Just as there are certain things one needs to do in preparation before heading out on a fishing trip, there are also a number of things one should do in preparation for that moment when a fish actually does strike. All anglers live in hope.
Before shoving off in your boat or casting a line on your favourite stream or river, take a good look around you. Look among the reeds and foliage along the shoreline. See what insects are moving around in the riparian zone. Look for insect shucks or cases floating on the surface of the water. This will give you an indication as to what insects are in the process of emerging. Look for birds feeding on the surface of the water – where there are birds feeding above, there are fish feeding below.
Just because you had luck catching fish in one spot on a previous trip, it does not necessarily follow that you will be able to catch fish there again. Fish are constantly moving in search of food, and while they certainly feed in more productive areas with given regularity, they more often than not only move into these areas to feed at certain times of the day or season. In still waters fish tend to feed along the drop-off during the day and come into the shallows in the evening. Holding pools in moving water are only a temporary respite from the current. Understanding the habits of the fish will help put you in the right place at the right time.
Once you’ve decided on an area to fish, explore all options. While spent insect cases can give you some indication of what insects have recently been emerging, when there is not a specific insect hatch coming off, it is important to remember that there is always some activity below the surface. Select the nymphal or pupal stage of insect that you know or suspect are moving around in the waters below. Fish your imitation fly pattern at different depths with various retrieval speeds.
On those occasions when there is absolutely no indication as to what the fish have been feeding on, try using a “search pattern.” Shrimp or leech patterns in still waters are a good bet, while something like a Tom Thumb, caddis pupae or gold-ribbed hair’s ear will attract some attention on moving waters. Again, it is important to fish whatever pattern you choose at different depths and retrieval speeds. Change the size and colour before changing patterns.
Remember too, that you always have a better chance of catching fish with your fly in the water. Quite simply, time spent changing patterns or moving about from one spot to another is all valuable “fishing time” wasted. The same holds true for time making too many false casts. It may look good to other anglers, but it doesn’t catch fish. Another oversight on the part of many anglers is they do not check the points of their hooks or the knots in their leaders often enough. Every snag and every fish puts wear and tear on your terminal tackle. Dull hooks, damaged or weakened leaders and strained knots account for too many lost fish. Sharpen your hooks and check your leaders often.
What I am trying to say is that an integral part of fishing is preparation – all the little things – and that includes being properly prepared for a strike when it comes along. I have lost more than one fish because I was not prepared, in one way or another, for the strike when it happened. I recently lost the largest fish I have ever had on the end of my line – a sturgeon well over 500 pounds – because I was not prepared.
All I know for sure is that a little observation and a few precautionary measures, can make all the difference when it comes to catching fish.
