos dude... And your voice is Uber relaxing too... I just want u to keep on talking and I find I don't even care if u catch one .. I JUST DONT WANT U TO STOP TALKING ...LOL... NICE WORK TRISTAN