Writing On The Fly: Fly Fishing With New Eyes

By George Liset, Writing on the Fly, InDepth NH

Fishermen are creatures of habit.

Routines are good.

Changing your routine might affect your time on the water or your fishing success. For example, taking the same route to your favorite fishing spot and stopping at the same gas station to refuel and get a warmup on your coffee, or knowing which fly rod and reel combination to use and which flies to cast is part of that routine.

Familiarity is comfortable. Not a lot of thinking has to happen. However, sometimes it is good to look at old water with “New Eyes.” To approach the water as if you have never fished it before.

There are a few considerations why one might want to do this. Here in New Hampshire, especially after a hard winter, the water can change. Trees can end up in the water and create new pools. There can be rock slides that change the course of the river. In Mark Twain’s book “Life on the Mississippi” he talked about how after a big storm, a city that might have been on the banks of the Mississippi could end up a mile away after a big flood. Fortunately the Corps of Engineers fixed this problem by creating a system of dams to control the flooding.

Another reason is that your fly-fishing skills have improved and that you have developed better technique and/ or have changed your fishing preference. I enjoy throwing streamers, but as of late, I have preferred fishing with dry flies. Change is constant on the river and sometimes the fly-fisher has to change. Some might ask “Why change if what I am doing is working?”

For the challenge and excitement would be my answer.

I recently went to fish a river that flows into the Winnipesaukee. This river fishes well in the early spring and late fall when the bigger fish swim up to spawn. I usually fish my size six Orvis rod which works well for swinging streamers, so that if I catch a big fish I won’t lose it.

Since this was my first time fishing this river after the winter I decided to fish with dry flies. I wasn’t sure how much brush ended up in the water and didn’t want to lose a bunch of flies.

What I enjoyed was being able to fish some of the smaller pools that I would normally bypass in my search for the bigger fish. Watching the smaller fish rise to the surface for the take was fun even though my reflexes were a little slow or too fast. I did get into a couple of small brook trout that were as surprised as I was. With a little more practice we’ll both be up to speed.

As you prepare for the season, change things up. Put on some “New Eyes.” Bring a couple of different fly rods and change things up. Fish the water like it is new to you. Have fun exploring. Speaking of fun, maybe I’ll see you at the Eldridge Brothers Fly fishing Expo March 28 in Cape Neddick, Maine.

George Liset of Dover is an award-winning outdoor writer and avid fly fisherman who shares insights of his time on the water exploring New Hampshire streams and rivers as well of those around New England. George is a graduate of Wheaton College, Illinois, and the University of New Hampshire. His column Writing on the Fly has been honored by the New England Press Association and the New Hampshire Press Association.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.