What to look for

[Mranderson22]

I'm pretty new to fly fishing (picked up my rod last year) and I've mostly fished lakes to this point. I own a set of waders and would love to try out some streams/rivers. What exactly should I be looking for? Fast water/slow water? I know next to nothing about this facet of the sport

[fishermansfriend]

Dont be afraid to try all spots on the river.. i was shocked when i first started flyfishing last year, i caught a nice brown in about 2fow and i was just practising my casting!!

what type of fish are you targeting and where are you planning on fishing?

[scel]

Originally Posted by Mranderson22

I'm pretty new to fly fishing (picked up my rod last year) and I've mostly fished lakes to this point. I own a set of waders and would love to try out some streams/rivers. What exactly should I be looking for? Fast water/slow water? I know next to nothing about this facet of the sport

I assume that you are fishing for trout.

The fish will move all over the river, depending on the time of year, and even time of day.

For spring, summer, and fall, current seams, riffles and tailouts are good bets. With a dry fly, the fish will usually stick to calmer flatter water (where they can see bugs on the surface).

[Chernobyl Ant]

Read a good book on where fish typically are in a river/creek. They can be anywhere but certain spots typically hold more fish such as where fast water meets slow, pools, riffles, undercut banks etc. After a few outings you get a eye for good holding water.

[Mranderson22]

Awesome stuff. I plan on doing some reading about all this but I know there are tons of knowledgable folks on this site so I figured I'd give it a shot. I plan on fishing south and western alberta mainly (anywhere south/west of edson) and mainly trout. I guess all that's left to do is get out and hope for the best

[gustuphson]

Good stuff. As mentioned above read a couple books. They'll touch on where the fish are likely to hold, what they eat and different techniques (casting, nymph kong vs dry fly, etc.). Although it was noted that any water can hold fish you'll save yourself a billion fish,ess casts focusing on the fishy water... Enjoy your new hobby, the country you plan on fishing is awesome!

[BC Mountain Boy]

It can be quite frustrating/confusing though, sometimes super 'fishy' water has no fish, while areas you consider not good holding water carries many fish. I started fly fishing last year, I do always look for backeddies, corner pools, runs etc. and spend most of my time in theses, but now I have learned to have a few casts in the main current as well.

[Flieguy]

if you want to get to know the good spots on a local river (for example my favorite stream always holds fish in the riffles after deep pools, but rarely in the deep pools) hire a guide for half a day and ask plenty of questions. you'll get to know where the fish are. As you get more experienced you'll also become better at thinking like a fish. As mentioned, there's also plenty of literature available in paper copies and online.