Before discussing how
to find fish, we must define the following terms:
The Pool
Is a relatively deep area, generally
beginning and finishing with fast waters, and being more quiet in the middle.
The Riffles
Generally, they separate one well from another. These are areas with faster waters,
generally shallow, but with a troubled surface.
Pocket Waters.
They are like riffles, but deeper and with bigger boulders, making the surface of the water break
abruptly.
Under banks
They are formed by currents, which erode under the surface, forming
holes.
Trout
Characteristics
Trout need a suitable temperature range, a place to eat
at a distance which does not require a greater expenditure
of energy that that gained by it; a place to escape and hide from a predator, and
a suitable place for mating.
Thus, a trout needs a place where the currents are fast enough to bring food, but
also where it can rest while it waits for it.
Trout are very nervous fish. A fisherman, if careless
and noisy when approaching the river, may never see or catch them, throughout a whole
day of fishing.
A trout has two sensory systems, which alert it
to danger, one is visual and the other one is lateral, and consists of a group of
sensitive water vibration nerves.
In the River
Wading through a river often requires as much technique as casting the line, and not only because of the possibility
of scaring the fish away, but also because it is easy to fall into the water.
Because of this, keep two things in mind when crossing the river:
Firstly, it is easier to wade through a river
by following the direction of the current; and secondly, it is easier to move in the current from side to side downwards. When crossing a fast
river, take care to take secure steps, while the other foot looks for a place to hold.
Fishing techniques
Before approaching a trout, and casting the dry fly, we have to understand the effect of the fly on the stream, the line and the leader. One of the reasons why a trout may reject a fly is the wake; others may be the size, form or color.
From the opposite side of the river where the trout is eating on the surface,
and casting the dry fly in a 90º angle towards the current, half a meter over the trout, the fly starts to float down the
river and directly over the trout. Due to the difference of the current, the line and the leader go faster,
therefore producing a wake after the fly. This is thus not like a real insect,
who hover and jump over the water, and who do not leave a wake after them.
One of the solutions to approaching a trout that is feeding is
to come from behind, aiming for an angle of 45º in relation to the trout. This angle
helps the line and leader follow the current, reducing the possibility of
creating a wake. With wet flies, it is possible to fish up, down or across the
river.
In general, trout respond better to wet flies, because
they don't create a wake, and because they aren't seen under the water, and most water insects or crustaceans swim against or
across the current.
The most traditional, and most usual way of fishing with a wet fly is
by casting it directly into the other side of the river, at a 90º angle. The current pushes the leader and the fly, making the fly balance and cross the river, forming an arch. It is important to remember that one must follow the line with the tip of the fishing rod as the fly goes downwards. Most of the bites happen at the end of
this movement, or when one takes the line back, to get ready for the next cast.
Hooking, working and handling of the trout
Most of the losses or escapes of a trout in fly-fishing
happen when one tries to hook the fly in the trout. 'Hooking' a trout means to raise the tip of the fishing rod, tensing the line.
Hooking the fish with the rod must be the result of a steady
movement, immediately taken after feeling the trout bite the fly or feeling tension in the fishing rod. The only tool the fish can use to grasp objects is its mouth, and if
the object does not feel good, the fish will spit it out immediately.
Fighting or working a trout with a fishing rod is relatively simple: you only have to allow the fish to fight against the
flexibility or pressure offered by the rod, until it gets tired.
Tension in the line can mean only one thing: 'something has bitten the fly', and if you think twice before hooking, the trout will have spat
it out.
It is not advisable to fight small trout for a long time. The longer you fight a trout, the lesser will be
its possibility of survival. Big trout can be fought for longer, even to take a
picture. Fighting a small trout for a long time, however, just so that the guy next to me can see I got a fish, is a horrible picture.
If you are wondering when it is necessary to fight a fish with the fishing
reel, don't worry, you won't have any other option. A fish which needs to be fought with the reel, is going to pull the tip of the rod, and it is going to take the line out of your hand. The way to fight a trout is
by holding the rod high, over the head, so as to maintain the pressure. Also,
hold the head of the trout away from branches or rockweed, which might cause the fish to release.
The way to handle or catch a trout, once the
fight is won, may be with the hand, a net or simply by taking it to the riverbank. The fishing rod must never be released, so as to prevent it from breaking. When the trout
is near, the rod handle must not go beyond 12:00, therefore avoiding an excess of pressure.
And to approach it, one must move the handle backwards, maintaining the rod angle, sliding the hand along the leader,
and catching and observing the fly direction, releasing the trout later.
The lesser you handle the trout, the bigger its
chance of survival. If the fly does not come out easily, because you did not get the excess of it out, or it is stuck, you can take it out with your hand. The way to do this is the following: wet your hands first, trying not to remove the protective device; then, hold it from the belly, without pressing
it and being careful not to insert the fingers into the gills. After securing it, take the hook out of it and put the fish back into the water
quickly.
If the fish floats on its side, you must revive it immediately. Hold it from the tail, with the head
pointing upriver, and allow the water to enter through the mouth and to go out through the gills. You can also help
by moving it back and forth, helping with the oxygenation, until it can swim by itself.
