Most anglers think the day starts when the first cast hits the water. In my Tips and Tricks series I make the case that it starts much earlier, and that the best fishermen are mostly the best observers. Here is the routine I walk through, from the kitchen table to the first pool.
Phase one: observation starts at home
Before leaving the house, check the weather for what it did recently, what it is doing now, and what is forecast. Those are leading indicators for what the water is doing. Read fishing reports from a handful of sources, since every report has a slightly different slant. Check flow levels, where they were and where they are headed. Then make a few calls: a buddy who has been out, and the local shop. Shops and guides are on the water constantly.
When you call, most people ask what flies are working. That is useful, but the better question is where the fish are sitting. Heads of pools, tailouts, cruising, or suspended in the column? Knowing the lie tells you more than knowing the pattern.
Phase two: the parking lot
Now compare the report to reality. Is wind blowing in? Did it cool off or heat up? What time is it? Talk to anglers coming off the water and ask where they fished and what worked. If everyone fished upstream, you might head the other way. Look at the bugs on your vehicle, because a warm car attracts them. Mayflies on the truck or hoppers in the air tell you a lot. While rigging, I tie on one or two prospecting patterns rather than committing, and make the final call at the water.
Phase three: the walk in
Stay alert. What are you kicking up? Hoppers, ants, crickets you can hear, midge clusters? Note where the sun is, and try to approach so it is not behind you casting your shadow on the water. Walk slowly and stay back from the bank, even when the trail hugs the river. Look far ahead so you spot fish before you spook them. If you push a fish off the bank, ask what kind of water it was in, soft water or a seam, and look for similar water next.
Phase four: stop, look, listen
At the spot you plan to fish, pause. Look, listen, then look again. I often sit, have a snack and a drink, check knots, and stretch the leader while I watch. Are fish moving or feeding? Where are the seams and prime lies? Are birds working? Is it open pasture or tree-lined? Before you commit, flip a few rocks in different places, above and below a riffle, in and out of pools, to see which bugs actually live there.
None of this takes long, and all of it raises your odds of finding fish.
Gear
Our Tips and Tricks for Fly Fishing ebook collects more quick, repeatable ideas like these, and the FFIP five panel cap helps cut glare while you scan the water.
