Fishing Tail-outs
They are prime holds for migrating fish after
swimming up through riffles.
Timothy Kusherets
Tail-outs have crescent shapes to them. Find them above riffles
and below pools. Look for ringlets and boils where tail-outs are.
Watch for any sudden inconsistencies of surface motion and prepare
to fish the moment you see waves going the wrong direction.
Reading water is easy but can intimidate some anglers
when it comes to finding holds. Tail-outs are productive places to
fish, but should only be fished after covering the upper reaches of
pools.
In all cases, a tail-out will have crescent shapes to them, whether
convex or concave. They are prime holds for migrating fish after swimming
up through riffles, which have fast currents. Ideally, it’s
best to look at water before fishing and tail-outs have some of the
most dramatic tell-tail signs. Look for boils, ringlets, and waves
going in the wrong direction; they might look like arrows on the surface.
To properly fish a tail-out cast upriver and drift leaders to the
hold letting the mainline swing in an arch form. It is the “swing”
of the drift that most strikes are made, and fly anglers love it.
Complete the drift by allowing the current to carry offerings to the
surface before reeling in. This is the most productive way to fish
the hold without the risk of spooking fish.
© Timothy Kusherets 2009/10
