A Stealthy Approach

There are a few things I have in mind as I'm walking up to a stream, especially on my first approach. Most obviously, don't spook the trout! They can be spooked by the sight of you or by the vibrations of you walking over them. Most of my small streams have deep cuts under the banks where trout like to hide, and they can feel your steps as you're walking above them. Instead of walking along the bank’s edge, move away from the stream to hike up or down stream, and then move in to take your cast...walk softly, and out of view of the trout. For streams with tall banks, I’ll use the grassy bank to block the trout’s view of me when casting. And, I have no hesitation to get on my knees to remain out of the trout’s view while casting, even at my golden age.

 

A few of my streams on Rainy Mountain cannot be waded, or you will see trout darting in all directions with your first step into the water. I only wade when necessary...many of these little Rio’s are narrow enough to cast a fly to all targets while standing on the bank. Heck, you can even jump over a few of them. Note: we have a national wildlife preserve where regulations prohibit wading for prevention of whirling disease…be sure to know the local rules before fishing any stream.

 

Being stealthy is also about shadows when the sky is cloudless and bright blue. That’s when the trout will be holding in the shadows that cover the stream. I invest all my time drifting my flies through the shadows on these kinds of days. I also like to walk in the shadows when approaching a stream, which keeps me from glowing like a light bulb, and alerting the trout. The trout feel safer within the shadows, and so do I.

 

I’ve always said, "be like a trout" to become invisible, and use the shadows and foliage along the bank to hide the trout’s view of your presence. It’s all about being stealthy, and it is an important factor for success when fly fishing mountain Rio’s for wild trout. My father must have passed enough of his Cherokee DNA to me, because stealthiness while fishing is just intuitive for me. Or maybe, it’s the grey and olive clothing I wear?