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Wonderful Time to Wet a Line
Written By: Chris Wilkes - The Highland Hiker | Issue: 2018/11 - November
This time of year is a wonderful time to wet a line. Crisp fall weather keeps the water temperature perfect for active trout and the leaf season crowd has died down a bit allowing some popular spots to have less pressure on the fish. During peak fishing times, anglers can be quick to drive down to their favorite water, jump in their waders, plow into the river and begin casting. Now that the pressure has died down, it’s a good time to slow down, enjoy the quiet, and fix some habits we all fall into when time is of the essence.
One of the most common mistakes is to choose your flies based on what worked the last time you were in that river, only to spend your first hour catching nothing because conditions have changed since the last time you were there. The caddis fly that was so successful in September and October may have seen its usefulness expire by this point in the season. So take some time when you get to the bank of the river to observe your surroundings. Is anything flying around? Check under a rock, what bugs do you see? How is the river flowing? Taking about 5 minutes to get acclimated and to come up with a game plan before you get into the river to better decide what fly to tie on your line can yield positive results when it comes to landing fish.
When you have more water to yourself, it is a wonderful time to try new approaches to fly fishing. Czech nymphing has become all the rage. It’s a close range technique with heavy nymphs and no indicator. If you’re unfamiliar with the practice, check out a quick YouTube tutorial or visit your local fly shop to discuss the practice.
Work on your cast, your double haul, and your roll. Keeping things fresh is a great way to constantly be surprised by what the sport has to offer.
