Going Fishing?
Pat says to ask yourself these questions for greater success on the river
How do I approach the stream?
I try to approach the river undetected. The process of becoming invisible begins long before I wade into the water. Presentation includes everything from “the costume to the cast,” so I dress in clothes that match the color of the surrounding landscape. Walking toward my starting point, I stay out of the water if possible. I’ll walk on the softest ground I can find, and if I must walk on gravel or cobbles, I’ll travel wide of the stream and creep my way to the water.
While watching wade fishermen on guided trips over the years, I’ve determined that it’s the approach to a run that largely determines success – not necessarily the cast or even the fly.
Did I survey the situation?
I sit and watch for a while before wetting a line, observing the bug life on the water and in the air. If I can’t see any airborne or water-bound bugs, I check nearby spider webs and foam back-eddies. Then I look for feeding fish, both on the surface and in the water column – flashes and boils of water can indicate fish feeding on nymphs or chasing minnows.
I consider the time of day and the water temperature – am I too early for a peak-activity period, or too late? Should I be anticipating a hatch with an emerger pattern or perhaps did I miss a hatch and use a spinner pattern?
Have I fished “top to bottom?”
If a hole or run looks productive – meaning it contains good holding water – and I’ve fished it without success, I ask myself: Have I fished from top to bottom?
Usually, I begin by fishing a hole in the least obtrusive way possible: with a dead-drifted dry fly. With multiple casts I’ll try to cover the water with a fan-shaped pattern, moving upstream as I go, getting the longest drifts possible. When fishing a run from top to bottom, give fish as many different looks as possible: top-water options, deep options, dead-drifted options, swinging options, twitched options. When I get to the top of the run again with my less-than-successful nymphs, I’ll switch to a streamer, or maybe two streamers of different colors, and strip them through the run.
What about other anglers? Is my etiquette appropriate?
If I’m wading upstream and spot another angler up the creek, I’ll either look for another spot or get on the bank, wide of the stream.
I’ll approach the other angler courteously, letting him know that I’ll be walking at least three bends upstream before beginning to fish. A kind-spoken, “How’s the fishing?” will usually elicit an answer that tells you whether the angler wants to talk. If the dude drops his head to the water and grumbles, I just keep walking. If the guy perks up and says, “They’re crushing a size 12 orange Humpy,” then I’ll stay and chat for a while.
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