12-03-2012, 05:35 PM
[center]DEPTH
[/center]
[left]Depth is tricky, since it's influenced by water speed,which changes frequently, differs throughout the water column, and can be hard to judge. But understanding the water depth of your target area is one of the primary factors that will dictate your setup and how to adjust your rig.
Judging depth begins with a guess. You can usually get a decent sense of depth in clear water, which makes possible a visual estimate of an entire run. Knowing the depth of the water and how it might change throughout a specific run will help you quickly get your setup dialed in----but you really just need a close guess. Remember, fish live close to the bottom, and so should your flies.
More important than actually knowing the depth of the water is the diligence to adjust your rig until your flies run deep enough to be near the bottom. Many anglers make the mistake of fishing a leader that is not long enough to reach near the bottom, and they compound that mistake by failing to make adjustments when the water depth changes. Without making adjustments, the presentation will eventually be too shallow and other times too deep. Fishing too shallow means your flies are not in the strike zone, making slim your chances of hooking fish. If you are going to err, err on going too deep. A rig set too deep can cost you some flies when snagging bottom, but is worth the risk, as you'll at least be in the zone where fish are.
When adjusting your rig, set the depth below the indicator, 1 1/2 times the water depth, and plan on adjusting from there. Begin fishing through your intended target zone, and watch your strike indicator closely for any indication that your flies are ticking the bottom. Small, sharp little ticks of the strike indicator are a good sign that your flies are on the bottom. If your flies consistently catch the bottom, shorten up the rig by moving the strike indicator down the leader towards the flies. If your rig never ticks bottom, or never hangs up at all, you are not fishing deep enough. Continue fine-tuning with a combination of length and weight (adding or removing shot) to get the perfect drift. If the river bottom is fairly uniform in shape and depth (such as in large rivers), you may not need to adjust the setup once you find a combination that works. However, habitat in smaller rivers changes often, and you may have to constantly adjust your rig to properly fish each spot.
![[Image: IMG_00871.jpg]](http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/IMG_00871.jpg)
[/left]
[signature]
[/center]
[left]Depth is tricky, since it's influenced by water speed,which changes frequently, differs throughout the water column, and can be hard to judge. But understanding the water depth of your target area is one of the primary factors that will dictate your setup and how to adjust your rig.
Judging depth begins with a guess. You can usually get a decent sense of depth in clear water, which makes possible a visual estimate of an entire run. Knowing the depth of the water and how it might change throughout a specific run will help you quickly get your setup dialed in----but you really just need a close guess. Remember, fish live close to the bottom, and so should your flies.
More important than actually knowing the depth of the water is the diligence to adjust your rig until your flies run deep enough to be near the bottom. Many anglers make the mistake of fishing a leader that is not long enough to reach near the bottom, and they compound that mistake by failing to make adjustments when the water depth changes. Without making adjustments, the presentation will eventually be too shallow and other times too deep. Fishing too shallow means your flies are not in the strike zone, making slim your chances of hooking fish. If you are going to err, err on going too deep. A rig set too deep can cost you some flies when snagging bottom, but is worth the risk, as you'll at least be in the zone where fish are.
When adjusting your rig, set the depth below the indicator, 1 1/2 times the water depth, and plan on adjusting from there. Begin fishing through your intended target zone, and watch your strike indicator closely for any indication that your flies are ticking the bottom. Small, sharp little ticks of the strike indicator are a good sign that your flies are on the bottom. If your flies consistently catch the bottom, shorten up the rig by moving the strike indicator down the leader towards the flies. If your rig never ticks bottom, or never hangs up at all, you are not fishing deep enough. Continue fine-tuning with a combination of length and weight (adding or removing shot) to get the perfect drift. If the river bottom is fairly uniform in shape and depth (such as in large rivers), you may not need to adjust the setup once you find a combination that works. However, habitat in smaller rivers changes often, and you may have to constantly adjust your rig to properly fish each spot.
[/left]
[signature]