Gaining an Advantage When Sight Fishing

Gaining an advantage when sight fishing

Mayflies danced to the sound of the river. The golden twilight reflected off their fragile wings. Rising and falling, they looked puppet-like, as if controlled by invisible strings. Those that had served their purpose fell weak and spent, their destiny eminent. They were sure to become a meal for some epicurean trout. Overhead swallows performed aerial maneuvers in a dogfight with the less-qualified and not so aerodynamic insects. Standing on the edge of the river, I watched. All the while in hopes the spinner fall would cause the resident trout to commence happy hour.

“Anything?” he whispered.

One word revealed my fishing partner’s intentions were the same as mine. Smith and I were anticipating and hoping to be part of the cycle of life.

“Not yet,” I replied.

A random convoy of mayflies floated by and drifted out of sight. Each mayfly represented a decoy whose lifeless body would possibly reveal the location of hungry trout. While we wanted to rush the adventure, we knew better. A blind cast could ruin our chances of catching a respectable fish. We needed to suppress anticipation, be patient and figure out where the trout were feeding before making our approach.

“There’s one!” he exclaimed.

Far down the river the familiar ringlets of a trout’s rise rippled across the surface. A hungry trout had delicately sipped a mayfly for dinner. Now, if we were lucky he’d take the man-made replicas we’d tied on the end of our tippets.

As we slowly and carefully waded to within casting distance, I could see our prey. It was Smith’s turn to cast.

 “Do you see him?”

Him or her I didn’t know which, but my fishing partner knew what was meant.

“No!”

This wasn’t the reply I was expecting. How could he not see the three fish I was staring at? The chances of him catching this fish were greatly reduced if he couldn’t make an accurate cast.

“Right there, behind the rock,” I said while pointing in the direction of the fish.

Then it occurred to me. My fishing partner didn’t have the luxury of seeing what I was seeing because of the glare on the water.

Seeing Clearly

Light can be both friend and foe to the fisher. Light makes it possible to spot and target specific fish, but it can also cause excessive glare preventing the angler from seeing fish at all. In the world of physics, light is a transverse wave and is oscillating/vibrating at right angles from the direction of propagation. In other words, if a light wave is traveling toward you, it will disperse light in all directions, but when light encounters a horizontal surface such as water, whether in the form of a lake, river or stream, the light will then vibrate in a single direction resulting in a blinding glare. When radiant light waves reflect off a horizontal surface such as water the light is said to be polarized. Meaning, the reflected waves are “polarized” to match the angle of a specific surface.

What exactly do physics have to do with fishing? Enter polarized sunglasses. The reason my fishing partner couldn’t see the fish I was seeing rested in the fact that I was wearing polarized sunglasses and he wasn’t.

Quality polarized lenses feature unique technology in the form of a film that is applied to the glass or polycarbonate lens. The film is composed of molecules that block specific angles of light from passing through the lens. According to Ed Moody, retired vice president of product development for Costa Del Mar, the technology “acts like a venetian blind.” In this application, only vertical light waves can travel through the lens coating. As a result, the avid fisher can see what he or she is fishing for and not be blinded by glare.

Seeing is Believing

Fishermen are well aware that sunglasses do more than protect your eyes from the sun. A quality pair of glasses should maximize your ability to see clearly within a given environment. Whether fishing on an overcast day in the mountains of Colorado or in fullsun on the shallow water flats of Christmas Island, modern lens technology has been engineered to deliver proper light levels, absorb harmful HEV light, and filter harsh glare, i.e., reflection off of water—and lens color plays a big part in this.

Quality sunglasses are designed to offer proper perception and enhance contrast. While ‘I like the way they look’ may be a factor when choosing a lens color, considering how you fish and where you fish is a much better way of determining the advantages of a particular color of lens.

If you’re an offshore or deep water fisherman, consider using sunglasses with blue mirror lenses. Companies, such as Costa Del Mar, use a gray base for their blue mirror lens series, meaning the tint of the lens is actually gray. The gray base/blue mirror color combination is designed to perform best in deep water and bright sunlight. By design, gray or smoke-based lenses will allow you to see deeper into the water column than a copper or vermillion-colored lens.

Copper-based lenses are the most versatile and are considered by most fishers to be the best all-around lens on the market. Whether you choose a non-mirrored, green mirror or silver mirror, a copper or vermillion-based lens will allow more light transmission and higher contrast making them the most suitable color for shallow water, inshore and sight fishing.

For several years I’ve used a copper-based, green mirror lens for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Although, on overcast days I can see where a copper-based silver mirror or plain copper lens would outperform my green mirror lenses since they would allow more light transmission. Experience has led me to believe that a silver mirror, copper-based lens is the best choice for an all-around lens.

Not every day is bright with plenty of sunshine. Is there a lens color suitable for dark and overcast days? Absolutely, and it works very well. Amber or yellow based lenses are the ideal choice for dark days. Colors such as Costa’s Sunrise Silver Mirror have been designed specifically for lowlight conditions and are a favorite lens color among die-hard fishermen who fish in the early morning and late afternoon.

That being said, there is a caveat to these recommendations. Common sense suggests that lens selection is personal. Each individual may find a particular color variation that works better for their eyes than what has been suggested by the manufacturer or other fishers. This is illustrated by the anglers in both the professional bass and fly fishing communities that prefer Costa’s Sunrise Silver Mirror above the ‘recommended’ colors. It goes without saying, but take your time when selecting glasses. The right ones will make all the difference.

Smith did hook a fish that day. Once I loaned him my glasses he saw clearly. Now, it was game on.

IT’S IN THE APPROACH

FLY FISHING IS A WORLD WHERE EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE COUNTS FOR OR AGAINST YOU

There was a finesse, a deliberate carefulness in his actions. He was what some girls defined as ‘smooth.’ Always smiling at the right time, saying the right things and usually getting what he wanted. The rest of us guys didn’t get it. How could this one guy have all the tricks for getting the best looking girl? It took me nearly 30 years of marriage to understand. It was his approach.

Successful fly fishers fall into the same category. They’re calculated, cautious and a bit suave. They’ve learned by trial and error how the approach to a trout’s feeding or prime lie can make the difference between a really good day and a really bad day of fishing.

Over two decades ago an avid trout fisherman tried to explain how a careless approach triggers a chain reaction in the river. “If you carelessly stomp to the river’s edge, those trout are going to feel that vibration. If you stand silhouetted on the bank they’re likely to see you. Once they spook they won’t look at your fly. If they race upstream they can spook other fish and you’re in for a tough day of fishing.” It took me a while to take him serious, but he was right. When approaching a river or stream, go slow. Trout can’t tell time, but they do have 160 degrees of vertical vision.

When approaching a section of water, stay in the shadows and out of direct sunlight. When possible, minimize your profile by kneeling or crouching. If there’s limited trees or underbrush along the river or stream, read the water from a distance. This will prevent fish from seeing you or your movement. If you’re able to see resting or feeding fish carefully devise a plan on how you can get as close as possible without spooking them.

If trout are actively feeding, the concentric circles left by a rise are an indicator where a particular trout is located.

When prospecting for trout there is an element of the unknown. You may know where a trout could possibly be located but knowing for sure and getting to them is the challenge. Trout have evolved to be extremely predator wary. Especially in areas with a high number of eagles, ospreys and otters. They may have a brain the size of a pea, but trout are very sensitive to overhead shadows and unusual disturbances in the water.

Easy Does It

Josh Greenberg, owner of Gates Au Sable Lodge and author of Rivers of Sand: Fly Fishing Michigan and the Great Lakes Region suggests, “Do the hard work with your wading and the easy work with your  casting.” There’s no need to make a risky 20-foot cast, which could spook the fish, if you can carefully wade to half the distance and make a perfect 10-foot cast. When contemplating how to approach a trout, you can mitigate risk by approaching from slightly behind and to the side and cast at an angle to the fish. This will allow you to present the fly and leader only. The more perpendicular to the fish you can get without spooking it, the better your presentation will be.

If you can’t fish from the bank and need to wade, try not to push ripples ahead of you. The disturbance can alert trout to your presence, which will usually cause them to stop feeding. If you can approach a fish from slightly downstream and stay in faster water, the current will dissipate any ripples.

Think Survival

There is one thing trout have on their mind—survival—what they’ll eat next or what may eat them. While there are predatory fish that dine on trout, trout are also aware of predators from above. When casting to a fish, limit your false casts and try not to false cast over the fish. The overhead motion of rod and line will alert the fish to your presence. Especially on clear days pay special attention to how your shadow and the shadow of your rod and line fall on the water. Taking note of these nuances is a sure way to conceal your intentions.

If the fish refuses the presentation, let the fly float several feet past the fish before picking your line off the water. A sloppy retrieve is another way to spoil your clandestine efforts. It’s also best to wait a few minutes between casts if the fish seem to be thumbing their nose at your imitation meal. Don’t get impatient, sometimes it takes a few attempts before a fish will eat. Most importantly, make each cast count—quality of presentation is more important than quantity.

At the end of the day, the proper approach is an accumulation of small things that collectively make a big difference.