Enthusiasm for spotting fish goes a long way, but an inquiring mind differentiates a person's expertise from the mainstream angler. Those who accept things as they find them from one trip to another predictably waste a lot of time and effort in trial and error. On the other hand, those who try to understand why a particular method does or does not work gain the knowledge to tailor their tactics correctly to the prevailing conditions. They become more dependable, proliferating their self-assurance to develop tactics further to even more significant effect. As time progresses, I want to share a few perspectives into areas that will provide the groundwork for many strategies we will describe throughout an angler's passage. The idea should be to help an angler decide, for example, when it is better to use a nymph or a wet fly pattern, even if a trout is preoccupied with dry flies. Reading rise forms should give clues to a trout's current feeding habit. This would apply to flowing waters and lake waters. Their rise forms will also help you shape your opinions on the best choice of rod, reel, line and leader in conjunction with the fly and presentation best suited to the fish and its location.
We will use shortcuts and avoid excessive details that may obscure the bigger picture. This will prevent confusion and keep the focus on the angler's primary goal.
To effectively spot fish while angling, it's essential to wear appropriate gear that allows you to see in the water. A wide-brimmed hat is the best option, as it can shield your face and eyes from the sun's glare at various angles. However, a ball cap can also work. Investing in a quality pair of polarized sunglasses is recommended to reduce glare further. These glasses can make a significant difference in spotting fish, as they remove glare caused by the sun on the water. While grey lenses are often preferred in fishing, it's worth noting that yellow or orange lenses can be more effective in finding fish in the shadows of weed beds and obstructions in the water column.
To increase your chances of catching fish, it's best to fish early and late when they feed more actively. However, if you want to learn how to spot fish and understand their movements, preferred lies, and feeding habits, the middle of the day when the sun is high overhead is advantageous. This is because the high midday sun reduces glare on the water's surface and makes it easier to see into the river or lake environments. When approaching the stream, it's important to be stealthy and cautious. Walk gently and avoid stomping your feet. If the fish are easily frightened, try crawling or squatting to minimize your presence. Additionally, wearing kneepads can protect your waders.
Consider using polarized glasses to understand the underwater environment better. Sunlight can be absorbed or reflected in various directions, and when it reflects off a horizontal surface like water, it creates an intense glare. This glare can interfere with our vision of the water. Regular sunglasses protect against vertical and horizontal UV rays but don't reduce the glare caused by reflected horizontal rays. Polarized glasses can help with this issue.
Polarized glasses have a built-in, laminated filter that permits only vertical light rays to pass through and almost totally blocks horizontal rays to eliminate glares.
Rise Styles are clues and the talk!
Rise Styles are clues to food form, direction and depth.
Observing rise forms can reveal more than just the presence of a feeding fish. They can also provide hints about the type of food consumed and sometimes even indicate the direction and depth of a cruising trout (particularly in lakes). When fishing in rivers with gentle currents and steep banks, watching for long, quiet glides can help determine the direction of a cruising fish. However, it's important to remember that these observations should be taken as general guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. A trout's behaviour can be influenced by various factors, such as its confidence, familiarity with artificial flies, and personal preferences.
Clues to diet.
The sub-surface boil is a common yet misunderstood rise form observed in lakes and flowing water. It provides clues about the presence of food in both types of water but is often overlooked in calmer lakes compared to rivers, where it goes unnoticed. It appears as a swirling water boil and is associated with more extensive food items like minnows, backswimmers, leeches, snails and emerging mayfly nymphs or caddis pupa. Observing carefully and not second-guessing what is seen is key to identifying it. Scan from right to left when searching for fish positions or movement, similar to military training for spotting unusual things. Wearing appropriate gear for viewing underwater and water depths can also be helpful. Taking the time to investigate what is observed is essential.
Subsurface Boil
When a trout needs to respond rapidly, this is what occurs. When a trout needs to act quickly to catch its prey before it escapes, it creates a sub-surface boil, which can be seen when chasing after caddis flies, caddis pupa, travelling sedges, adult stoneflies, backswimmers near the surface, or minnows. Sometimes, this behaviour is used to outmaneuver a competing group of fish for food. If minnows are present, the fry can often be seen scattering near the surface to escape the predator.
If minnows are not present, the trout may be reacting to another form of food and is likely to be in positive feeding behaviour or appetite mood. Fish actively feeding is typically aggressive, such as when trout splash through the surface to catch fast-moving nymphs like caddis pupae.
Observing the substrate is crucial when trying to locate still fish. Even the most skilled angler may have difficulty identifying the fish's exact location. Trout have evolved over millions of years to blend in with their aquatic surroundings, but there is a helpful trick you can use: search for the shadow of the fish. Choosing the appropriate lenses for your situation can be challenging but essential. Polarized lenses are popular, though they are more expensive than standard protective lenses. Polarized lenses offer specific protection from UV rays and are particularly suited for some activities. But, despite the popular theory, polarized lenses don't embody significantly increased UV protection. Their main advantage lies in their function.
Head and Tail Rise
Head and Tail Rise Forms differ significantly from sub-surface boils. The movement associated with a head and tail rise is not very different from the sub-surface boil, except now the fly is so high in the water that the trout cannot help breaking the surface. The head will appear first as it takes the fly, followed by the body as the fish turns downwards with its prey. This suggests that the food is a nymph close to the surface – most probably at some stage of emergence into an adult.
Nebbing Rise
Trout can catch adult insects on the surface by raising their head and shoulders, but they often conserve energy by only sticking their nose out of the water, which is called a "Nebbing Rise." This move is aggressive yet efficient, indicating that the trout feels comfortable. These fish are easy to catch with an emerger, nymph, wet fly or dry fly. When insects are unable to escape, such as spent, crippled or drowned ones, the trout will gently sip them from below the surface to conserve energy. This may result in a subtle dimple or no sign, but the fly will still be taken. Other times, there is an audible gulp, which has led to the term "gulpers." This is common on the wave with snail feeders. The trout will immediately close its mouth on the fly, so the sipping or dimpling rise requires excellent reflex on the angler's behaviour. To catch "gulpers," paying attention to the sound is essential. Even in rough waves, the sound can be a helpful indicator of when to set the hook. Sound alone can be used to fish at times.
Smutting Rise
When trout actively take dry flies, it usually means an abundance of insects and other prey on, in or near the surface. This feeding behaviour, known as "smutting," is more commonly seen in still waters. Smutting allows the fish to feed efficiently by creating a vacuum to suck in the food. Despite their tiny window of surface vision, these fish are easy to stalk due to their intense focus on feeding. Often leaving a small air bubble at the surface.
Splashing Rise
Splashing rises happen when a trout has to act quickly before its prey escapes and may indicate a chase after scurrying caddis flies, hoping midges, or small fish. In the latter case, there is usually a telltale sign of several fry scattering near the surface to escape marauding trout. In still water, it is worth looking for evidence of fry to avoid misinterpreting what you just witnessed. If none are present, then the focus is likely a fast-moving insect. Hopping midges can bring this out in trout's behaviour as the midges dry their wings and make a few false takeoffs and landings. When a trout splashes, it's trying to catch its prey before getting away. This can happen when the trout chase after mayflies, caddis flies, midges, or small fish. If you see several small fish scattering near the surface, that's a sign that the trout is after them. Check for evidence of small fish in still water to ensure you interpret the situation correctly. If there are no small fish around, the trout is likely chasing after a fast-moving insect like a hopping midge. When midges dry their wings and pretend to take off and land, it can attract trout's attention. Many anglers are unaware of this behaviour and its importance in the midge life cycle. This behaviour is known as the "hopper," there are specific patterns within the midge life cycle called "hoppers," even though they are unrelated to grasshoppers. Understanding this component and its impact on trout is essential to improve fishing success.