Trout rivers close. Reservoirs don't, or not yet. Many of Britain's big trout waters fish through November and into December, and there's a particular pleasure in a cold grey morning on an open boat, with the wind in your face and a thousand acres of water all to yourself.
What the fish are doing
Roach fry and perch fry are now the main food for the bigger trout, along with sticklebacks where there are any. The trout hunt them along the margins and over shallow points, and the best of the late season happens when they do.
Rainbows, stocked and growing, feed hard on fry and often fight above their weight. Brown trout are different. On reservoirs with feeder streams, browns begin to gather off the stream mouths in October and November, ready to run up and spawn. They are the fish of the year, big and dark and colouring up, and they deserve gentleness. Fish for the ones feeding in open water. Release them carefully and quickly. Leave the inflows alone, and never wade a feeder stream. Fish that are paired up or on the gravel are not to be fished for.
Where to look
The margins and the shallows.
Fry use the weedy edges and shallows, and trout hunt them there, particularly in low light and on a windy day. As the water gets colder through November and December, look further out and deeper.
Points and drop-offs. Where shallow water meets deep, trout ambush fry from below.
The windward bank. Wind pushes fry and food towards one shore, and trout follow.
The dam wall. Fish gather along the hard edge of the dam, particularly in a good wave.
Watch the birds. Gulls dipping and grebes working a patch of water are a clue that fry are present, and the trout are probably there too.
Stay clear of stream mouths in autumn. Many fisheries ban fishing near inflows to protect spawning browns, and the signs are there for a reason.
How to fish it
It's a lure and fry-pattern season.
You are imitating a small fish, so the fly should be a small fish.
Lines. A floating line with a long leader for the margins and shallow water. An intermediate or slow-sinking line for the shallows and points, and a fast sink for deep drop-offs.
Flies. Fry patterns, Appetisers, Zonkers, Cormorants and Minkies, with Boobies on a fast-sinking line. Black, olive, white and a touch of orange or silver. Size 8–10 for fry patterns; larger for lures.
Retrieve. Fast and varied. Strip the fly in short pulls, then long pulls, then a pause. Many takes come on the pause or as the fly lifts. In cold water, if fish are following without taking, slow down or change the size and colour.
Boat. Drift broadside to the wind and cover the margins. Use a drogue to slow the drift.
Cold-weather safety
November is not a forgiving month on open water.
Wear a lifejacket. Most reservoir fisheries require one in a boat. Do it up properly, and wear it for the whole session.
Respect the water. In November it is typically 8–10°C, cold enough to cause cold-water shock the moment you go in: a gasp reflex within seconds, then swimming ability failing within minutes. On a frosty morning the water may be warmer than the air, but it will still kill you. Layers, hat, gloves and a windproof outer.
Watch the weather. A reservoir is open to wind, and a calm morning can turn rough within an hour. Know the forecast and stay close to the fishery base if conditions change. If the fishery calls boats in, come in.
Sit down to cast. Never stand in a drifting boat.
Take a flask. Coffee on a boat in November is one of the best things you can have.
Check before you go
Fisheries set their own season dates, and stocking policy, rules on barbless hooks and catch limits all vary.
Phone or check the website. Some waters close at the end of November; others fish to the New Year.