Where Will Fish Most Likely Feeding At?

[ericlin0122]

 

Today, I discovered a new part of river which I have never fished at.

Side channel: slow and shallow.

Main current: fast

I am trying to figure out where fish likes to feed at this kind of structure.

I tried nymphing, had 3 hooked.

what I did is: I was standing at "E", cast to "A" and let it drift to "B". Most of fish I got was in the end of drift, when indicator reached to point "B".

2 out of those 3 I hooked were hooked on the side. They definitely was facing away from my flies.

 

Question: where is fish most likely feeding at? and facing which way? where should I drift nymph in this diagram?

 

I actually saw a lot of raisers at point "A" and "D".

 

Thanks for all of your help.

[Hawgstoppah]

If it was me I would stand at "D" (after checking for risers and being sure not to spook anything that might be there)... and cast up on the drop off I would assume is at "E" (can it be reached with a cast or are we talking about a 100ft wide side channel?).

 

So... I'd stand at D and survey the whole scene for risers... if found I would position myself for a drag free drift at them... if no risers I would nymph...I'd fish the seam starting my drifts at E and having them float through both C (a bit faster) and B (deep slow drift) with nymphs. I'd try a few lighter nymph presentations in "A" as well... assuming that's a slow side channel there would be lots of small mayfly nymphs and leeches and whatnot in there so I'd go about 3 and 4 ft under an indy with a small set of nymphs at A, if that didn't work I'd streamer fish all of A with small black woolly bugger too. Then I'd stand at E later on and cast way out into the main current and let my streamer rig (2 streamers) come back into C, and B, and see if anythings lying there in an aggressive state.

[Tungsten]

I would stand down stream and cast a hop drop rig upstream in the area of D where the water is not moving much.

[ericlin0122]

If it was me I would stand at "D" (after checking for risers and being sure not to spook anything that might be there)... and cast up on the drop off I would assume is at "E" (can it be reached with a cast or are we talking about a 100ft wide side channel?).

 

So... I'd stand at D and survey the whole scene for risers... if found I would position myself for a drag free drift at them... if no risers I would nymph...I'd fish the seam starting my drifts at E and having them float through both C (a bit faster) and B (deep slow drift) with nymphs. I'd try a few lighter nymph presentations in "A" as well... assuming that's a slow side channel there would be lots of small mayfly nymphs and leeches and whatnot in there so I'd go about 3 and 4 ft under an indy with a small set of nymphs at A, if that didn't work I'd streamer fish all of A with small black woolly bugger too. Then I'd stand at E later on and cast way out into the main current and let my streamer rig (2 streamers) come back into C, and B, and see if anythings lying there in an aggressive state.

 

the distance between D and E is about 230 ft according to google map. so stand at D cast E is impossible.

would you suggest stand at E, and just let it drift along the current C until it reaches D?

 

You were correct. the depth in A is about 2-4 ft, and I was using light nymph 3ft below indicator.

I will try streamer next time as you suggest. I think there are some big ones lying at A to B, cuz I saw some big risers there.

The only problem is to get from E to D will takes about 30 mins walk, I am too lazy.

 

So conclusion is starting from D is a better choice?

[Hawgstoppah]

come on man ya can't make a 230ft cast with a buncha nymphs and an indicator on???? lolol jeez... you need to step up your game!! LOLOL.

 

There's a very steep hill along D isn't there if it's where I am thinking, actually both spots that come to mind are similar... then nymphing along D and all the way around downstream of D in the main river is very good too.

[Hawgstoppah]

So conclusion is starting from D is a better choice?

 

actually in this scenario either E or D is going to be decent starting points but E gives you more options given the distances were talking about now... from E you can dnagle, swing, and skate dries, you can nymph from E with a drop down technique (and also nymph the slow side channel).. and you can also streamer fish very well from E. Given the distances I'd also start at E. Unless I happened to be walking upstream and didn't have my swimming gear on *grin*

[ÜberFly]

So are you saying that you have not "physically" been to this location?! It might be totally different then what "google map" shows, from my exp. Remember, the google map, maps are quite old (often prior to the flood of 2005) so the river may not be exactly as it shows...

 

I'd be curious to find out if this is the case, please let us know...

 

Also, what about standing on the top left bank, that way you have the entire side channel to fish as well as the seam that is formed from where the side channel meets the main river?! As well bank below...

 

P

 

 

according to google map

 

[ericlin0122]

So are you saying that you have not "physically" been to this location?! It might be totally different then what "google map" shows, from my exp. Remember, the google map, maps are quite old (often prior to the flood of 2005) so the river may not be exactly as it shows...

 

I'd be curious to find out if this is the case, please let us know...

 

Also, what about standing on the top left bank, that way you have the entire side channel to fish as well as the seam that is formed from where the side channel meets the main river?! As well bank below...

 

P

i was there yesterday. me bad at estimate distance, so use google map to do it. I was standing at E, casting to D is a bit distance. I am not a good caster, some pro might be able to do it?

Actually, google map was kind of off little bit as you call, the river is much higher than the picture shown.

 

ya, I will try the bank near D.

Thanks.

 

[ericlin0122]

come on man ya can't make a 230ft cast with a buncha nymphs and an indicator on???? lolol jeez... you need to step up your game!! LOLOL.

 

There's a very steep hill along D isn't there if it's where I am thinking, actually both spots that come to mind are similar... then nymphing along D and all the way around downstream of D in the main river is very good too.

ya, you are right. it's there!

[ÜberFly]

With the water this high, just mooch near the bank (as others have said)!! Why cast even out?!

 

P

 

 

[maxwell]

fish will be feeding at all spots Eric! u will get fish sitting in the main channel feedig, fish stacked were the channel feeding in the main current and the side channel drop off! same with the main seam were the two currents collide in the backwash in the

middle and fish will also feed at the end of the channel were hawgstopper would be standing too feeding on whatever flows down the main current ad kicks out of the bottomg o the side channel!! I would start at the bottom and fish E C B A D in the order

[ericlin0122]

alright.

I went to the same spot twice. Today is my best day of fishing since the water gets so high and murky.

Fishing from 2pm-5:30pm. Hook 11 fish, landed 5 of them.

I was fishing around B&C first, got my first fish in 20 mins, then it slowed down.

just an ok size fish.

 

I decide to give "A" a try. fished in very shallow and slow water, probably ~2 to 3 ft deep.

Landed this guy, taped 18". I was surprised, didn't know this water can produce such fat white fish.

 

I basically cast to slow water and let it dead drift. caught two more suckers.

then this guy got hooked, this is probably my biggest white fish ever, taped 20". takes a long time to pull it in.

 

look how fat it is.

 

I am very impressed, didn't know this part of bow river can produce such big whites. most whites I caught in NW are small, I have never caught anything this big in NW.

 

Most fish caught on this

 

I guess smaller fish like to hang out around faster water, B&C. The true big ones are at A. At least from what I have experienced.

[maxwell]

those last 3 shots are lake whitefish dude!!!!!!!! nicely done!!!!!!!! not the everyday rocky u hook on the bow! a real treat!!! and they get bigger ive seen tehm in the mid 20 range witha 16=' girth and heard rumors of 10+lb'rs in some of teh resivoirs south of town!! congrats!!!

[Hawgstoppah]

Yeah I agree max those are for sure lake whites, and darn nice ones at that. You get the odd lake white and even lake trout in the bow in the NW for sure.

 

and if it's in the NW it's not the spot I was thinking of... lol. I was thinking of legacy island at the end where the side channel is 200+ feet across... or even the spot up from the MacKinnon launch by about a mile or so along those cliffs.