OK, here’s a newbie question. I’ve heard that you can tell if the fish are feeding on the surface or under the surface by watching the way the rise.
I usually see the fish splashing when they rise. I often see a fish jump entirely out of the water. What does that mean?
Last night there wasn’t a SINGLE DARN FISH rising. I saw 2 fish jump straight up and out of the water and that was it. Usually I see nearly a dozen fish splashing. But last night it was dead. I did see a bunch of bats picking up bugs from the surface, but only two fish the entire night.
DLP,
The only logical way I know of telling wether the fish are feeding on the surface or just under the surface is, Are There Any BUGS on the surface? No bugs, No fish taking dries! The trout you see jumping could be taking emergers energetically and launching out of the water. The surface isn’t exactly the safest place for the trout to eat, that could be why they feel safer eating under the surface.
Besides WHY wait for your bug lunch to become a Adult, when you can eat it in a helpless form.
Doug
Doug nailed it. I’ve never heard that you can tell how they’re feeding based on the rise, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to that theory, just that Ive never heard it.
That sounds like a perfect opportunity to case an attractor pattern (stimulator) or a terrestrial and a spider or emerger as the dropper. A lot of those little fellas will be curious enough to come and look and that weird bug on the water. As they are looking up to see that attractor, they’ll refuse it but see your emerger and it looks just right. Whatch for that attractor to stop or watch for a bulge in surface and set that hook. Maybe you’ll even get em to come right out of the water for it.
Wow Dru , Good question :shock:
I’d bet there’s whole books written on rise-forms
Full chapters in books anyway
Here’s a condensed version 8)
Surface feeding trout create bubbles in the rise-form
A fish taking a sub surface emerger will make a bulge, no bubbles
A trout that is “tailing” makes a “wiggle” on the surface that might look somewhat like a struggling insect.
Trout jumping right out of the water or slashing are after something quick
Probably caddis
There are several lakes around the Okanagan valley in BC that are nortorious for jumping fish. In this case they are attempting to shake off fish lice near their anal vent and tail. At times the whole lake seems to be erupting with fish.
A fish that repeatedly jumps clear of the water is usually not a feeder. IMO
Sometimes down near the lake in the evening you can actually hear large trout slurping hatching bugs.
Not that this is happening now, because I don’t think anything is spawning right now, but some females (I’ve heard) will also jump clear out of the water in an attempt to loosen the eggs around spawn time. Not sure if that is true, but I heard it once.
The subject of Trout rising was a frustrating dilemma for me for many years! I wasn’t very smart or a very good learner, so I had to take the tough road. That meant reading and re-reading until some bit of info finally penetrated my thick skull! Back then there was no FAOL and it was hard also because I didn’t have a fishing partner. You Dry Fly guys out there aren’t going to appreciate this, but it’s the truth, I spent many of my fly fishing years dictating to fish! My old way of fly fishing was to take my rod, reel and floating line down to the stream and cast until my arm fell off!, practically. You older guys know that was almost possible with the glass rods (only ones available). I had actually started out fly fishing at 12 yrs old and taught myself how to cast a fly line! I did it!! The only problem WAS…learning how to cast was only the beginning! I had a world of knowledge to learn, but HOW? Was my system working taking my dry flies down to the stream? Yes! until the FIRST time I fished for native trout / resident trout. These fish didn’t play by the hungry hatchery trout rules! For years I hired Guides and read books, hired more Guides and read some more books! In 1996 I started Float Tube Fly Fishing stillwater. This is when I started to learn how to VISUALIZE what the insects and trout were doing under water. Doug was to anxious, too much in a hurry! these trout had a built in mechanism to SLOWLY eat their food, so they could grow up big and fat! My fantasy or illusions of fishing ONLY dry flies had to disappear! The trout were having a FIESTA under me! NOT on the top! To get my fly down to the trout it required I fish with a SA Intermediate Sink line, which I had no experience doing. My following success laid all my fears to rest, because when you play by the wild, native or resident trout rules, then you go home happy!
Doug P.S. Remember to VISUALIZE what is going on under the surface.
No
It means they’re chasing something that is moving quickly
Unlike most mayflies that might need a few tries to break the surface tension, then a bit of time to climb out of their exoskeletons, then take some more time to dry their wings and maybe have a cup of coffee before taking flight, caddis emerge as adults from their casings on the stream bottom. They make a beeline for the surface, break the surface tension, and get the hell out of Dodge.
There are some adult caddis that lay their eggs on the stream bottom. These bugs are diving not emerging, but still are speedy and trout chase them
Other caddis lay their eggs on the surface.
These bugs flutter around all over the place and trout will of course slash at them too
(trout will also slash at egg laying mayflies in the same manner)
A trout that is eating caddis needs to move quickly.
You may see one slashing at an egg layer or even rocketing out of the water after an escaping emerger
But of course, caddis are not the only speedsters in a trout stream.
Isonychia nymphs, damselfly nymphs, minnows …
That’s what the slashing and jumping is all about.
The only problem WAS…learning how to cast was only the beginning! I had a world of knowledge to learn, but HOW? Was my system working taking my dry flies down to the stream? Yes! until the FIRST time I fished for native trout / resident trout. These fish didn’t play by the hungry hatchery trout rules! For years I hired Guides and read books, hired more Guides and read some more books! In 1996 I started Float Tube Fly Fishing stillwater. This is when I started to learn how to VISUALIZE what the insects and trout were doing under water. Doug was to anxious, too much in a hurry! these trout had a built in mechanism to SLOWLY eat their food, so they could grow up big and fat! My fantasy or illusions of fishing ONLY dry flies had to disappear! 
The trout were having a FIESTA under me! NOT on the top! To get my fly down to the trout it required I fish with a SA Intermediate Sink line, which I had no experience doing. My following success laid all my fears to rest, because when you play by the wild, native or resident trout rules, then you go home happy!