High Water Fishing Tips
High Water Fly Fishing Tips with The Reel 406
High water fly fishing can be very productive if you approach the water in a safe manner and keep your eyes out for dangers. With the opening of fishing season approaching us here in Montana, The Reel 406 has some helpful tips for everyone itching to get out and hit the water this coming weekend.
#1. Pick the right footwear. Be smart about the footwear you are wearing and the type of sole that is on your boot or sandal. With the water up and flowing high and fast, having the best grip available is a must. I recommend felt soled wading boots and if you can, add stream cleats to give an extra boost in the grip department. This is not the time of year to go down trying to cross a stream or while you’re working up a bank, things can go downhill in a hurry if you lose your footing. Also, be cognizant of which way you’re facing in comparison to the current. Standing sideways in the current allows for less drag and surface area for the water to hit, which makes it easier to stand in the water. If you decide you are going to head back to the bank, turn by facing upstream, keeping the knees straight into the current while you spin a 180. Turning the opposite directions allows the water to break your knees and the possibility of the current sweeping your legs out from under you.
#2. Use a wading staff. Wading staff aren’t just for old guys who can’t get around, they are a game changer and a must for wading when you cannot see the bottom or the bottom is very rocky. It’s like having another leg, it allows you to always have 2 points of contact on the bottom at all times if used correctly. However, you cannot part the Red Sea with it so be careful about where you’re using it.
#3 Fish familiar water. High water is not the time to go explore that new reach or bomb down into some canyon you’ve been eyeing for the past couple summers. Fishing water you know allows you to have a better understanding of what a crossing might be like or how the water levels might be in certain riffles or holes you like to fish.
#4 Target the right water. With a high volume of water rolling down the river, the fish are not going to sit out in the middle and put up with it. High water generally contains a lot of silt and other debris which trout do not like blowing through their gills. Search out the softer edges, back eddies and side channels to find the fish. Remember where you hook fish because many times they will be stacked up in favorable water and look to find similar type water as your fishing day progresses. One thing to note is water clarity, if the water is dirty, you may have to really work over water to give the fish a chance to see your flies. There is a timing factor too in which fish eat, don’t think they’re going to always hit it on the first couple of passes. If you’re fishing from a boat, pound the banks. If you’re not losing some flies, get tighter.
#5 Fish the right bugs. Bring out the big guns this time of year, large stoneflies, wooly buggers, sculpin patterns and rubber legs all have a larger profile and will make fish move to eat them. Fish move to eat on a risk reward basis, bigger meals will get more movement. The last and in my opinion the most important fly this time of year is the San Juan worm. The banks are getting cut out by the high water and worms in the dirt are getting washed into the river, fish eat worms. Fish, worms, bright red, wine or pink are my favorite flavors and don’t forget the squirmy worms either, sometimes they are hard to beat. Last thing to add to your flies is weight, with higher flows you may need to add more weight than you normally fish. If you're not ticking, you’re not fishing!
#6. Know before you float. High water changes the river each year, some for the good and some not so good. There are always new trees that come down river with the flows or just get washed out and fall across a channel. It is always good to know where these hazards are so you can another channel or be ready to pull over and portage a boat around the obstacle. Local fly shops are probably your best bet here to get the knowledge ahead of putting a boat on the water. Another good tip is knowing your limitations on rowing and reading water, don’t put yourself in a position where you can lose your boat and all your gear, or even worse someone’s life. If you don’t know, don’t go!
#7 Be Smart! Live to see another day is a great motto here. Think before you do and always pick the safer choice this time of year. Water can be very deceptive and has much more power than most people give it. The water doesn’t give back what it takes, rods and fly boxes can be replaced, someone’s life cannot.
Be safe out there and enjoy the beautiful weather we have been getting. It’s not going to be too much longer and people will start talking about salmon flies. Let the madness begin!!
