Fishing Technique
Shadow Fishing
If you can see fish then they can see you. Hiding
from fish is a close as a shadow.
Timothy Kusherets
Look at how shadows emerge from behind me and upon the surface
of the river; it was perfect cover. The fighting, salmon, in above
photo, bit the end of my line while holding at the tail end of a logjam
where shadows from behind me just kissed the hold. It put this battling
salmon on the bite and made it easy to sneak up to the waterline.
If you can see fish they can probably see you. So, how do you sneak
up on water that has unlimited visibility without putting fish off the
bite?
Any species of fish will react to movement of shadows. To them, movement
means predation: it could be a bear, gull, eagle, coyote, or any number
of carnivores looking for an easy meal, and that does also include anglers.
When it comes to fish there isn’t any distinction from one to
the other.
Shadows are what put fish off the bite and they are also the same thing
that can hide you. To fish the best reaches of any body of water look
for overhanging shadows of where you want to cast, and from where you
expect to fish. So long as an angler isn’t wearing garish clothing
shadows will hide the largest angler.
Even still, it’s best to move slowly to the waterline before making
that first cast. In crystal clear water salmon, steelhead, and trout
are easily spooked; with that in mind, use any offering that has a small
profile no bigger than a No.2 spinner blade. Use light terminal gear
with a weight less than a quarter ounce. Cast far upstream from where
you want to make the presentation and let the current carry it to any
holding fish. Fishing in this manner keeps any fish of the reach on
the bite. If after a few casts you don’t garner any strikes then
move to the next hold. Stressed fish in clear water cannot be enticed.
If they see the offering and don’t strike at it there is a strong
possibility that it won’t strike anything else either.
It’s one of the perks of fishing during high barometric weather;
you cover a lot of territory fast. Remember, when moving to another
hold to take the same precautions; when the sun is beating down, directly
overhead, back away from the waterline walking up or downriver along
the tree line and stay in those shadows to hide.
© Timothy Kusherets 2008/10
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