What's the trick for big deep pools?

[SmallStreams]

I realized that I don't have the right approach for those big, deep plunge pools common in the Row and Coast Fork Willamette area. The kind of pools that are 15'-20'-30' deep yet you can often barely see bottom. Sure, I can throw the roostertail or bangtail in there, but if nothing strikes after a couple casts, standing around casting it some more isn't going to get me a fish from the pool!

Jigging the bangtail got the 6" fish following it - they'd all cluster around it, trying to figure out what the fuss was, but wouldn't even nip at it. Made me think that a jig might be an option, but if they're not going for the fly on the flashy bangtail, would they even be interested in a jig?

What other nonbait options or techniques are there?

 

[Troutier Bassier]

A Steelie Jig,
Wooly Bugger wit a Pinch Weight,
A Small Micro Jig (Kills them for me)

 

[kornphlake]

I've seen that happen before with bookies, they'll huddle around anything flashy but don't always bite. My father in law showed me how to induce a bite, tie on a colorado spinner with a siwash hook and bait it with a small piece of worm, couldn't keep fish off the hook that way. Of course if fishing bait isn't legal on the river you have in mind this advice is of little use.

 

[rainman]

Have ya tried mooching a small to med whole herring, 18"-24" leader, with in-line 1 or 1.5oz. weight. Rig the herring like is done for halibut, with a treble hook.
Guys been praising the pink worm. I have a doz or so of them critters, so I'm gonna go to the N. Santiam tomorrow morning and flog the river wiff dat.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Have ya tried mooching a small to med whole herring, 18"-24" leader, with in-line 1 or 1.5oz. weight. Rig the herring like is done for halibut, with a treble hook.
Guys been praising the pink worm. I have a doz or so of them critters, so I'm gonna go to the N. Santiam tomorrow morning and flog the river wiff dat.

Next time I'm in the Cottage grove area fishing for trout in a big pool I will have to try that. LOL Seriously? I can't wait to catch a trout on a whole herring. You might try to just cast to the far side of the pool and let your lure sink for a while and maybe even real it in in burst's. When Dorena drains there are a lot of big fish in the big pools above the lake where it becomes river again. Kinda by Dorena drop.

 

[SmallStreams]

So, after augmenting my supplies, I went up the Mollala River last night for a quick test. Found a decent clear deep pool:

Control - work the pool with the spinner.
No hits.

Test 1 - work the pool with a jig.
No hits.

Test 2 - work the pool with a jig under a bobber.
No hits.

Test 3 - cast the fly under a bobber.
A strike as soon as it touched down! Got a few more strikes on other casts.

Test 4 - work the fly in the flow without a bobber.
Repeated strikes just about anywhere I tried, as long as the fly was in the top 3" of water. Got to watch one little guy do a complete backflip out of the water, rotating over the fly before landing in the water.

Biggest problem I had was setting the hook for the fly. Either the fish weren't getting the hook inside their mouth, as if they were only grabbing hackles, or they were so young they're not terribly good at hitting the fly.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

Yes it Happens, I turned Dry flys into Wet flys at Fairview Creek. They can't get there mouth on it, So I just Free Drifted a Worm