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Fly Fishing in the Offseason -
Preparing for the Fishing Season
By Brian Milne
The offseason is here and our days on the water are
numbered. Time to pack away the fly rod and count down
the days until spring, right? Think again. The offseason
is the time to head out to your favorite river or stream
and scout out runs for the following year. A time when
you don't even have to tie on a fly to have one of your
most productive "fishing" days of the year. Follow these
tips today and you'll set yourself up for a successful
season tomorrow:
1. Scout It Out
Adept anglers take advantage of the time of year when
rivers are still at their lowest, clearest flows -
perfect for taking note of submerged logs, ledges,
boulders or other underwater features that are more
visible than they are for much of the year. The key is
to pay attention and take note of all the fine details
of the river. Bring along a small notepad to help map
out what you see.
2. Study, Study, Study
Look for anything that strikes you as different,
providing habitat for the rainbow trout. Study
everything from endless eddies and side channels of your
favorite runs, to the foamy edges of the main currents
you rarely consider. Look for rising trout. If there's a
hatch coming off, but you don't notice any fish, you
might not be looking close enough. In the fall and
winter, rises are so lazy they barely make a ring. So
sit back, and let your eyes do the fishing. Scan for
those telltale boils that will only appear today, and
will surely hint to good fishing below when the water
levels soar in coming months..
3. Search the Shallows
Be sure to search the shallow stretches for any places a
trout is likely to feel safe. Some ideal holding spots
include undercut banks, beneath and beside logs and
below overhanging brush or tree branches. These are
prime holding when rivers swell with snowmelt and leave
the water stained and fast-moving, forcing trout to hug
the banks in search of protection from the strong
currents..
4. Find Feeding Zones
Keep and eye out for all the areas that will provide
fish with food. Find pockets (behind boulders or at the
bottom of pools) where trout can camp out eat without
expending a ton of energy. Trout can start getting
sluggish in the offseason and aren't willing to go out
of their way for food. Find a concentration of these
winter whoppers holding in a food-carrying current and
you've probably stumbled across that "secret spot" for
the rest of the year.
Deep pools are obvious big-fish magnets, but also see
plenty of pressure throughout the year. Look past the
bottomless holes and seek out other key strike zones
that won't catch your eye later in the year. Note seams
where strong currents flow into slower, shallow-water
riffles.
5. Watch the Surface
Don't limit yourself to reading the river below the
surface. The surface is probably the most telling aspect
of the river. Dancing pyramids (where slow water meets
faster water) can hold nice fish even if cover isn't
present. Standing waves mean there are big boulders
ahead and big fish hiding out beside them. Eddies are
easy giveaways for fish.
Don't forget the importance of boulders and other
structure that break that surface given they'll be
completely submerged once the runoff begins. Large rocks
provide pockets downstream and will continue to provide
tail-end cavities all year long. The same goes for large
logs, or concrete slabs and other man-made structure
that ends up in the river.
6. Ready Your Gear
Another key during the offseason is to keep your gear in
check. If you're in need of a replacement rod, reel or
other key fly fishing accessory, the end of the year is
always a good time to find bargains on year-end
closeouts of the previous year's models.
The offseason is also a good time to repair and clean
your gear to make sure it'll hold up for another season.
7. Reward Yourself
Once you've got those stretches scouted, be sure to
reward yourself with some time on the water, testing
your new spots with your favorite late-season fly. Find
a couple holding trout now and you'll be on the inside
track for a stellar season next year.
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