How to fish the eye of a pool
New Zealand fishing guide Simon Chu reveals how he catches big trout from the neck of a pool
Fish on! The neck of a pool, where big trout feed on the crease between the eye (back-eddy) and the faster water.
IMAGINE the scene. You’re approaching the head of a pool on a New Zealand backcountry river, or any other freestone river. There’s a fast current in the centre, with an “eye”, or back-eddy, on either side. In the seam between this fast flow and the slower eye, big trout are feeding.
This is a prime lie in New Zealand because we have no aerial predators. Trout here can sit in relatively shallow water with the cover of fast water over their heads, a continuous supply of food, and sanctuary in the deeper eye if spooked.
If you are prepared to trek, you’ll often find more fish in this type of spot. They are there to feed and are very catchable — if you get the approach and cast right.
The challenge for you as an angler is controlling the drift of the fly as your line spans currents of varying speed, with the added difficulty of a swirling eddy pulling on it.
In the seam between this fast flow and the slower eye, big trout are feeding
Keep dry feet
I often see anglers stand at the back of a pool — even a small pool — and “wang it” to the top or head. The fly will drift down the centre lane in what you might call the tongue. They’ll sometimes get a nice drift but will often put the fish down by lining them.
To fish the head, I stick to the bank where I can carefully creep into position. The temptation is to wade into the back-eddy, but the fish will get my scent and rumble me. I call it scent, but it could be dirt, mud, or the current carrying the sound of my movements and pushing my wake across the river. That’s why, when I cross a river, I do so at the top of a pool in broken water to disguise my presence.
However, casting directly from the bank does mean that, to pitch your dry-fly in front of a fish, your fly-line will land on the nearby slower-moving and rotating water of the eye, while your leader and fly will likely land on the fast downstream flow beyond it.
As soon as your line lands on these conflicting currents, the fly will only drift a short distance before the leader pivots and significant drag sets in. I watch a lot of casts, and that’s exactly what happens. Once the fly pivots on the leader, it drags and your cover is blown (see diagram 1).
This is not just typical of dry-flies — it happens with nymphs too.
Diagram 1: Land your fly-line on the rotating water of the “eye” and it will pull it downstream adding tension. Meanwhile the leader and fly will land on the faster current causing the leader to hinge at point “A” and the fly to drag.
Diagram 2: Instead, when you cover the fish “A”, input a downstream reach during the forward delivery “B” so that the fly-line avoids the “eye”. The aim is for the fly-line to land on the same speed of current as the fly, thus avoiding drag at the critical moment.
Dealing with the eye
This is the one time when a downstream reach cast is needed. A reach cast involves throwing an aerial mend into the line during the cast. Most anglers use these with an upstream aerial mend to put slack into the line and delay drag, but in this scenario, while casting over the eye, I will perform an aerial downstream reach by moving the rod tip out to the crease during the forward cast (see diagram 2).
I don’t want any of my line to land on the slower, rotating water of the eye. Instead, I’ll reach downstream, putting as much line as possible into the same current as my fly, tippet, and leader. Here, there are fewer conflicting currents and much less chance of drag. If I can achieve this, I can catch more fish.
Methods & flies
When I first approach a fish, I assess its behaviour. I would like to catch it on a dry-fly, but on pressured rivers, a dry-fly can be too intrusive.
Other methods can be more favourable, especially with clients. These include a dry-dropper — using a dry-fly on the dropper and a small nymph on the point — or, if the nymph on the point is attached by a piece of tippet tied to the bend of the dry-fly, we call it “truck and trailer”. I might also use the “eye-to-eye” method when fishing two nymphs, where the tippet of the second nymph is tied to the eye of the first. Many anglers use this, and I have friends in Montana who do so too. It’s something I’ve grown up with, and it rarely tangles.
When nymphing at the eye of a pool, I might also use a big stonefly or worm pattern on a dropper with a small fly below it. It’s all about depth and “advertising”, both of which a big green stonefly does well. By advertising, I mean that I want to be sure the fish has seen at least one of the flies.
However, on heavily pressured rivers like the Oreti on the South Island, where the trout average 24in (5½–6lb) and there are heaps of anglers, I’ll be more refined. During a typical day here, you might see 20 of these big fish and half of them might be players. I’ll use a single small fly — say a size 16 — and instead of a bigger, heavier second fly that’s likely to scare fish, I’ll add a small split shot 12in above it to help get it down.
On other occasions I might opt for a single heavy stonefly nymph, or a stonefly nymph on a dropper and a small nymph on the point. Here, the small, lighter pattern will flutter as naturally as possible below the heavy fly.
If a fish still ignores me, I might throw a streamer. Now I’ve got to be intrusive. Now I’m really in his face.
When fishing blind — in more turbid rivers, for example — I move quite quickly with whatever setup I’m using, adjusting for depth. Cover the water properly, but not multiple times. And then, if I really think, “God, there’s got to be a fish there”, I’ll be more intrusive.
A large dry-fly with a subtle beaded nymph below — also known as a “truck and trailer.
I must get it right first time at that distance, but I’m backing myself to do so
How much lead?
In terms of lead (how far you pitch your fly above a fish), assuming I’m using a dry-fly, I wouldn’t give it much — probably between one and two feet, sometimes even closer — though some of my friends would go much longer. I must get it right first time at that distance, but I’m backing myself to do so. When I’m fishing by myself, I’m quite aggressive in my approach. I want the fish to notice the fly and feel its vibration.
The most important thing for me is to put the fly in front of the fish without lining it. But with more intrusive flies — like a big stonefly or worm combo — I don’t want them landing right in the trout’s lane. So, I’ll pitch them above and to the side of the fish, where he can still see it, but I want him to move for the fly so I know it’s been taken.
When I’m guiding, I use indicators so that clients feel confident of seeing the take.
If you wish to improve your big-trout catches, learn to blend into the background.
Even if you’ve got a backdrop, it still matters what you’re wearing
Success is in the detail
They say that 10 per cent of anglers catch 90 per cent of the fish, but that 1 per cent of anglers catch 90 per cent of the big, wise fish.
If you are consistently catching big fish, you’re doing a lot of things right. However, fine margins matter, and I look to capitalise on every possible edge.
For example, I wear drab clothing that merges into the background. Even if you’ve got a backdrop, it still matters what you’re wearing. To prove the point, the other day I guided on a stream running at only half a cubic metre per second — very gentle water, but full of fish. We might have seen 20-30 trout ranging from 2lb to 4½lb. They were rising and feeding on caddis. Because it’s shallow, you could see them almost tailing. It’s visual fishing and you must sneak about. This stream also runs through sheep paddocks, so it’s easy going — but if you pop your head above the skyline, the fish will bail. My client wore a light top, and I could see fish spooking immediately.
It’s not just about picking the correct tones and colours — also consider how reflective your kit is. I wear a watch, but I make sure it’s covered when I’m standing in the sun trying to spot fish, because it catches the light and flashes. Polished silver reels also glint and spook fish.
Walk carefully, keep low, and cause minimal disturbance — these are controllable factors that often make the difference between catching one fish or none.
Your best chance is always when the fish isn’t aware of your presence
How many times do you cover a fish?
If I present a fly well — without drag — and the fish looks at it and turns it down, why would I show it that fly again? I know it senses that something isn’t right or that I’m there. Your best chance is always when the fish isn’t aware of your presence.
I can tell if a fish is catchable by reading its body language. If it’s even slightly unsettled, you might be better off choosing a different one.
However, there have been occasions when I’ve just annoyed the hell out of a fish with the same fly — and he’s eaten it!
When I’m with clients, I’ll change the fly after one good cast. In fact, if we really want to catch our target fish, I’ll work it out by going through a sequence of flies. Ultimately, the best fly is one that drifts drag-free.
A big New Zealand brown trout: Success with big, wise fish is down to perfecting the things you can control.
Changing tippet
The tippet can be part of the reason a fish refuses your fly, particularly with small patterns, as they behave more unnaturally on thicker tippet. I might drop down to 6X for these fish and, by doing so, will often get more takes, even with the same fly — though I may break off a few more.
Remember, the angle and strength of the light change throughout the day, and this can affect whether the fish sees the leader.
PHOTOGRAPHY: TED LOGARDT AND ALASTAIR PARKIN
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Simon Chu
Simon Chu is a world-renowned trout-fisher and guide who spends his life chasing the dream of an endless season — fishing half the year in New Zealand and the other half in Montana.
