Rob Snowhite: Fly Fishing Consultant
Reading Water


I'll show you where the fish, why they are there, and how to fish for them based on the variables of the situation.

Knowing where a fish is going to be located is going to increase your action on the stream.

Knowing why they are there gives you the clues on what to look for in a body of still water or flowing water. That allows you to place your fly in the correct location for a proper presentation.

I will show you how to fish each of the following types of water based on the characteristics and variables such as type of water, structures, water speed, and water clarity.

Types of water include:

Structure:

  • Logs -fallen, stumps, log jams, man made structure
  • Rocks - from small to boulder size
  • Plants - submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)
  • Overhanging plants - terrestrial
  • Drop offs & ledges
  • Waterfalls
  • Dams
  • Bridges

Water speed:

  • Fast moving
  • Slow moving
  • Still

Water clarity:

  • Muddy
  • Clear
  • Foamy
  • Bubbly - water fall or fast water

Parts of a stream/anatomy:

  • Inside bends
  • Outside bends
  • Head of pool
  • Middle of pool
  • Tail of pool
  • Sides of pool
  • Deep vs. shallow water
  • Eddy


Spring Creek
spring

Tailwater
tail

Freestone
freestone

Here are some examples with commentary:

I was driving to a bachelor party in W Va a few years ago and was going to pass Mossy Creek. I had about 20 min to fish and get back to my car so I could make it to the cabin before dark. I took my rod with one fly-a huge foam hopper, and no tippet or gadgets. I fished upstream from the bridge.

I walked past the trees till the stream opened up and started to work the opposite bank. After about 5-6 casts, I came upon this spot. It had a small tree with shade, a bend in the river, and a cut bank. There was a well defined feeding lane between the submerged aquatic vegetation and the cut bank.

cut bank, mossy creek


A fish in this location could get protection from predators from the cut bank and the shade. It would be able to dart out and access food that was forced into narrow and faster water b/w the bank and the plants.

I stood about five feet back from the bank and cast. After a foot or so of a drift, a nice 16" Brown trout came up and took the fly. The fish was landed and released.

Here is the same picture with some details added:

 

cut bank, mossy creek

Latter that summer, Tom and I returned to fish Mossy on one of those 90+ degree days.

We decided to have some fun with the Browns and help get rid of those introduced Japanese Beetles. We found a shaded cut bank with overhanging grass. A place for a trout to seek shelter from the heat and predators that didn't mind the heat.

beetle chum

We walked upstream from this spot, grabbed a hand full of beetles from the Sycamore trees, shook them up in our hand to disorient them, and tossed them against the bank. They floated down stream (note to fly tiers- when they float, they tuck their antennae and legs against their body and spin in circles)

They floated down stream and a trout came up to sip them. Tom then walked down stream and waited with a foam beetle to cast. As chummed up the trout again, he cast his fly in with the flotilla of beetles and caught a nice little Brown trout.

Those were examples of where to find fish on a summer day on a spring fed creek.