RISES TO LOOK FOR

Often when we are fishing a stream, we see the fish before we have the opportunity to fish for them. Sometimes we blunder into a pool and see the fish as they are leaving, but hopefully we will see them before they have the chance to see us. Often this involves seeing the fish as they are feeding on natural insects, which we call a rise.

THE SUCKING OR BUBBLE RISE: This fish is taking insects off the surface, and will take a properly presented dry fly. If the fish is a large one there will be a loud sucking sound and rings will radiate out from a central point. There will be bubbles present to mark the fish that has just taken a fly, and these bubbles may continue to come up for a few seconds.

THE DIMPLE OR SIP RISE: When fish are dimpling the surface it might mean small fish, but not always, for often a large trout can pick flies off the surface and hardly disturb the water. The fish simply sticks his lip out and sucks in the fly. Some dimpling fish are hard to catch.

THE ROLL OR THE GRAB: This is probably one of the most exciting rises, second only to the explosion rise. In this rise, the fish seem to roll in the water. Sometimes their whole upper body comes out of the water as they take the insect or fly, but usually the fish just makes a slow roll and takes the fly off the surface. Fish these rises. Often these rises go unnoticed for they take place frequently in shallow rapids. Once I almost missed the most exciting rise of a lifetime because I mistook rising fish for rapids for it was very hard to see their nose, fin, and back come out of the water. A rise similar to this is called the Bulge. In this rise the trout's back and fin may come out of the water, but usually there is only an up-swelling of the water as the trout takes a nymph or immature fly. Sometimes the bulge is associated with a fish as the fish turns on its side to take the nymph. The difference between these rises is that the roll is a surface-feeder and the bulge is a nymph-feeding trout.

THE SLASHING OR EXPLOSION RISE: This is the one that leaves your nerves shattered, and often your line as well, for often we are inclined to strike back with the same fury that has just broken the quiet stillness of the pool. I have seen large fish roll and slash in a quiet pool and it leaves your knees shaking and your fingers trembling. This rise takes place when the trout, fearing it will lose its dinner, makes a wild rush that carries it out of the water. Spider dry flies, and often a Muddler minnow will provoke this most exciting of all rises. Often the slashers are quite hard to catch. They jump clear of the water and put on quite a display, and what is lost in not catching all the big slashers is more than made up for in the excitement of trying to catch them.

THE CRUISER: This fish is probably one of the hardest to catch, because we usually see him cruising in the very shallow water looking for nymphs, insects, or fresh water shrimp. Often all we see is their back fin and tail as they zig zag through the shallows. Usually this cruiser is a really good fish, but only a well-placed fly with a delicate cast will take him. Accuracy is the word for he will be gone in a second if you misjudge.

THE TAILER: This fish is picking nymphs off the bottom, with its head down and its tail up breaking the surface. You must get your nymph or fly down into the area where he is feeding, for he will notice nothing floating over him.