Fly fishing on a crisp cool mountain stream for trout is a serene way of passing a day. Whipping the water helps the person to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle, but if you are actually interested in catching trout there are several things that you must know. Here are some suggestions to help you have a successful fly fishing excursion.
Finding a suitable location for fishing is the first order of business. Trout like to spend their time in water where they can find the most food while exerting the least amount of energy. On a stream they are looking for slow water that is next to fast water. This occurs on the upstream side of rocks and on the curves in the stream. Slow water is found where the waterway is narrow and then widens out. Where the fast water meets the slow water you can actually see a line, called a seam. Trout will sit in the slow water next to the seam and grab food out of the fast water as it floats past them. An angler should lay out the fly at the farthest upstream point of the seam. Then allow the fly to float down on the edge of the fast water side, mending the line often to get a natural drift.
Once you have found the location you need to determine what the fish are feeding on. A novice angler will use trial and error or ask other anglers. However, it is more advantageous to know exactly what is floating down the stream. To accomplish this wade out to the top of the seam with a seine and seine the fast water side of the seam. Examine carefully what you have caught and find a fly in your box that matches color, shape, and size. If you don't have an exact match, try to get the right pattern and use a different size.
Once you've found the right fly you need to tie it onto the line. Using an 8 foot tapered leader with 3 or 4 feet of tippet is a good way of rigging your line. Using an improved surgeons knot is the best way to attach the leader to the floating fly line as well as the tippet to the leader. The best knot to attach the fly to the tippet is the Trilene knot.
Fishing the seam around a submerged or partially submerged rock is similar to fishing a large seam. Begin by watching how the water breaks around the rock. Then cast upstream and quickly mend the line so as it floats past the rock it has a natural drift. The fly should go right along the edge of the fast water so a fish sitting in the calmer water can quickly grab it. If the fly goes around the rock and is sucked into an eddy on the downstream side of the rock that is fine. Using these techniques should help you catch trout instead of just whipping water. But don't get discouraged, fishing should be fun.
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