Reading the Water
Locating fish is the first step to a successful outing. In moving water, predatory fish hold in the same types of places whether they are trout or smallmouth bass.
Fish in streams and rivers have two primary survival motives 1) Finding shelter from the current and from predators; and 2) maximizing feeding opportunities.
Generally, there is more food in faster current because, like a conveyor belt, faster current moves more food toward the stationary feeding fish. However, trout, bass, and other predators must expend more energy in fast current, and if there’s not much drifting or swimming food, the effort may not be worthwhile.
In addition to shelter from the current (and access to food), bass and trout require protection from predators such as otters, ospreys and other birds of prey, wading birds such as herons, and humans. Large bass and trout are often conditioned to hold in places that are difficult to reach—under an undercut bank, under a weed mat, under an overhanging tree branch, at the bottom of a deep hole, or behind a rock in fast water. All these places offer both feeding opportunities and shelter from predators.
Because of this constant balancing act, the most logical and obvious places to start looking for trout in moving water are areas where there is a current change—places where trout can sit in slower water, yet have close access to faster water, where they can dart out, grab a food item, and return to their holding spot.
Be aware that these holding spots are not equally productive at all times of the day and in
all seasons. A shallow flat that is barren all day may be a hunting ground for large browns at night when darkness provides the “protection from predators” condition.
Cold water lowers fish metabolism, causing them to feed less and seek water where they expend less energy, therefore favored wintering holes are slow and deep.
In the spring when water temperatures rise, fish feed heavily and move into areas with better access to food. When summer water temperatures rise into the 60s and higher, the oxygen content of the water becomes a factor, and trout move into the riffles and fast water where there is plenty of food and the water is well oxygenated.
Here is a short list of the best spots to find trout and bass:
Undercut banks. A stream or river erodes softer soil layers while the hard-packed top layers—often held together by grass or other vegetation—remain intact. The result is an undercut bank a trout hotel favored by big fish. They hide from the sun and overhead predators and occasionally dart out into the current to grab grasshoppers, stonefly nymphs, or prey fish.
It’s difficult to get at these fish from directly above since when you walk on the undercut bank, fish can detect your footstep vibrations, and they may spook or develop lockjaw. The best way to present a fly to fish holding under an undercut bank is to wade from the opposite shore or, in a larger river, to drift in a boat and cast as close to the undercut as possible.
Whether you are fishing nymphs or streamers, try not to retrieve the fly away from the undercut too quickly. Dead-drift the fly alongside the undercut, or retrieve it upstream or downstream parallel to the undercut to expose the fly to as much of the undercut for as long as possible. You don’t know exactly where the big trout are holding, and sometimes an undercut can run for a hundred feet or more.
Overhanging vegetation. Overhanging tree branches and shrubs provide cover from airborne predators and, as a bonus, they frequently drop terrestrials such as ants, beetles, and inchworms into the water, so consider using these types of fly patterns. If the branches are over the water—but not in the water—it’s often possible to cast a dry fly upstream and drift it right under the branches. You can also do this with wet flies such as nymphs and streamers—cast upstream of the tree limbs, and drift the fly under the branches where you suspect the fish may be holding.
If the branches are dragging in the water, getting your flies to the fish is much more difficult. Dry flies usually won’t work unless you approach from downstream and cast upstream as closely behind the branches as possible. Sometimes you can still drift wet flies under the dragging limbs, especially if they are only partially submerged and you cast well upstream, allowing plenty of time for the flies to sink.
Backeddy. The current in a backeddy is circular. Near shore, the current often moves in the opposite direction of the main current, and fish facing into the current are facing the “wrong” direction in relation to the rest of the fish in the river. It can be difficult to get a dead-drift in a circular backeddy, but the rewards are great Backeddies can hold enormous numbers of fish, especially in fertile spring creeks and large tailwaters.
Behind a rock. A large midstream boulder is a frequent feeding spot for trout because the rock provides a strong current flowing from both sides, and a sheltered spot to sit and watch for food.
To catch trout directly behind the rock, cast your fly upstream of the rock and allow it to drift in the current to one side of the rock or the other just as a natural food item would.
Sometimes trout hold well downstream of the rock. In these cases you can cast behind the rock and drift your flies down the current seam until the seam disappears.
In front of a rock. When flowing water hits the front of a rock it pauses for an instant before the water pushing from behind forces it to flow around the rock. This dead zone—often described by angling writers as a “pillow” or “cushion” of water—is an easy spot for fish to sit and wait for food. It is less turbulent, so it’s both easier for the trout to see food drifting toward it, and easier for you to spot the fish if the water is clear and shallow enough.
The spot in front of a rock is not a great “holding” spot like a deep pool or even behind a rock. This position is generally used only by fish that are actively feeding. Approach carefully from below and slightly to the side so the fish can’t see you. Cast upstream of the rock and allow the fly to dead-drift directly toward the fish. To avoid snagging the rock and losing your opportunity, begin with dry flies and then switch to lightly weighted emergers and nymphs before trying more heavily weighted nymphs or streamers.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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