Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - Fly Fish America - September 2007 Issue - Index

VALATKINSON.COM PHOTO (LEFT) DUSANSMETANA.COM PHOTO (RIGHT)
The thin waters of the late season can signifi cantly
alter the living arrangements of trout, forcing a change in their
holding and feeding locations and providing some of the most
exciting and exacting angling in all of fl y fi shing.
It is important to hang both your thin-water presentation
and approach decisions on a central tenet: observation. When
you spot a trout in thin water, stop and watch what the fi sh is
doing. Is it in a feeding lane? Is it cruising? What is it (likely)
taking? What are its escape routes (so you're prepared for the
fi ght)? What's the best casting position, considering current
and cover? What's the best cast (and perhaps mend) to deliver
the fl y properly? The answers will make the difference between
success and failure.
Perhaps the most descriptive, yet succinct, advice I can give
to anglers plying thin waters is this classic comparison: Play
the heron. Herons ease into the water, watching and waiting,
and then make a well-executed move when the time is
right. So, make your
moves deliberate and
take your time when
working the thin
waters. Don't rush
in, even if tempted
by a regularly working
fi sh. If possible,
stay low, and use any
available cover to
your advantage.
In addition to
helping conceal you
when it comes time
to cast, cover can
help a great deal as
you move toward
your casting position.
When setting
myself up, I try to
use some piece of
cover (a tree, bushes,
fallen leaves on the
water's surface, etc.)
that blocks the fi sh's
view of me as I make
my move. And when I move, the motion is low, smooth, and
even, with one eye on the fi sh's position, especially if the fi sh
is moving. Losing track of the quarry has resulted in more
than one spooked trout for me.
Cover is also very important to the fish. Look for any
overhanging plants or under-cut areas, as well as the edges
of boulders, logs, weed beds, and any other structure the
fish can dive into at a moment's notice. In feeding mode,
trout will park themselves under or right against the edges
of such places, usually sipping daintily at passing food
items. Indeed, one of the biggest brown trout I ever caught
on the famed Armstrong's Spring Creek in Montana was
wedged in along some bank-side weeds, dimpling the
surface like a chub.
In areas of slow fl ow or in stillwater environments, fi sh will
actively cruise for food, tracing a feeding lane that is often defi
ned by structure. Fish will travel up and back at fairly regular
intervals in such lanes, allowing an angler to get into position
and make a cast in anticipation of the fi sh's movements.
Barring the presence of
acceptable structure, look
for fi sh to be hanging in the
shadows or along areas of elevation
change. Fish in such an exposed en-
vironment can be very fl ighty, and the angler may need to place
the fl y ten feet or more from the fi sh to prevent spooking it.
Equipment also fi gures along the pathway to success in
thin water. Everything about thin water whispers "delicate?
and "cautious,? and your equipment should be tuned to
those frequencies. In some ways, the most important piece
of equipment a thin-water fl y fi sher needs to have is a pair
of polarized sunglasses. Precision is important in skinny
water, and possibly seeing the fi sh is also a big part of the
fun. Polarized lenses will also make it easier to see where
you are wading, what the underwater environment is like
(for fi sh-fi ghting purposes), and enhance the contrast between
water and line.
As for leaders,
reducing drag is often
the number one
consideration in thin
waters, and those few
feet of fi lament should
do everything to further
that end. This
usually means leaders
in the 10- to 15-foot
range with butt diameters
of .021? or less,
ending in 5X, 6X, or
occasionally even 7X.
In stillwater environments
you may wish
to break from drag-reducing
formulas and
go right to a quick-
handling 6- or 7-foot
leader that won't hang
up in the guides.
Thin-water trout
can be challenging. If
you hone your skills
to match the conditions, however, you may fi nd plentiful
success. Indeed, thin-water skills can make you a better angler
no matter what time of the year that you fl y fi sh America.
Cover is very important to these fish. Look for any overhanging plants
or under-cut areas, as well as the edges of boulders, logs, weed beds,
and any other structure the fish can dive into at a moment's notice.
for your favorite
Techniques column!
Author's Note: After eleven years of contributing the
Techniques column for Fly Fish America. this will be my last
entry. However, I look forward to writing for the magazine
on a "Field Editor? basis going forward. FFA is asking readers
to cast a vote for their favorite Techniques column or
columns over the years. The magazine will run the top six
voted columns during the 2008 calendar year. My sincere
thanks go to FFA for such a kind gesture. My own vote
goes for the "Jelly Water Puzzle.? I hope that there is a
Techniques column you've enjoyed enough to see it again.
E-mail your vote to the Editor at crispin@westsideav.com
That said, I have very much appreciated the supportive
readership and staff of FFA, and I wish everyone continued
success as you fl y fi sh America. Thanks for reading.
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