The relatively dry weather we’ve experienced the past few weeks has left area streams and rivers flowing low and clear. Such conditions make fish spooky and tougher to catch.

Until fall rains bring flows up a bit, there’s little to do but adapt to the current conditions. Here are a few things you can do to continue to catch fish when stream flows are low.

Make long casts

One simple reason gamefish become harder to fool when the water is low and clear is that they can see you better. Counter this by staying farther back from your target — away from the fish’s view. When fishing a smaller creek or stream, it’s often best to stay back on the bank, away from the water’s edge, to avoid spooking fish.

On wider waters, make longer casts than you would normally make. Longer rods launch lures farther; keeping your reel’s spool filled to capacity also increases casting distance. By adding an extra 10 or 20 feet to your cast, you can often trigger fish before they get close enough to see you.

Use low visibility leaders

Fly fishermen have long known to scale down to thread-sized leaders when conditions are low and clear. Anglers who use spinning equipment can make a similar adjustment under such tough conditions by adding a short section of fluorocarbon line as a leader. I use a two- to three-foot section of eight- or 10-pound test fluorocarbon as a leader on rods rigged with monofilament or braided superline. Fluorocarbon has a similar density as water; when underwater, it is pretty much invisible.

You can tie similar strengths of mono and fluorocarbon together with a blood knot. When making the connection with braided superline, I use a small swivel to avoid slippage problems with the superline, of which many have a slippery coating. Back-to-back uni-knots, triple surgeon’s knot, and the Albright knot are good ways of joining braid to a monofilament line without using a swivel.

Try “moving” baits

When the water is clear, gamefish rely heavily on their sight. When they go into sight-feeding mode, it’s wise to give baits that move a good workout. When targeting trout and smallmouth bass on smaller streams, this includes spinners and spoons.

On larger streams and rivers, which likely hold smallmouth bass, walleyes, northern pike and muskies, soft-bodied jerkbaits are a go-to bait. Work them erratically — with lots of aggressive jerks — so they provide plenty of attraction.

Incorporate occasional pauses in the twitching cadence. Fish that were following the bait will often eat it when you “kill” the bait and allow it to suspend for an instant.

Experiment with Colors

Color tends to be a factor anglers pay too much attention to. Much of the time color is overrated. But it’s been my experience that the times when fish become color sensitive is when the water is ultra-clear.

This is especially true of slower moving baits, ones where the fish have an extended period of time to inspect them. When using the previously described moving baits, fish don’t have as much opportunity to be influenced by color one way or the other.

The case isn’t the same when drifting a weighted soft stickbait like a Yum Dinger or Yamamoto Senko. Such baits are excellent for duping fish unwilling to respond to a more aggressive bait, but fish do get a longer look at them. For this reason, I experiment with various colors throughout the day, often shocked by the pickiness fish can exhibit, color-wise, when the water is clear.

Be stealthy

You can often get away with sloppy presentations and excessive movements when water flows are normal and have a bit of color. But when the water’s clear, keep your movements to a minimum.

When stream fishing, it’s a good idea to wear drab clothing that blends into the surroundings. Light camo shirts intended for early season bowhunting or spring gobbler hunts are ideal.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle