Tricks of the Trade: Catch the Hatch on High Country Still Waters

As though an apology from nature, the best still water fishing of the year in Colorado coincides with the worst fishing of the year in our rivers. As our rivers flow high and dirty our high country reservoirs and lakes begin to experience insect hatches dreams are made of and, consequently, the fly angler is blessed with some of the best fishing of the year. Many fly fishing enthusiasts shun still water angling. But they are, effectively, choosing to miss out on some very good fishing. I often hear that fishing still water is too much like fishing with a bobber and bait. I get that. I don’t much enjoy hanging a scud or egg pattern off of an indicator and waiting for, no, hoping for, a trout to randomly swim by and eat one of my offerings. During a hatch, whether that hatch occurs in moving water or still, trout are anything but random feeders. Trout in still water actively seek out the hatching insects. At its best, the action during a strong still water hatch is fast and furious, requiring intense concentration so as to not end up with more “takes” than “hook-ups.” Still water fish are often surprisingly strong. I have seen many a skeptical client get “knuckle-busted” trying to stop the run of a powerful, 20” Spinney Mountain rainbow. When the hatch is over, and the action has slowed to a bobber and bait crawl, either go shopping or head to the nearest tailwater—which is often just below the reservoir you are fishing!

Here are the insect hatches you can expect to encounter while fishing still water in Colorado, and the hatches you should target: the Giant Chironomid (Midge) hatch, the Damselfly hatch, and the Callibaetis hatch. When any one of these hatches occurs it is time for you to get to the water! Luckily, these hatches are easily imitated by the fly angler. Any good fly shop (including ours) will have patterns that effectively imitate these insects. Let’s talk about tactics we can use to entice the trout in our reservoirs to eat our flies.

Trying to catch a hatch on a still water is usually a mid morning (8am-9am) to early afternoon (1pm-2pm) affair. It is during this time of the day that most of the insects hatch in our lakes and reservoirs. Maybe more importantly, this is also the typical window for the best weather. Being blown off the water by an early afternoon storm is common; probably more common than leaving a reservoir because the hatch didn’t materialize or because the fishing was poor.

Be prepared to spend most of your day fishing under the water. Although you will see fish feeding on the surface, and you may be able to catch a few of them, you will catch more fish if you stay with an underwater approach. That said, I often have a second rod rigged with a dry fly just in case I can’t resist the urge to throw at a sipping trout. As an aside, you can of course fish any flies you want when fishing in still water, including Wooly Buggers, but most often “matching the hatch” tactics will provide the best action.

Use as many flies as the local regulations permit. In Colorado, the use of 3 flies is the standard legal limit. Set-up your rig like you are going to nymph fish a river; only be prepared to go longer between your indicator and your first fly. You may not need to fish deeper than 3-6 feet, but you may have to go as deep as 12-15 feet. Access the water clarity. Fluorocarbon tippet may be necessary.

A typical, initial set-up for still water is the same as for nymph fishing a river except that extra depth is often required when fishing still water. The standard, initial set-up depth of a still water rig is 9 feet. 9 feet is a good “starting out” or “searching” depth ( A depth of 9 feet is achieved by making the distance between your first fly and your indicator equal 9 feet). It helps to start with a larger (beaded and/or weighted) fly as your first fly. It will attract a trout’s attention and encourage any other non-weighted flies to “get down” to the depth specified by the distance between your indicator and your first fly. Avoid adding pinch-on weights as they tend to fall off while casting. If you don’t notice a weight is gone, you may end up losing your bet with your fishing buddy and have to buy the beer, or worse. The next two flies should be more realistic imitations of what is hatching, or what you expect to hatch soon. The next two flies can be attached simply by tying a piece of tippet from the bend of the first (weighted attractor) fly to the eye of the second fly. Repeat the process to tie on the third fly.  

Often, the first fly is a weighted Damselfly nymph, the second fly is a large midge larva (Black, Zebra, Red or Olive), and the third fly is a nymph of the Callibaetis persuasion; all purchased or tied hastily the night before on some fly shop’s website recommendation. Be prepared to cut those first flies off and experiment with what is working that day. If the hatch is on, and you aren’t hooking up, try different depths before changing flies. Don’t over-look shallow set-ups—especially if you spot fish sipping or cruising just below the surface. Many times during a hatch a shorter set-up will provide amazing results.

Everyday on the water is different but, in general, successful still water angling involves finding the right flies for the day, the right depth, and keeping the movement of those flies to a minimum. Slow Down! Insects do swim in the water but their movements, while perhaps “twitchy,” don’t cover a lot of ground. I can’t remember the last time I saw a moving angler catch more fish than a stationary angler. An anchored boat, whatever the design, will keep you in the fish longer and encourage a slower presentation. If you aren’t hooking up from your anchored position, but believe you are in a good “spot,” move in 30 foot increments until you start hooking up.. There is rarely only one hot spot. But there may be the “hottest” spot! If someone else has the “hottest” spot, tip your hat to them and hope their boat springs a leak. Maybe also mark that spot on your GPS for next time.

Many times the breeze on the water, or the slight chop on the water, is all the movement needed to fool a trout into munching your offering. When experiencing a dead calm when fishing a still water location, it is often very effective to twitch your set-up or to slowly retrieve it. Be sure to pause during your retrieve, especially if you aren’t getting any strikes, as the real deal doesn’t constantly swim without resting! Sometimes you have to experiment with techniques to find what works best for any given day. On occasion, a quick retrieve of the flies is required to entice a strike. But, more often than not, slow is the way to go!

Spinney Mountain Reservoir, Antero Reservoir, and Delaney Buttes Lakes are all excellent choices for a day out on the flat water. They have good populations of trout and experience reliable hatches of Midges, Damselflies, and Callibaetis. So stay in touch with what insect is hatching on which still water and go fishing. Don’t let run-off get you down. We are entering one of the best times of the year to fish in Colorado………..as long as you are cool with fishing still water.

Fishing Streamers Like a Pro

Some days it seems like you can do no wrong throwing streamers. You are seeing trout on almost every cast, hooking more fish than you can count, and landing almost more than you can remember.  You wonder why you ever bother fishing with nymphs or dry flies. On these days, you are a streamer shaman. But what might you do on those days when you feel more like a streamer charlatan? What follows is a combination of insights into trout behavior and suggestions regarding streamer techniques and equipment. Even though we will be talking about fishing streamers to trout in a moving body of water, much of our discussion applies to fishing for trout in still waters as well.

Why does a trout eat a streamer anyway? The answer to that question could be a thesis for a PHD-dissertation paper. That said, a trout generally eats a streamer because of either its prey drive or protective instinct. It either eats your streamer as food (e.g. leech, sculpin, trout fry) or as a way to protect against an intruder (e.g. a threat to a trout’s lie, an egg stealer, a food or spawning competitor). We can generalize that streamer fisherman are appealing more to a trout’s protective instincts during  spawning season and appealing more to a trout’s prey drive throughout the rest of the year. On days when the trout are extremely predatory or protective, you can have a magical streamer experience. On these days, almost any presentation of your streamer gets the job done. But on those less than stellar streamer days, presentation may be the key to triggering a trout’s prey/protective drive. A trout is used to a certain behaviors from baitfish: baitfish flee if approached, baitfish keep their distance from trout, and baitfish rarely approach trout from behind or swim directly towards a trout. So as streamer anglers, we want to mimic the behavior of the trout’s prey.

Most days you need to convince the trout that your streamer is food. Throw your streamer across, or slightly down and across, to the river’s flow. This will allow the streamer to be presented to the trout in a way that is “expected” by the trout. The streamer will neither sneak up on a fish from behind nor will your offering swim directly towards a bewildered trout. In addition, since trout are almost always faced into a river’s current, an across the current presentation helps insure that the trout will be looking at your streamer broadside. A broadside presentation is both very realistic in nature and the large profile provided by the broadside presentation gives the angler a greater chance that the streamer will be seen by a willing trout. We also want a fleeing presentation: a streamer tossed to the bank that lies motionless, even for a few seconds, doesn’t imitate fleeing prey. It doesn’t trigger a strike. So try to start your retrieve as soon as it hits the water. A cast that fully extends and doesn’t collapse is essential if you want to start moving that streamer as soon as it hits the water. Even if you want to let the streamer sink some, a bit of a twitch as it sinks may be enough to trigger a strike.

Streamer selection is very important. We all have our favorite streamer. It is hard to cut off your favorite streamer to try another one. Why not throw 2 steamers? Just tie about an 18” piece of heavy tippet (at least 10 pound but up to 20 pound) from the bend of your favorite streamer to the eye of the one you want to use in your experiment. Try varying your experimental choices by: length, overall shape or “bushiness,” and color. Many guides favor trailing a smaller streamer behind a larger one. Conversely, many guides want the smaller streamer in front of the bigger streamer so as to simulate a larger predator chasing its prey. Try using both the realistic looking streamers as well as the impressionistic ones. Trout are also notorious for striking short which results in poor hook-ups. Fly selection is important here as well. Try using an articulated streamer with two hooks. The second hook should be hidden in the “tail” area of the streamer for it to be effective. Or try adding a “stinger” hook to your single hook streamer. In addition, short strikes are sometimes not “short” at all but, rather, a product of lifting your rod on the hook-set. In this case, the short strike is actually a miss on the angler’s part. When fishing streamers for trout think saltwater technique; keep your rod low and set the strike with a strip-strike instead of lifting your rod. Another remedy for short strikes is to try leaving your streamer in place after a short strike. The trout will often treat your streamer as a stunned baitfish and come back seconds later to “finish the job.” Executing these two tips alone will greatly increase your hook-ups!

Are you fishing deep enough? Pros know that the depth of the fly in the water, and this is true with both nymphs and streamers, can make a huge difference in the level of success on any given fishing day. Many days, all that is needed to be a successful streamer fisherman is using a streamer that is “close enough” in size and color to trigger a strike. Some days the trout seem to be “looking up”; they seem to prefer a streamer that rides high in the water. But on those days when you aren’t having much luck “chucking and ducking” with your floating line, think about using something that will get your fly deeper. Often, throwing two weighted streamers will be enough to get your fly deeper. You can also add split shot. But both of these remedies can get tricky to cast. A better option is to use some variation of a sinking fly line. Rio’s “VersiLeader” converts a floating fly line into a relatively inexpensive sink tip line. The “VersiLeader” comes in 2 lengths and several different sink rates. It attaches via a loop to loop connection to the end of your floating fly line giving you a sink tip that can be easily removed for indicator or dry fly fishing. Of course, there are a host of streamer tip lines, sink tip lines, and full sink lines available to the streamer angler. Choosing the perfect sinking line for the conditions is a matter of experimentation. However, just getting your streamer deeper “somehow” is usually enough to improve your cast to strike ratio.

Are you a “one trick pony” when it comes to your streamer fishing? We are all creatures of habit; same flies, same river, same spots on the river, same time of day, same retrieve, same clothes, same beer, same cigar. You get the idea. Pros don’t always know what to do when the fishing slows down but they know that they better try something different if they want to catch fish. Sometimes that something different is simply switch tactics altogether. Maybe they try dragging nymphs under an indicator or throwing dries tight to the bank. But if you are committed to using streamers in spite of experiencing poor results try to think outside your box. Try changing up your game. Do you always fish streamers regardless of the light conditions that day? Many pros feel that fishing streamers is more productive in low light conditions. If you always fish streamers in high, direct sunlight perhaps it is your timing rather than your technique that is at fault. Try different retrieves:  Long pause, short pause, long strips, short strips, long and short strips linked together, let your streamer swing. If you are only fishing only the 15 feet nearest the bank try staying with your retrieve longer; perhaps even continue the retrieve until it is at your feet. Conversely, if you are retrieving to your feet, but getting the majority of your strikes near the bank, perhaps you should focus on just the “fishiest” water near the bank. If you are getting strikes but few hook-ups, try leaving your streamer in place like a stunned baitfish. Perhaps the trout will come back to “finish the job.” Try covering more water. Since you are having a tough streamer day already, you need to concede that, on this day, the trout’s prey/protect instincts are not in high gear. Therefore, you should cover more ground in order to show your offering to more fish. When the streamer fishing is slow, don’t spend more than 5 minutes in water that you have covered already. Also, try fishing water that hasn’t been very productive in the past. Most likely, the reason you have “never caught fish there” is that you have never really fished there; you gave up too easily in favor of your “go to spots.” This is one of the huge advantages a boat angler has over the wade angler. A boat angler can easily float miles of water and present a streamer to thousands of fish. A float angler will throw a streamer almost anywhere because float anglers will fish the water that is right in front of them without regard to whether they caught fish there in the past.  A boat angler can easily float miles of water in a day and present a streamer to thousands of fish. A wade angler would do well to cover a mile or two in the same time. A boat also enables an angler to consistently present their streamer in the desirable “across the current” manner. Try fishing streamers early or late in the day. We all know that the biggest brown trout are low light feeders. Get out there. Even if you don’t catch a monster trout you’ll experience little fishing pressure and probably better than average fishing success.

I want to leave you with the best piece of advice my father received during his fishing life. Once, while visiting a famous fishing lure company, he came face to face with the owner, and master fisherman, of the company. “Finally”, my father thought, “I am going to know what to do when the fishing gets tough.” My father didn’t beat around the bush. He blurted out, “Any of these lures you sell catch all kinds of fish when the fishing is good. What do you do when the fishing is slow?” The master didn’t miss a beat, “When the fishing is slow, I go home.” So go fishing. But don’t forget to bring some different beer and different cigars.

Thermometers: Not Just For Skipping School

Yeah, we all did it. Just put that old mercury next to a light bulb for a second or two and, yep, you were sick enough to watch TV all day and feed that fever (or is it starve a fever?) until you really were sick. But now we are older and more mature (well, some of us). We don’t need to play with thermometers anymore. Or do we?

This past summer, we recommended our customers carry thermometers to determine when a high water temperature was causing too much stress on a hooked/caught fish; that temperature is somewhere around 65 degrees and a water temperature above 68 degrees is definitely too high to successfully practice catch and release. But there are other reasons to pack a thermo. For example, a thermometer will help you determine when a specific insect hatch might occur. So here goes with a basic, and admittedly “local,” tutorial on the relationship between water temperature and insect hatches.

As a river warms from its winter lows in the mid-30’s to its summer highs in the upper 60’s there is a general, and consistent, sequence of hatches that occur in our rivers year after year. For simplicity, let’s consider the Central Rocky Mountain Rivers near and around our fly shop in Silverthorne, Colorado. So we are talking about such rivers as:  the Blue River, the Frying Pan River, the Colorado River, the South Platte, the Arkansas River and the Roaring Fork River. The annual January through December hatch sequence goes something like this: Midges, Blue Winged Olives (Baetis), Caddis, Salmon Flies, Golden Stones, Green Drakes, Yellow Sallies, Pale Morning Duns, Tricos, and back to Blue Winged Olives and to Midges. The corresponding temperature sequence goes something like this:

Midges: almost any water temperature above 32 degrees.  But at around 42 degrees expect to see the first significant, consistent hatch of the year.  Midges hatch year round and are very often a trout’s primary food source.

Blue Winged Olives (Mayflies of the Genus Baetis): These babies like to hatch when the water temperatures are in the 46-54 degree range. You will see them in both spring and fall as the water warms from the winter’s frigid months and as the water temperatures come down from the summer’s heat. Overcast, drizzly conditions are also famous for triggering  significant BWO appearances.

Caddis: Caddis will hatch spring through fall. The magic water temperature to see the first significant emergence for the year is right around 56 degrees. Very often the strongest Caddis hatches occur on very sunny days.

Salmon Flies (Pteronarcys californica): Perhaps the most anticipated, yet most difficult to anticipate, hatch of the year. This giant insect likes a sustained water temperature in the middle 50’s. However, the time of year plays a significant role in the Salmon Fly emergence. In Colorado, the Salmon Fly usually hatches in late May to early June. Further, it does not live in all Colorado rivers. And if this isn’t already confusing enough, the Salmon Fly hatch generally needs to occur during run-off. So getting a water temperature of 57 degrees in April—it could happen, maybe---before run-off starts typically won’t trigger a Salmon Fly emergence. 
Golden Stone Flies (including Yellow Sallies):  The bigger Golden Stones usually follow shortly on the heels of the Salmon Fly. And the Yellow Sallies begin to be seen shortly after, or in conjunction with, the larger Golden Stones. The Sallies will hatch through much of the summer and long after the larger Golden Stones disappear.

Green Drakes: Green Drakes are also notoriously difficult to time. 58 degrees is about the temperature you should begin looking for them on the water. However, on some rivers, Green Drakes are infamous for only hatching at specific times of day. For example, on the Roaring Fork River, they favor the late evening into the darkness of night. On the Upper Arkansas, Green Drakes seem to like to hatch around 11 am.  While on the Blue River, a Green Drake hatch could occur at almost any time of day (or night) in late July into early September.

Pale Morning Duns (PMD’s): PMD’s usually like to see daily water temperatures peak out at near 60 degrees before gracing us with their presence. Though these bugs can hatch into the late summer, especially on tailwaters, PMD’s are usually thought of as the July bug. In July, it is not uncommon to see Yellow Sallies in the morning and PMD’s in the afternoon; or even both simultaneously!

Tricos: Another insect that, in Colorado at least, depends on time of year as well as water temperature to hatch. The Trico hatch is a late season affair on many of our rivers. I don’t have an exact temperature in mind but it seems that the overnight low water temperature needs to be about 55 degrees to trigger a Trico hatch (Tricos hatch in the early morning hours and the spinner fall generally occurs mid to late morning).

BWO’s:  Look for the water temperature to return to the mid-50’s as the water temps begin dropping with the shorter, cooler days of fall. BWO’s should continue to hatch until the daily high water temperatures fail to reach the mid-40’s.

Midges: So as it began, so shall it end. Midges will hatch year round but it is in the fall they again become very important to the fly fisherman. Midges will often hatch in good numbers along with the fall BWO’s. But eventually the water will cool down enough that the BWO hatch stops and they are longer a significant food source for the trout.  Midge patterns will be then be your go to flies.

We want to leave you with a few final thoughts. First, when talking about water temperatures in relation to a specific insect, We are referring to the river’s maximum water temperature for the day. Second, this is by no means a comprehensive list of insect hatches in Colorado. There are lots of hatches I didn’t cover. We are only trying to give you an outline of the important relationship between water temperature and insect hatches. Third, with the exception of Midges and BWO’s, once a river “runs through” a water temperature it also “runs through” the insects that hatch at that water temperature. For example, if a river’s maximum temperature goes from 62 degrees back into the middle 50’s, you wouldn’t expect a previous hatch to resume; you wouldn’t expect to see Green Drakes, Salmon Flies or large Golden Stones to hatch again. In most cases, once a hatch is over, it is over until next the year. The primary exceptions to this are the Midges and the BWO’s: As summer slides into fall and winter, the BWO’s will make a fall appearance as the water temperatures again fall into the low 50’s. Likewise, when the fall water temperatures fail to reach the high 40’s, thereby also failing to trigger a BWO hatch,  the Midge will once again become the dominant insect for your day of fishing. This will last until the water becomes too cold for even the mighty Midge to hatch with any consistency. This generally occurs when the river temperatures don’t rise above 38 degrees. Even so, they still gotta eat sometime……so get out there!

Mitch Melichar

“There’s no such thing as a defective hopper pattern for a dry-dropper set up. If it continues sink it means your nymph is being eaten."

Mitch Melichar

“They gotta eat sometime."

Chris Hall

“Fish won’t move anymore for your flies than the hole will move for your golf ball. Hit the spots!”

Equipment Maintenance: Saltwater Trips

Trout anglers are relatively spoiled when it comes to equipment maintenance. With minimal effort, freshwater fisherman can keep their gear performing at a high level. The same is not true for saltwater anglers. This extremely corrosive environment with quickly ruin even the priciest equipment.

Besides using basic freshwater maintenance steps, you need to thoroughly rinse all of your gear after each trip. An easy way to ensure that you remove all of the salt is to take your gear into the shower with you.

An outdoor wash station is another useful option for cleaning and rinsing gear. Now you can splash water everywhere and no one will care.

At the end of destination trip, you should take apart all of your gear and clean it a mild soap. Be sure to clean your sunglasses, pliers, boga grip, and flies. Air dry your gear before storing.

Equipment Maintenance: Waders

Overall, out-of-the-box quality for waders is at an all time high, but mistreated equipment will fail as quick as ever. Even with multiple layers and reinforced knees, all waders are susceptible to pinhole leaks and tears.

Avoid traversing barbed wire fences as much as possible. Also, take care when going over a downed log.

During hot summers, waders can turn quite odorous. Most wader brands can be machined washed with a mild detergent.

We suggest you let your waders air dry. You should also turn the waders inside out to completely dry the neoprene feet. Be sure to check with the manufacturer for specific cleaning methods.

Equipment Maintenance: Leaders & Tippets

Even though your leader and tippet material may be the least expensive gear in your arsenal, it may also be the most important. No other item has a greater impact on whether you land a fish than the line connecting you to the fish.

During a long day on the water, you should occasionally inspect your leader for nicks or wind knots. Any imperfections will weaken your line strength and may result in the loss of a trophy trout.

If you prefer to use traditional monofilament leaders and tippet, you need to replace your stock with new at the beginning of each season. Exposure to UV rays will weaken mono. Fluorocarbon can be used for consecutive seasons.

Equipment Maintenance: Fly Lines

With expert fly lines costing over $50 you should take extra care to make sure it lasts as long as possible.

A dirty fly line will sink like a stone and cast poorly. Use a mild soap and a damp towel to clean your fly line. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your fly line to remove the soap. Applying a line dressing will also help the performance of the line.

Even with the advanced coatings that increase casting distance and make the line float better, no line is indestructible. Take the extra time to carefully untangle your line from thistles or sticks. Even a small tear in the fly line may cause the line to sink.

Equipment Maintenance: Fly Reels

Many of today's reels feature sealed drag systems, precisely machined components, and anodized finishes. While these features will help your reel last longer, you still need to use a few simple steps to extend your reel's life.

Keep it Clean

Avoid placing your reel on sand or dirt. If small granules weasel their way into the reel housing, you should immediately open the reel and rinse with water to remove the particle. Many times, the smallest speck will create the most damage.

Storage

Finally, you should never store your reel for extended periods of time with the drag set on a tight setting. Tight drag settings can eventually cause your drag to warp. Before storing your reel for the winter, you should open the reel and clean with a gentle soap and soft brush. Follow your manufacturer’s suggestion if your reel requires occasional applications of oil or grease.

Equipment Maintenance: Fly Rods

With many people investing hundreds of dollars in a fly rod it is a shame to see rods mistreated. A few simple steps will keep your rod(s) like new. If you want to keep your rod strung and ready to fish between trips, you should store the rod vertically. In-car rod lofts are also a good choice for storage because they support the rod and minimize bowing. Rods are best stored broken down and in its case. Never store your rod when it is damp.

Check the Guides

Be sure to occasionally inspect each guide on the rod. Many high end rods feature guides with ceramic linings. These linings will wear after time, or they may fall out if mistreated. If the linings are damaged, your fly line will not shoot effectively and can become brittle.

Grip Maintenance

If the cork grip is weathered or dirty, you can clean the cork using a soft brush and a mild soap. Be sure to allow the grip to dry completely before storing. At the end of each season, you should clean the entire rod, focusing on the reel seat and eyes, to remove any dirty or mineral build up.

General Info: Carrying a Net

Nets are often the only way to land a fish, but they are next to useless if you do not have a good method of carrying it. When the time comes to use your net, you are typically preoccupied with trying to control the fish. The odds of losing the fish greatly increase if you have to struggle with handling your net.

Here are two tips that can make netting a fish less stressful.

• First, we wear a vest and suspend the net from the back D-ring. The key is to hang the net bow up and handle down. By doing this you can easily reach behind your back and grab your net by the handle and land the fish. Many people hang their nets with the handle up. This makes it very difficult to grab the correct end of the net in a hurry.
• Second, use a leash. When you are standing in moving water, and you set your net down to continue to fight a hot fish your net rarely stays where you left it. A bungee cord leash also holds your net when you hike through willows.

Handle with Care

Try to use your net a last resort. If you can, land the fish with your free hand (be sure your hand is wet!), or try to remove the hook with your Hemos without ever touching the fish. Trout have a protective slime coating covering their skins that defends them from disease. The more you handle a trout with your hand or net, the more of the protective coating you remove. Be nice to the trout and use a rubber net bag, and minimize the time you handle the trout before releasing her to fight another day.

A final pro tip – the biggest problem with hanging your net from the back of your vest is when you bend over it tends to swing around and conk you in the head. If you attach a bungee to the handle and the other end to the D-ring on the back of your vest, and run it inside your vest, it will keep the net from moving.

General Info: Stealth

Stealth is one of the things that separate the men from the boys in fly fishing. There are a few really basic rules to follow. Avoid wearing bright clothes. Do not walk up to the edge of the water and announce your presence. Do not wade into a river without fishing the shoreline first. Approach fish from behind. Wade slowly and quietly. Gently lift your line off the water. Blend in.

Merge with Your Surroundings

Similar to an army sniper, you want to merge with the natural surroundings as best as possible. If you have adequate fishing skills, the quickest way to increase your catch ratio is to be stealthier on the water. Take time to study the river before you barge knee deep into the river. Besides deciphering what insects are present, you should also develop a plan of action before heading into the river.

Stealth is paramount when stalking a saltwater flat. This can be an especially difficult task because salt rodders need to shuffle their feet to avoid being stung by a sting ray – just ask Mitch how that feels. You need to find a happy medium between shuffling and stealth. If you kick and splash your way towards a tailing bonefish, you will soon find yourself wading a vacant flat.

General Info: Insect Replant

Insect repellent should be a part of every angler's standard equipment. You need to be careful when applying repellents because many will eat fly lines and leaders. Some insect repellents will even ruin your watchband.

To avoid destroying your gear, apply insect repellent containing DEET using the back of your hands. Also remove your sunglasses and store them out of harms way (especially if they have plastic lenses).

The importance of insect repellent continues to rise as more and more insect-born diseases are discovered.

General Info: Tungsten vs Standard Beadhead Nymphs

If you read our fishing reports or search through your local shop's fly bins you will eventually find a recommendation to use tungsten bead heads instead of traditional bead headed nymphs. Standard beads are mostly made of steel or tin. Tungsten beads are substantially heavier. A pattern tied with a tungsten bead will sink much quicker and remain on the bottom better than standard beads.

Many of our guides use tungsten beaded nymphs as the trailing fly in a dry-dropper combo. Tungsten nymphs are also a good choice when you are fishing in small streams and want to avoid using unnecessary split shot.

General Info: Fluorocarbon

During the last decade, one of the hottest trends in the fly fishing industry is using fluorocarbon leaders and tippets to help catch more fish. These new tippets and leaders give the angler a great advantage over normal monofilament.

Fluorocarbon is nearly invisible underwater because it refracts light at a different angle than traditional mono. Fluoro is also more abrasive resistant, so you will keep fish hooked longer when they drag over rocks and snags. It's a great tool for hooking those educated pigs in clear tail waters. Fluorocarbon's advanced technology allows manufacturers to make the line much stronger with a small diameter than compared to mono.

There is a downside though, it is more expensive and it stays in the environment a lot longer. If you are using fluorocarbon (or anything else), don't leave it on the riverbank. Take it home and throw it away.

General Info: Polarized Sunglasses

Probably the most overlooked piece of equipment, polarized sunglasses protect your eyes and help eliminate glare. While they aren't magic, they can greatly improve your ability to see fish holding in rivers. The filter in the lens will also filter harmful light rays and ease eyestrain. Most importantly, sunglasses protect your eyes from errant hooks, so even during low light conditions you should wear glasses.

Glare is created everywhere. Not just on glass and water, but also on sand, pavement, and almost every other flat surface. Glare overloads your retinas with too much information, and eventually causes fatigue. Polarized lenses filter out the visual noise so that you can focus on the facts – or in our case, focus on the fish!

Lens Color

It's also important to understand that not all polarized glasses are the same. The color of the lens and the amount of light the lens allows in greatly impacts their effectiveness. For most rivers we recommend a tan, copper, or brownish lens. They show greater contrast and normally allow in more light than a gray lens. When you are in bright light with clear water (as in saltwater flats fishing) a gray lens may be a better alternative in order to prevent eyestrain.

Photo Chromatic Lenses

Many of the high-end glasses we sell at Cutthroat Anglers feature a photo chromatic lens. These lens change contrast automatically when the conditions change becoming darker in bright conditions and vice versa. This subtle change can create a major advantage when light conditions vary throughout a day on the water.

Other Tips

Other tips that will improve your fishing vision include wearing a hat with a brim that is a dark color underneath (to prevent reflection), and limiting the amount of light that enters around the sunglasses. Side shields or wrap around glasses can really help. Finally, purchase a cheap pair of eyeglass retainers as an insurance policy to help lessen your chance of losing your glasses when you lean over to land a fish.

General Info: Weather Patterns

While the weatherman may not always offer the most reliable forecast, anglers should always be prepared for the worst. As the locals say, "if you don't like the weather now… wait a few minutes." The weather can dramatically change in the mountains, so if you are far away from your vehicle you should be prepared with a rain jacket and plenty of water. High mountain peaks are notorious for hiding storms until they store enough energy to surpass the peaks and rapidly charge ahead.

Anglers should always leave the river and set down their rod when lightening is in the area. Your nine-foot graphite fly rod can quickly transform into a deadly lightening rod. No fish is worth risking your life, so head to low ground or leave the area altogether.

Many anglers follow weather patterns in an attempt to predict the quality of fishing. While science is yet to prove what exact factors produce a hatch, we can confidently say that dry fly fishing is usually most productive during overcast days. However, we have fished enough to know that you will never catch a fish sitting inside waiting for the perfect weather conditions.

General Info: River Etiquette

As more people join the sport of fly fishing, the rivers will continue to be more crowded each season. A little common courtesy will help everyone have a more enjoyable day on the river. Even with the crowds, there is plenty of productive water for everyone to fish.

Ask First

If another angler is fishing a run you should give him or her ample room to fish the entire run. In a case in which there are consecutive, productive runs you should ask an angler if they mind you fishing ahead of them.

This simple courtesy may seem elementary; however, when fish are feeding it is very easy for anglers to become over-excited, and as a result of their eagerness they forget that other anglers may be in the area.

Float Traffic

In the last decade, drift boat and raft traffic exponentially grew. The increase in traffic can create a dangerous environment on the river. White water rafts are running into fishing boats with an alarming frequency; and kayakers seem to think they own the river for “play boating.”
River law and etiquette says that the down river vessel has the right away (just like a car on the highway); in turn, it is the responsibility of up river boats to slow and/or maneuver accordingly to avoid the down stream vessel. The only exception to the rule is when kayakers are intentionally stalling in a rapid to play boat. In this circumstance, the kayakers are required to move out of the rapid to allow the up stream traffic to pass safely. Common sense!