Boat Tactics
From nearly a quarter-mile away we could see the big brown trout making smooth head rises to fresh Pale Morning Duns, each time leaving a big wake. As we drifted downstream, I pulled extra hard on the oars to stop the boat’s forward momentum before getting to the fish, then eased the boat into an upstream anchoring position.
I dropped the anchor quietly, allowing extra distance above the fish for anchor skid. I could always lengthen the rope or anchor-hop (lift the anchor off bottom just enough to let the boat drift downstream a few feet) to get closer. The boat came to rest in a dandy stalking spot—at a 45-degree angle to the fish, just right to give my angler a proper down-and-across cast.
“PMD Sparkle Dun, parachute, or emerger?” my angler asked as we watched the trout fin next to the rock, ready to rise. “#16 or #18?”
“There’s a bit of a chop line there—look at the size of that head! Go with your gut instinct . . . but use a #16,” I said.
I told him to check his leader for frays, tie the fly on with a Trilene knot, and make a big reach cast to drop the fly four feet above the fish, then follow the fly with his rod tip and feed a bit of slack. “It’s OK to be short on the cast,” I said, “but don’t be too long and line him—look at that wake!”
He made a high-speed delivery, a big reach cast, followed the fly rod, and watched the fish’s big head rise again. The line came tight, sending a spray of droplets into the air. It was another day of boat stalking trout and a banner dry-fly day.
Sight-fishing Thrills
Whether it’s an occasional boil seen with stoneflies, hoppers, and the like, or the steady school risers seen during profuse small-fly hatches, fishing to sighted trout is always a thrill. And fishing to sighted trout from a boat is even more exciting, especially if you plan your approach and presentation, because your higher vantage point allows you to see the action clearly.
Float fishing has come a long way since the simple “float and chuck a Royal Wulff” days (although that still works sometimes). Boat and anchor designs have improved. Anglers and guides (rowers) are more skilled. And increased fishing pressure has made us all examine possible fishing scenarios and angles more closely. While sometimes it’s best to beach the boat and wade to a fish, more often using the boat as a fixed casting platform to carefully work the trout will maximize your chances of catching big trout.
In cases where bank-wading fishermen pressure trout, the fish grow shy of that approach. Add bank-based predators, such as heron and kingfishers, and you can see why trout are cautious along shorelines and why most bank-hugging trout are too big for a bird to pick up—the small ones get caught or eaten.
Presenting your fly at a different angle to the fish—from the outside—can give you a tactical edge. Also, with proper boat positioning and casting techniques, you can fish deep, willow-lined banks and midriver lies that waders can’t reach. Other bonuses of boat stalking include unobstructed backcasts, fly-first presentations that don’t line fish, and the ability to follow a big fish if it races off with your line and light tippet.
The downstream reach cast is the most important cast for boat stalking. It allows more latitude if you make mistakes, because the leader and fly can be moved into position (or removed) before the fly enters the fish’s view, whereas one mistake with an upstream, over-the-fish presentation can end the game.
Let’s look at the five main boat positions for edgewater trout (see illustration above), remembering that usually the large, rising fish will be in the slowest bank waters, where they don’t have to work against strong current to feed.
Position 1. The more extreme upstream anchoring angle provided by this position works best when there is a great difference between the main current speed and the slow bank currents or eddies where the trout hold. An exaggerated reach cast is necessary to place the fly close to the fish (a few inches to three feet), although it will provide only a short drag-free drift. Too much fly lead (for example, the four to six feet used on spooky flat-water fish) in this position usually results in drag on the fly just as it reaches the fish. The difference between the current speeds doesn’t allow longer fly leads.
The extreme upstream boat position is also necessary for fish that fin in a secondary current between the shoreline and exposed rocks, a position that trout favor. Other favored secondary currents include those found in eddies and side channels and where tributaries or small side channels converge with the main flow. Trout usually prefer quieter secondary current edges to heavy main river flows.
The biggest problem with the extreme downstream reach cast is that if the fish doesn’t take the fly, you must pull the leader and fly back by the fish to cast again. This can spook twitchy fish.
To counter this problem, after your fly has drifted past the trout, mend your line repeatedly out toward midriver to move the line and fly away from the fish, then strip in line and cast again without spooking the trout. Be careful to avoid spooking the fish by false-casting too high or for too long. Limit your false casts and keep them low.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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