The recent dry spell has left Western Pennsylvania streams flowing low and clear. Such conditions make fish spooky and tougher to catch. Until fall rain brings flows up a bit, there's little to do but adapt to the current conditions.

Here are a few things you can catch fish when stream flows are low and clear.

•

Make long casts: One reason gamefish become harder to fool when the water is low and clear is that they can see you better. Counter this by standing farther out of the their view. When fishing a smaller stream it's often best to stay back on the bank, away from the water's edge.On wider waters, make longer casts than you normally would make. Longer rods launch lures farther, and keeping your reel's spool filled to capacity also increases casting distance. By adding an extra 10 or 20 feet to your cast, you often can trigger fish before they get close enough to see you.•

Use low visibility leaders: Fly anglers know to scale down to thread-sized leaders when conditions are low and clear. Anglers who use spinning equipment can make a similar adjustment by adding a short section of fluorocarbon line as a leader. I use a 2- to 3-foot section of 8- or 10-pound test fluorocarbon as a leader on rods rigged with monofilament or braided superline. Fluorocarbon has a similar density as water, so it's pretty much invisible when submerged.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.•

Try "moving" baits: When the water is clear, gamefish rely heavily on their sight, so 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 like a Zoom Super Fluke or Case Salty Sinking Shad 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: Anglers tend to pay too much attention to colors. But it's been my experience that fish become color sensitive when the water is ultraclear.This is especially true of slower-moving baits, ones that the fish have an extended period of time to inspect. When using the previously described moving baits, fish don't have as much opportunity to be influenced by color.But it's different 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, colorwise, when the water is clear.•

Be stealthy: You often can 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.