Post by jime on Jan 22, 2014 9:18:32 GMT -6
The Secret of the Rings
(That title kind of sounds like a J.R.R.Tolkien book)
Anyway, the rings I’m talking about are the rise forms from trout. Noticing the type of rise form can help determine what fly you should be using.
Imagine, you’re approaching a section of river and you see fish rising continuously leaving little ring waves on the water. A closer inspection of the rings that they leave can tell you whether they are feeding on emergers or adults. Further, it can possibly tell you what kind of insect they are after.
Take notice
When you see a fish rising, notice if you see its nose breaking the surface or maybe you are able see its dorsal fin and tail. Possibly it could be that the whole fish is jumping out of the water. These and a few more important clues will help you those catch fish.
Take the following as a general rule of thumb
Fish’s nose breaks the surface
Seeing a fish’s nose out of water while feeding just about always means he is feeding on dun mayflies or some sort of hapless terrestrial. An exception to this though is that sometimes a larger fish will just flare his gills right under an insect and suck it in, leaving very little of a ring. Gotta love that little gulping sound of a big bruiser trout!
Dorsal fin and/or tail break the surface
This activity usually is an indicator that the fish are feeding on adult midges or emerging midge pupas. At times, midges hatch by the thousands so the fish don’t have to be in a hurry to get one or two or three...etc. The fish just swim around gently rolling on the surface, feeding to their delight.
A ring only with part of the fish being seen
This is a classic emerger (non-midge) feeding scenario. The emergent stage of an insect’s lifecycle is when it is most vulnerable. Gas bubbles form under its nymphal skin causing it to rise to the surface from the bottom. Once there the insect must break through his skin/shuck and the water’s surface tension (meniscus film) rendering it somewhat helpless. This makes for an easy time for it to become trout food.
Fish jumps out of the water or a very splashy rise
Most often these fish are feeding on emerging caddis flies. When caddis pupae emerge, they do so quickly, breaking through the meniscus film and almost immediately take to flight. As you well know, mayflies must spend some time on the water's surface, drying their wings before they are able to fly. Not caddis flies! They are up and away as soon as making it to the surface and the trout know it...hence they’re jumping at them before they get away! I think more and more when you see a caddis fly on the water for more that second or two he is crippled and may never take to flight. For this reason, I have started tying more elk hair caddis with a trailing shuck.
Another time when fish are seen jumping out of the water is when they are after mating adults and/or egg laying females. This is a hoot to watch! I’ve seen fish do a flip in the air trying to catch these insects that are flying only inches above the water.
A fish tale
A couple of years ago, a friend and I were walking back up stream after hitting some good spots further down and noticed a single fly fisherman out in the river. All around him were fish rising but he wasn’t catching anything. We watched him and the rising fish for several minutes, both of us knowing that the fish were feeding on caddis flies because of the splashing rises and occasional jumping fish. It sure would have been nice to be standing in his shoes uhh….boots then. Oh well !!
In closing
For your next outing, if you see fish working the surface, stop and pay close attention to the rise forms they’re leaving. Even if the obvious fly is buzzing around your head it doesn’t automatically mean the fish are feeding on it or just its adult form. Unlocking the Secret of the Rings can help solve what fly and tactic to use.
Jim Enns <*)))))))><
(That title kind of sounds like a J.R.R.Tolkien book)
Anyway, the rings I’m talking about are the rise forms from trout. Noticing the type of rise form can help determine what fly you should be using.
Imagine, you’re approaching a section of river and you see fish rising continuously leaving little ring waves on the water. A closer inspection of the rings that they leave can tell you whether they are feeding on emergers or adults. Further, it can possibly tell you what kind of insect they are after.
Take notice
When you see a fish rising, notice if you see its nose breaking the surface or maybe you are able see its dorsal fin and tail. Possibly it could be that the whole fish is jumping out of the water. These and a few more important clues will help you those catch fish.
Take the following as a general rule of thumb
Fish’s nose breaks the surface
Seeing a fish’s nose out of water while feeding just about always means he is feeding on dun mayflies or some sort of hapless terrestrial. An exception to this though is that sometimes a larger fish will just flare his gills right under an insect and suck it in, leaving very little of a ring. Gotta love that little gulping sound of a big bruiser trout!
Dorsal fin and/or tail break the surface
This activity usually is an indicator that the fish are feeding on adult midges or emerging midge pupas. At times, midges hatch by the thousands so the fish don’t have to be in a hurry to get one or two or three...etc. The fish just swim around gently rolling on the surface, feeding to their delight.
A ring only with part of the fish being seen
This is a classic emerger (non-midge) feeding scenario. The emergent stage of an insect’s lifecycle is when it is most vulnerable. Gas bubbles form under its nymphal skin causing it to rise to the surface from the bottom. Once there the insect must break through his skin/shuck and the water’s surface tension (meniscus film) rendering it somewhat helpless. This makes for an easy time for it to become trout food.
Fish jumps out of the water or a very splashy rise
Most often these fish are feeding on emerging caddis flies. When caddis pupae emerge, they do so quickly, breaking through the meniscus film and almost immediately take to flight. As you well know, mayflies must spend some time on the water's surface, drying their wings before they are able to fly. Not caddis flies! They are up and away as soon as making it to the surface and the trout know it...hence they’re jumping at them before they get away! I think more and more when you see a caddis fly on the water for more that second or two he is crippled and may never take to flight. For this reason, I have started tying more elk hair caddis with a trailing shuck.
Another time when fish are seen jumping out of the water is when they are after mating adults and/or egg laying females. This is a hoot to watch! I’ve seen fish do a flip in the air trying to catch these insects that are flying only inches above the water.
A fish tale
A couple of years ago, a friend and I were walking back up stream after hitting some good spots further down and noticed a single fly fisherman out in the river. All around him were fish rising but he wasn’t catching anything. We watched him and the rising fish for several minutes, both of us knowing that the fish were feeding on caddis flies because of the splashing rises and occasional jumping fish. It sure would have been nice to be standing in his shoes uhh….boots then. Oh well !!
In closing
For your next outing, if you see fish working the surface, stop and pay close attention to the rise forms they’re leaving. Even if the obvious fly is buzzing around your head it doesn’t automatically mean the fish are feeding on it or just its adult form. Unlocking the Secret of the Rings can help solve what fly and tactic to use.
Jim Enns <*)))))))><
