Reading the water

[afishinado]

 

[krayfish2]

To me, this is probably the key to being a great angler. Champion caster, master in entomology, world class fly tying, all are great but if you aren't getting your bugs into sections where fish live and feed, you will struggle to be successful. Reading the water is probably the thing I stress the most when on a guide trip. A bad cast in a fishy spot catches fish while great casts into a fishless area won't.

People often get overwhelmed when on bigger water be it Penns or Susky. If you stare at a big section, it's easy to get lost or confused. Look at the water within 50' of you, identify the 3-4 most likely spots where fish might live. After thoroughly covering them, fish the other water or move 20' and repeat.