Fish behaviour

[Mike Connor]

"Path of least resistance" is most commonly used regarding electricity, although this is in fact a complete myth, and the statement is false. Electricity takes all available paths, in inverse proportion to the impedance in point of fact. Water flowing downhill takes the path of least resistance.

Agreed that stealth is the main factor for anglers and the one most commonly neglected. The other observations all make good sense in my opinion. The point about what others are up to is also well taken. There is not much point in you being stealthy if the bloke on the opposite bank is standing and casting in full view of where you want to fish. One reason I prefer to fish alone actually, I have generally found it impossible to get people to be stealthy enough. They always seem to think I am exaggerating or being "too fussy". If you can get within 20 feet of a wild deer grazing in a field, using whatever cover is available, and assuming that there is cover, then you might have a chance of getting that close to a wild trout as well. Of course that only means you got that close, it doesn't mean you will catch it!

It is also an interesting exercise for people to try. In the majority of cases you will reach a point where the deer "stiffens" and it ceases to feed, shortly after that, if you continue to advance, and sometimes even if you don't, the deer will just run away. The exact same thing happens with wild trout, it's just that most people never notice, because the fish are long gone before they even get within casting range. It is VERY VERY difficult to be stealthy enough to approach a wild creature without it becoming aware of you, in my opinion the most difficult aspect of the whole affair.

TL
MC

[Mike Connor]

( Somehow managed to reach the edit time limit, so added the rest here).

In quite a few cases your only real option in some spots is to go there stealthily, find some cover, and wait. Trying to approach some lies just spooks the fish. If you sit down and wait in cover after a careful approach, you have at least a chance of seeing a good fish. Of course, this doesn't always work either, you might have to wait a long time, there might not be a fish there in the first place, ( although there are virtually always goof fish in good lies), and you still may not be able to make your presentation stealthily enough.

TL
MC

[Mike Connor]

Another point worth noting, which I think explains a few things, is that you can get fairly close to a deer when it is in deep cover in the woods, before it spooks. You still have to be stealthy of course, but you can get a lot closer with less difficulty. I think the same applies to trout in deeper water, they are apparently less aware of things outside their immediate sphere of operations when in deep water or various types of disturbed or coloured water. You still have to be very stealthy of course, and you wont normally see the fish, but if your presentation is good you have a greater chance of hooking them under such circumstances. I think this is why deep nymphing is often a lot more successful for many, as well as the fact that the majority of fish will invariably be feeding close to the bottom. When surface feeding in the open they are far easier to spook. The feeding lies are also different to the "boltholes". Even if you locate a fish in a "bolthole", or even just fish what you suspect is a bolthole, blind, you will often have difficulty getting a fish to take.

Lots of people, and nearly all visiting anglers, have tried stalking "my" deer over the years. Not actually "mine" of course, they are wild, but were regular visitors to my very large grounds at various times of the day and year, only two others have ever managed to get as close as I could. Of course, as ever, I cheated! I practiced a lot, and knew the best approaches!

The strange thing with these deer is that they would come very close to the house, and I have even had a couple on the back terrace, but as soon as anybody made any moves, even in the living room, they were away!

TL
MC

[daringduffer]

[quote="Mike Connor" you might have to wait a long time

TL
MC[/quote]

Maybe even to the next year:http://dryflyexpert.blogspot.com/2011/1 ... sance.html

dd

[Mike Connor]

[quote="Mike Connor" you might have to wait a long time

TL
MC

Maybe even to the next year:http://dryflyexpert.blogspot.com/2011/1 ... sance.html

dd[/quote]

Excellent observations there. Such reconnaisance and gathered intelligence is of inestimable value. Just knowing a few good lies, many remain the same season after season, and learning how best to approach them, will get you fish. This often seems like "magic" to other people. Of course you still need to develop the skills required to capitalise on such knowledge.

Indeed, for a lot of things, especially artificial fly or technique experiments, you might have to wait several seasons for an opportunity to come round again. Some things may never happen again in such a way while you are on the stream. It also takes some discipline to carry on experiments when fish are taking but you want to know whether a specific pattern or technique works well or better, even though you know you could take fish with some other method or pattern. Optimising things, and basically by way of "trial and error" is often a long and weary business. Often you really have only a very vague idea about how to optimise something anyway! Also very frustrating when a fly or technique works really well, but only once! Or is otherwise not consistent. This is the single most important reason for me to read all the old literature, and of course whatever new literature one deems appropriate, as this gives insights into things that you could never learn in your own lifetime. It also gives you a basis for experiment and trial. You can't just start out "cold" designing flies or developing techniques, it can take a very long time to get one good consistent fly or a setup and technique working properly, assuming you also had the skill required to operate the setup in the first place.

Can be a little frustrating at first, but after a while it gets easier, and you certainly catch a lot more fish as a result.

TL
MC

[Otter]

As interesting as I find fish behaviour I find angler behavior a much richer and revealing topic - Anglerspotting can be good sport.

[daringduffer]

As interesting as I find fish behaviour I find angler behavior a much richer and revealing topic - Anglerspotting can be good sport.

I prefer to fish all by myself so I can "own" the water. More importantly, I want to be alone when making a fool of myself making stupid mistakes.....so please, don't watch me.

dd

[kanutripr]

As for me I make the most stupid mistakes when people are watching me. So if I can make someone's day then good.


Vicki

[daringduffer]

You are probably a generous person, Vicki.

dd

[Otter]

I have to confess that as far as fishing spiders or flymph's on rivers I am almost a complete novice and were u to angler spot me whilst I fished these methods you may well fall in from laughing.

Often I ask myself , what the hell am I doing on this forum I know bugger all about this stuff. But then again I have in a past life fished wingless wets (and some winged ones too) for many many years, using traditional Irish Wet flies on lake, lough and river's for Salmon, Sea Trout and some Brown Trout. Never got hung up on any notion of winged or wingless - imitation was not the order of any of that fishing really - though for the brown trout many were quite imitative in a very suggestive sort of way but the brown trout fishing was at that time a diversion from the real fishing for the sea going species.

So in a way I have a lot of catching up to do, the imitative requirement of river trouting is relatively new to me and occasionally when I look back on previous fishing I think , chit, I am getting old.

There is a huge amount to be learned in angler spotting , both positive and positive negatives - what I mean by positive negatives is when you look at an average angler at work, sitting quietly on a high bank you can see exactly where he/she is going wrong and learn from it. As well as that you can relax, observe and occasionally have a good laugh.