geartalk

The Telltale Rise

An angler can often tell what type of fly to use by watching the rises of fish in a run. 

This is where the ability to read water directly influences fly selection. Learning to read water so you understand what insects fish probably are eating in a given stretch is the step that jumps an angler from Fly Fishing 101 straight into graduate school.

The slow, methodical rise and slurp with the nose of the trout visibly breaking the surface is a classic mayfly feed. When you see a fish porpoise, and the water being disturbed without a nose breaking the surface, you can figure the trout is likely picking off emergers just below the surface. A fast, splashy rise indicates that a fish is eating caddis swimming to the top. A super-subtle sip often suggests that the fish is keyed on midges.

And a grasshopper take can be anything from a violent gulp to a long, laborious slurp; even a newbie will know that at first glance.

Chances to observe fish feeding without casting often can be worth their weight in gold. Take the time to observe risers and their distinct feeding patterns, or lack thereof. All these clues, even if small, help provide invaluable information in an angler’s life-long education.

Shadows in Bird Land

Trout are easily spooked by shadows moving overhead, but the stationary shadow is often an umbrella where they find comfort and calm, especially on bright, sunny days. 

The moving shadow above can trigger an instinctively defensive reaction; fish think it might be a predator. The stable shadow, one cast from an overhanging tree or a cut bank, gives the trout protection from such predators.

If you happen to walk up on a pool and spot some small trout, raise your arms or rod to create a shadow, and move the shadow above the fish. You'll see exactly what we’re talking about: The fish will flee for cover almost instantly.

In the context of reading water, it’s important to factor in the presence of shadows. The wind-blown tree branch that’s waving back and forth above the river surface is not a good trout magnet. On the other hand, that tall rocky wall or stand of thick willows casting a shadow over the river is a good place to direct your attention.

Look for structure and current breaks in shadows when planning a cast. Absent these, cast near the dark-to-light shadow transition, usually a foot or two to the dark side.

Remember: stable shadows good, moving shadows bad.

BONEDALE FISHING REPORT #6

THE COLORADO RIVER SELDOM GIVES UP HER DEAD

We have the same weather pattern as last year–big pow in the west slope backcountry and world-class trout fishing in the valley below. Sure, Baetis are popping, but Copi spotted a Golden last week on the Fork and EVERYTHING is moving on the Colorado. I spent the better part of the month throwing mayfly nymphs beneath a new piece of structure, until I saw some hooves. I’d been huckin’ bugs below a large animal carcass. This, of course, changed the strategy. She has since moved off her bed, but biomass is biomass. We spotted Crawdad traps with large Brown trout filets, which says something about the size of the Crawdaddies in our drainage. You can catch any damn thing you want right now, even a serious case of E. coli. I’ve got an old 9-foot Granger my Grandfather built in Denver that I want to christin [sic] this summer. It’s one hell of a streamer rod. Shook floated the upper Fork last week when the Klingons were in town and reported serious Golden Stone activity up-valley. “Tungsten” Harcourt is smacking big slabs down on the Coli, and the great Santini and I found a coyote carcass on the Fork, while exploring the lower reaches of Cattle Creek, which, thanks to a tanking land development, is still pristine. There’s more Elk and Geese on our local golf courses than golfers. Hell, you could pay the greens fees and simply fish the water features.

Live from the WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Kea C. Hause

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A Blue River pellet head–it was so much fun watching Kea reef on a few of these big, juicy, dumb rainbows. Photo: Copi Vojta

Your Fly Rod Cannot See

Being able to cover a lot of water from a stationary spot in the river is an important attribute for any angler. Start short and cover those currents that look most appealing. Then you can make that tricky roll cast across the eddy. How about punching that long cast out into the main current? If you can hit all the targets from one spot, you’re better off than most folks. The less you move, the more your odds improve, because trout are easily spooked by the noises of boots shuffling along the bottom and by splashes made by a fisherman in motion.

That said, it’s important to pause and remember a simple lesson before you go spraying your casts all over the river. You see with your eyes, not your fly rod. Look before you start prospecting with casts. Every time. One or two well-conceived, well-planned casts are almost always more effective than 30 casts spread willy-nilly throughout a run.

Some anglers talk about “blind casting” as a way to cover water when they cannot actually see fish and there are no visible telltales to follow. That should be a last resort. 

There’s always something to key on–a juicy current seam, a rock that creates a bucket of deep water in its wake–something!

Spend more time looking for something that will help you prioritize your casts, and less time blind casting without any real purpose. A smart quarterback doesn’t throw the long bomb on every play. Neither should you.