Joshua Hutchins
Hunt more, cast less
Sit back and study the water, says Simon Chu — you’ll learn more and catch more
SUCCESS IN fishing comes from taking note of what’s happening around you, doing the small things well and controlling what you can. You’ll fail at the first hurdle if you charge headfirst into a pool with a scattergun approach.
What does hunt more, cast less mean? Let me explain using river trout fishing as context, but please note that these points apply to all fishing scenarios and species.
The best anglers sit back and evaluate opportunities in front of them. They formulate a considered plan before thinking about casting. They select a target fish, watch its behaviour and seek potential obstacles that may hamper their approach and impact the outcome.
Notice I say, “target fish.” You are looking for a specific fish here — not any fish. That fish might not be visible to you, but your knowledge of prime lies leads you to believe there is a fish present. Ultimately, you might see the fish or a rise form which gives away its position.
Once you have found a fish or identified a prime lie, you will determine the best plan of attack to catch it. All considered, the first cast can then be delivered with purpose, thought and, very often, an intended result rather than pure luck.
All considered, the first cast can then be delivered with purpose, thought and, very often, an intended result rather than pure luck
Simon Chu — constantly watching and learning.
TED LOGARDT
So, time spent watching fish is never wasted. The chosen trout’s food items, how occupied it is with feeding, what stage of the insect’s life cycle it is targeting, the different currents to overcome to avoid drag, and the depths at which the fish is feeding or stationed will all become apparent.
Trout are rarely found in a feeding frenzy and throwing caution to the wind, so great anglers will elevate their approach to maximise their opportunity by first gathering as much of the above information as possible.
Let’s look at the key things to consider...
Lies
Firstly, it’s good to have a general understanding of where fish are situated and why they are there. Where trout lie is based on security, food, dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature and conserving energy.
Current seams, riffles, undercut banks and structure are good starting points. Group a few of these together and you’re left with prime lies offering both cover and safety as well as nearby food. These areas are where most attention is warranted.
Every river has a pace and pulse, so study the hydrology of yours. This dictates how insects drift downstream or collect. That’s why foam lines are great targets, along with back-eddies that trap food. Consider how trout like deeper, slower lies in the colder months compared to faster, shallower and more oxygenated lies in summer.
Consider how trout like deeper, slower lies in the colder months compared to faster, shallower and more oxygenated lies in summer
Carry a thermometer too; water temperatures influence hatches, dissolved oxygen levels, a trout’s metabolism and where they move to maximise their energy reserves. When water is between 52-62 deg F (11-18 deg C), trout increase their activity and must eat more. Think about the time of day and where fish may lie due to water temperatures and availability of insects.
Keeping a diary is time never wasted — it will allow you to discover weather patterns, water levels and trends, and other factors which led to great fishing… or not. These patterns will help inform future choices about when to fish and which parts of a river provide the greatest opportunity.
Emilie Björkman taking time out to search for signs of activity and insects.
TED LOGARDT
What’s on the menu?
You do not need to know the Latin names for the bugs on your stream, but having a basic understanding of the aquatic or terrestrial insects and prey you conjure from under a rock, among a grassy bank or see in the air, will give you an edge in choosing an appropriate fly and maybe even suggest how your fly should be presented — a skittering (twitched) caddis or a spent (static) spinner, for example.
A good place to look for clues might be in a spider’s web or a swirling back-eddy, which can contain a larder of trapped insects. I carry a small seine net with me, and this has made the difference when multiple hatches are occurring and I didn’t realise it. Some insects either sit low in the water or are too small to be seen from a distance and are therefore missed. Studying the contents of the seine net is revealing and focusses your fly choice.
Rise forms can also tell us what fish are taking. Trout targetting fry or small fish will often give themselves away with aggressive, chasing movements and splashing. This is a great time to use a small minnow imitation, cast into the path of a fish and stripped back.
If a classic rise form contains a bubble this would indicate a fish expelling air while taking an insect sitting on, or high in the surface. A dun or spinner pattern would therefore be a good choice if imitating mayflies (such as olives).
A subsurface rise will be more subtle — you might see a flash, the white opening of the fish’s mouth, or a dorsal fin as it turns. In this case, assuming it has taken something beneath the surface, an emerger or a nymph would be a safe bet.
Additionally, a rise form can give an indication of a trout’s size by the amount of surface water it moves. You can also tell the direction in which a fish is feeding; the most displaced side of the rise form is the direction in which the fish travelled to take the insect.
I carry a small seine net with me, and this has made the difference when multiple hatches are occurring and I didn’t realise it
Potential drag
Understanding drag and observing the currents will help formulate your presentation plan. Where should I stand to get the best first cast (drag-free and in the right place), for example?
On some rivers, a downstream approach utilising a reach cast or feeding fly-line may be possible, even essential. On other rivers or pools, an upstream cast where the angler is in the same current lane as the fish — a “straight shot” — may be the best answer.
The question to always ask yourself is, “What must I do to mitigate against drag and how do I present my fly so that it behaves in a manner the trout expects it to?” Where I cast from and the type of cast I make (reach, pile, or simply a straight shot) will depend on currents, water depth and obstacles both in and out of the water.
You can use breaks in the water’s surface as cover too. For example, if a submerged or half-submerged rock forms a boil or break in the current, this can — if you are still careful — stop any surface disturbance (wake) from moving upstream and disturbing your target fish. This is especially useful in a tail where the water is often shallow, the surface glassy and the fish easily spooked.
A riffle at the head of a pool is the opposite, offering fish cover over their heads and therefore more confidence. In this situation, you can get closer to your fish and may get more chances at it.
The result of patience and reconnaissance: a big New Zealand brownie spotted, fooled and intended.
TED LOGARDT
Physical approach
Before you cast, consider your angle of approach to maximise the effectiveness of your delivery. This may be downstream of, adjacent to, or above your target fish. I believe if you can see the fish (barring being directly behind it), there is a good chance the fish can see you.
You might ask yourself, is crossing the river going to provide me with a better vantage point or casting spot? However, in my homeland of New Zealand, crossing upstream of a fish can put it on alert or have it spook and hide.
At the head of a pool, I like to target the seam in the tongue or riffle. Here, I’ll work my way from slow to faster water with my casts being cognisant of all currents and particularly of any back-eddies.
At the tail of a pool, if there is an opportunity to present a dead-drifted fly from upstream — across and down — this can be effective in mitigating the increasing speed of the current. Likewise, when casting across a fast riffle.
In my homeland of New Zealand, crossing upstream of a fish can put it on alert or have it spook and hide
Be discreet
Wearing drab colours and moving with stealth will help you blend into your surroundings. Be careful with your shadow too and watch out for any reflections from watches or jewellery. Treat your approach as you would with any wild creature and you will be in good shape.
Always walk upriver and approach fish from downstream. Otherwise, take a wide berth around pools if you are walking downstream. Use steep banks behind you as cover and crawl into position if need be. Be a hunter — moving slowly and not alerting the fish will always give you a better chance.
Making excessive noise in a boat, kicking stones or wading loudly will also alert fish to your presence and make them harder, or impossible, to catch.
Joshua Hutchins tempts a trout on a damp, windy day in Australia. A ripple on the water can cover up a multitude of sins but also put fish down.
JOSHUA HUTCHINS
Judge the conditions
How can you use the immediate conditions to your advantage? On a cloudy day, if you are looking to spot fish, looking into the reflection of trees will cut out unwanted glare. Changing the angle you look at a pool from may also mitigate reflection and glare.
If it is windy, which direction is the wind coming from? Can you position yourself so the wind is off your shoulder or behind you to assist accurate casting and turnover of the line, leader and fly? Always remember that slack line in a cast is a good thing when trying to eliminate or reduce drag.
Remember too that on windy days, mayflies (including olives and suchlike) find it easier to take off from the water’s surface after they’ve emerged. Hatches will therefore last longer on damp days as a fly becomes trapped in the surface for longer; a trapped fly is the preferred target of trout as they can feed while expending the least energy, rather than having to chase their prey. On windy evenings, spinners (egg layers) may return to the water later — when the wind drops — as they prefer little or no wind when laying their eggs.
Hatches will therefore last longer on damp days as a fly becomes trapped in the surface for longer
If you see footprints, move on. Chances are the pool has been disturbed.
TED LOGARDT
Basically, all these things are learned through observation and taking time out from casting. Ask yourself, when was the last time you walked a river and just watched fish? Did you see them feed, choose different lies in different heights of water and times of day, or watch them sulking on the bottom?
The more you know of the river and fish’s habits before you make a cast, the more you will know about when, where and how to tempt a fish within the first few casts.
Remember, slow and steady always wins the race.
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.
