Where Do I Find the Fish?
One of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make is assuming that trout are spread evenly through the water. They are not. Finding the fish is often more important than changing your fly.
Look first for places that offer trout three things: food, shelter and a comfortable place to hold. In rivers that often means current edges, pools, undercut banks and changes in depth. In lakes and reservoirs, look for drop-offs, weed beds, structure and areas where natural food is likely to gather.
Trout do not sit everywhere
Water can look inviting to us while offering very little to a trout. Fish usually choose places that let them feed efficiently without using more energy than necessary. That is why some stretches can appear empty, while one small area may hold several fish.
Before you cast, spend a little time looking at the water. Changes in current, depth, shade, cover and structure are all clues. The more features a spot offers, the more likely it is to be worth fishing.
Where to look in a river
Current seams
A current seam is the meeting point between faster and slower water. These are important feeding areas because food carried by the faster current can pass close to a fish holding in the easier water beside it.
The head of a pool
Where faster water enters a deeper pool, food is often funnelled into a smaller area. Trout may hold where they can intercept that food while remaining close to deeper water and cover.
The tail of a pool
The shallow end of a pool can also be productive, particularly when fish move into position to feed. Because the water is often clearer and shallower here, approach carefully.
Undercut banks and cover
Banks, overhanging vegetation, tree roots and other cover can give trout protection from predators and strong light. If there is also food nearby, these places are always worth a careful look.
Behind rocks and obstructions
A large rock or obstruction can break the current and create a quieter pocket of water. Trout can use these areas to conserve energy while remaining close to food drifting past in the main flow.
Where to look in lakes and reservoirs
Stillwaters do not have the obvious current patterns of a river, but fish are still influenced by food, depth, shelter and water conditions.
Drop-offs
A change from shallow to deeper water gives trout easy access to different depths. Fish may move along these edges while feeding, especially where natural food is concentrated.
Weed beds and weed edges
Weed can provide shelter for insects and other small creatures, which in turn attracts fish. The edge of a weed bed is often easier to fish than the thickest weed itself and can form a natural feeding route.
Points, bays and structure
Any feature that interrupts an otherwise uniform shoreline can be significant. Points, small bays, submerged features and changes in the bottom can all influence where trout travel and feed.
Windward shores
Wind can push surface food and other natural material towards one shore. At times, this can make the windward bank a much better place to look than calm water elsewhere.
Watch before you cast
Rising fish are an obvious clue, but they are not the only one. Watch for movement, nervous water, insects, fry, feeding birds and any sign that suggests life is concentrated in a particular area.
Even when nothing is showing on the surface, the shape of the water can tell you where to begin. A small change in depth or current can be more important than a large area of apparently attractive water.
Think in terms of food, shelter and comfort
| What the trout needs | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Food | Current seams, weed edges, inflows, wind lanes and places where insects or other food collect |
| Shelter | Undercut banks, deeper water, weed, rocks, roots, shade and submerged structure |
| Comfort | Water where a fish can hold without fighting the strongest current all the time |
Do not ignore the obvious places
Beginners sometimes assume that experienced anglers know a secret location. More often, they have simply learned to recognise the best-looking water quickly. A trout does not need a complicated reason to be where it is. If a place offers food, safety and an easy lie, it may be exactly where the fish wants to be.
Before changing flies again and again, ask yourself a simpler question: am I actually fishing where the trout are likely to be?
The Fly Fishing Encyclopedia app goes much further into where trout hold, how their behaviour changes with conditions and seasons, and how to choose the right approach once you have found them.
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