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I took a client fishing a few years back. We went to a river he had fished several times previously. At the end of the day, we had landed around fifty trout. He looked dumbfounded as he shed his waders. I asked if he was alright. He said he had fished the same areas several times with no luck. He had become convinced that fly-fishing was about the art of casting and enjoying the outdoors. He never imagined he could actually catch dozens of fish in a single day! Here are four tips I shared with him that drastically increased his catch rate that day.
Step One: Only Cast Where They Are!
Fish are not distributed indiscriminately throughout a river. All the trout are concentrated in about twenty percent of the river. Random casts that don't target specific areas holding trout can keep you in the 'fishing' but really far from 'the catching club'. Trout are like lazy little dudes waiting for someone to bring them grub. They want to be comfortable and they want the food to come to them. They are more relaxed in deeper, calmer water. In this setting, they feel secure and don't have to exert energy fighting the current.
Step Two: Fish The 'Seam'
The tight line in a river between faster current and slower moving water is called the 'seam'. Fish congregate just inside the slow side, watching the faster side of the seam intently. Why? Because it is a moving buffet line! Remember, like lazy little dudes, they conserve energy, but still like to eat. What better situation could they possibly find than the slower side of the seam (where they don't fight current), bellied up to the buffet bar as tidbits (bugs/larvae/worms) float by their nose in the faster current. It's a smorgasbord on a conveyor belt!
Step Three: Fish the Strike Zone
Fishing the strike zone means hitting the trout on the nose. Remember, they don't want to move. You might not get up from the Lazy Boy to get that bag of Cheetos in the kitchen. But if someone brings them to you in a bowl and puts them under your nose, you'll be licking orange goodness from your fingers shortly. Trout feed higher (near the surface) during the first hour of light in the morning and the last hour of light in the evening. In the middle of the day, they tend to hover near the bottom. Finding the strike zone is the key to making them take the Cheeto...ahem...fly.
Step Four:
Step Two: Fish The 'Seam'
The tight line in a river between faster current and slower moving water is called the 'seam'. Fish congregate just inside the slow side, watching the faster side of the seam intently. Why? Because it is a moving buffet line! Remember, like lazy little dudes, they conserve energy, but still like to eat. What better situation could they possibly find than the slower side of the seam (where they don't fight current), bellied up to the buffet bar as tidbits (bugs/larvae/worms) float by their nose in the faster current. It's a smorgasbord on a conveyor belt!
Step Three: Fish the Strike Zone
Fishing the strike zone means hitting the trout on the nose. Remember, they don't want to move. You might not get up from the Lazy Boy to get that bag of Cheetos in the kitchen. But if someone brings them to you in a bowl and puts them under your nose, you'll be licking orange goodness from your fingers shortly. Trout feed higher (near the surface) during the first hour of light in the morning and the last hour of light in the evening. In the middle of the day, they tend to hover near the bottom. Finding the strike zone is the key to making them take the Cheeto...ahem...fly.
Step Four:
Fish smaller. Smaller flies and smaller hooks will result in more fish. Trout like to sip in tiny morsels as they float by. Smaller hooks penetrate easier (smaller diameter). It is almost impossible for a monster trout to straighten out even the smallest fly. I caught this hefty brown trout on a tiny little nymph floated through the current seam. You can see the nymph on my finger, or can you? Tiny little bead-head fly.
Tight-lines my friends!
Tim
Tim
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