FishFury Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I have a few questions regarding approaching big rivers for the first time. In my few years of fly fishing i have only fished small streams and creeks, never anything big such as the bow. But recently i have wanted to get out and try some larger river, but don't really know how to go at fishing them. With small streams the structure is usually fairly obvious, and without to much effort you can find where the fish are. But when it comes to larger river i have no clue what im looking for. I know that im looking for things like seams and pools but having never fished large rivers before i am having troubles locating them among the rest of the river. In most cases to me the river looks relatively the same the whole way across. So here are some questions i hope can be answered all regarding to large rivers (in particular the bow) Where should i start when i get there? What are the different areas that fish feed in? What do these areas look like, how do you find them? How do you fish them? What areas are fish likely to be active and feeding vs resting and not interested in food? Do you wade out into the river and fish, or tend to stay closer and walk the shores? In general do you keep your casts short, or make them long? And there's so much more but all of the sudden i cant remember so i will fill them in as i do. Also another question regarding what is the best way to fish a new big river for the first time. Since im sure im going to be totally confused as where to fish the bow when i first get there is it best to fish nymphs or streamers. I know that nymphs are going to usually be the best bet, but if in not sure that im fishing in the right area they might be a complete waste of time. Not really knowing what im doing im sure that i could easily waste many days watching my indicator float in waters that hold no fish. Even if it lessens my chances of catching a fish would it not be better to use a streamer and cover much more water than you would in general with a nymph. Instead of possibly covering water without fish with a nymph, i would cover than water with a streamer but then be on my way. To me it would be better because not only would i cover more ground and hopefully increase my chances of find waters that have fish, i would be covering more water and it would give me a chance to hopefully learn the water better, so that one day i could confidently nymph those water. Or am i totally wrong and i should defiantly stick to nymphing? Again, there was so much more i wanted to ask but mid way writing this i completely forgot, so i will get back with more questions that im hopping you guys can answer for me. I appreciate any help you guys can give me and im egar to hear back from you! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpinkster Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm not able to address every single point you made, but I'll try to shed some light on some of my experiences: - Cut the river into thirds. You'll have left bank, right bank and the middle. If you conceptualize the river like this, it won't be nearly as daunting. - Fertile waters like the Bow spread the fish out. While you should find fish in 'fishy' areas with great structure, you will often find fish in the strangest of places (like an 18" brown hiding behind a rock in a foot of water - Get that rig to the bottom! If you aren't fishing the bottom with a streamer or a nymph rig, you are missing out on opportunities to catch fish. Add one more split shot than you normally would; the longer you are ticking the bottom on your float, the better chance you have to hook up I know this doesn't answer all of your questions, but hopefully this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverDoctor Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Big rivers are in fact exactly like small streams, structure. flow, seams, riffles, pools and runs. You need to get to know them to find the fish. There is no one spot, they change depending on season hatches and other food sources. Spend time looking. Talk to others on the river. If you want to fast track your knowledge hire a good guide and let them know exactly what you are after (not just a float or wade). Hook up with forum members for a day out. And above all spend time the water. Easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snouthunter Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Well said silverdoctor many guys on here I'm sure if they have the time would not mind. That's how I got going a nice guy I met on the river gave me a crash course and well now he's a good fishing buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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