Raging Bull: You’re Standing on Fish

Raging Bull: You’re Standing on Fish

A number of years ago, I did a short piece for Field & Stream on trout fishing guides and their favorite tactics and techniques.

Their input was diverse, and everyone seemed to have a different point of view, which was perfect for the story, but when I asked them about their number-one pet peeve, the answers were nearly uniform:

“Anglers don’t look where they walk.”

“People forget to look at the water right in front of them.”

“Most folks forget to notice that some of the best trout are right near the bank.”

In other words, you’re standing on your fish, stupid. Based on my own part-time guiding experiences, I have to agree, the absolute number-one frustration is to set up an angler in a good run, show him/her where to go and what to do, then go downstream to help a partner, then return to see him/her planted chest deep in the middle of the run where the fish were…

When approaching the river, don’t take anything for granted. By dashing out into the middle of a run, the only thing you guarantee is that any fish that were there will be gone. Look before you leap. Take your time. Who’s wearing a stopwatch? Big Daddy might be tucked right under the bank in front of you, but you’ll never know that if you barge right into the water like a raging bull.