Not all water is created equal
What do you think about when you show up to a new fly fishing spot? If you have done your homework by checking flows, water/air temps, and the (dreaded) wind, you're off to a great start. So, where do fish live? Why do they live there? How can our (hopefully) well presented flies draw their gaze and a potential take? The answers to these questions are not always straightforward, but constantly fishing "higher quality water," will increase your hookup rate. How would you approach this piece of water? I was walking upstream on a creek in North Carolina this summer when I found this nice little area. Although there are sticks on the left my first cast was just along the edge. Why? The path of least resistance. If a trout is holding there it will only see my flies, which is what I always want. Spooking fish is so common and sometimes we don't even know that we've spooked them. We just think there aren't any fish in that spot. ...
