Reading Water

[spinner1]

Many factors go in to reading.

Time of year.
Water temperature
the sun's position
the lay of the water below and above the structure.

Look at this photo and lets hear your "Where is elmo"
Give reasons from photo.

[cdpaul]

I am going to say right downstream along the bank of the downed tree. 1. it is early spring from the looks of the picture and the water temperaature would still be down. Keeping the fish in the slow spots to conserve energy. 2. The sun casts the shadows right along the bank, making the fish feel the safest. 3. The whole spot looks fishy. I would fish the whole area starting from the downstream and working up

[spinner1]

I always look at the stream just above where I want to fish.
I look at the turns and bends. The bends above are a dead give away
of where the undercuts and step drops will be. The spring floods carve
these streams out about the same way each spring.

The slants of the banks are good indicators on where the depth will be.
The structure just a bonus and also fine tunes the approach.

[fishin' fool]

I would look to the left side bank in the photo. It looks like there are undercut banks as well as the sun creating a bit of a warmth factor. Another spot would be the inside of the bend where the point meets the deeper water and current seam. I also wouldn't be surprised to find them along the banks in the shallower stretche either.

[Silver Creek]

I believe the prime lie will be under the diagonal branch near "a". The branch provides overhead cover that is shallow so the fish can hang just under the surface to feed efficiently on surface food coming over the crosswise branch "e". The crosswise branch "e" provides a slight downstream riffle that helps to hide the fish so it will feel safer at a more shallow depth than in the clear water above the branch. To feed efficiently, the fish needs to be right under the surface and both the overhead angled downstream branch and combination of a slight surface riffle provide the best cover.

Location "b" under the overhanging branches and next to the bank is mainly a sheltering lie and this is where the fish will run to if hooked anywhere near this area. There will be some food in this area but not as much as "a".

Location "d" would be a prime lie during really high flows if there was not stuff in the outside bank to slow the flow. In high water times, the water pressure needed to carve out the undercut banks creates too fast a flow for a big fish to stay in this area. They will actually move to the inside of the curve because with the high water and slower flow on the inside curve, they have the overhead depth for safety and the slow flow for shelter from the current.

Location "c" under the tree up stream is also a sheltering and feeding lie especially when the tree buds and leafs out in the later spring.





Our TU Chapter is giving a weekend introductory fly fishing course Friday May 21 - Sunday May 23. See the advertisement on pg 17, lower right corner in this issue of Wisconsin Trout. I will be head instructor and yes, reading the water will be part of the course. $250.00 cost includes instruction, equipment, food and lodging.

[hairwing]

Early in the season. Not going to be much surface activity.I'm going wet. Sz.10 Marabou Winged Royal Coachman.It's one of my no activity flies, and I use it to imitate a small baitfish.

I'll start with a cast to the lower end of the red box. It's going to go splat..strip-strip.......drift, all within 2 feet where the fly enters the water. I want the attention of the brown under that tree trunk. The next cast is a repeat 3 to 4 feet up along the trunk and drifting all the way back with a twitch about every 4 - 5 feet.....and so on all the way up to the bank, fishing it all the way back each cast to give plenty of time for the fish to make up it's mind.

If there is a rule in fly fishing it is that there will be a fish under a submerged tree trunk which lays parallel to the flow in the stream. A spot like that has never let me down.