Denver, CO - October 17, 2011 -- Gary Borger is one of the world's foremost fly fishing educators who has been an angler since 1955. As the bestselling author of five fly fishing books and editor at large for the Virtual Fly Shop, Gary is one of the most sought after consultants for all aspects of fly fishing for trout and salmon. He recently found time from his busy schedule to stop by the Ask About Fly Fishing internet radio show to discuss what he considers to be the strongest attribute any fly fisherman should possess: the ability to read the waters.
As Gary explains in his latest how-to book, Read Waters, this ability has everything to do with the life rules that a fish follows.
"The number one driving life force is to prevent predation, to stay alive and so that's the first thing on the fish's mind. Not getting that juicy mayfly off the top but keeping yourself from getting eaten," explained Gary. "The second thing is of course, to get something to eat because if they don't eat, they die and the third thing is to reproduce."
How can that information benefit fly fishermen? By reading waters, an angler will be able to determine the best spot where the fish lies are located. These are the "waiting areas" where fish are gathered to avoid the tumult of swimming in currents. Despite what might seem obvious, fish can't swim in currents for very long. That is why they seek out the perfect "lie spot." Fish find their lies for three basic reasons:
- To Find Shelter
- To Find Food
- To Find the Best of Both Worlds
As Gary answered questions from listeners, he explained that a perfect prime lie can be found in knee deep water that pools right at the edge of a deep drop off. Fish like to feed in shallow water and like to have a "backdoor" escape route at the ready. This makes for a prime lie. It's also where the fly fishermen should be casting first before attempting to reach into the deep end of a river or lake bed.
Gary also explained that the availability of a food source is what should drive the best time for casting. Reading waters should show an angler where and when bugs might be dropping down from trees or shrubs. Although early morning fishing seems to be the preference of many fly fishermen, Gary has found that dusk is even more lucrative in terms of landing catches.
This same principle of reading waters applies to weather conditions as well. On a cloudy, overcast day fish feel safer and are more mobile. All of this means that reading waters requires taking in many factors before casting the very first fly.
To listen to the full 90 minute interview go to Gary Borger - Reading Waters.
The next live Ask About Fly Fishing broadcast will be October 19th at 7:00 PM (MT) and will feature Fanny Krieger expert fly fishing instructor. Fanny Krieger has been involved with fly fishing instruction for over 25 years. Listen in to find out how she unravels the mystery of fly fishing for children of all ages into a simple, easy to understand and fun adventure.
About Ask About Fly Fishing - Internet Radio
AskAboutFlyFishing.com is a website that produces two 90-minute podcasts every month on the different areas concerning fly fishing. Its program host, D. Roger Maves interviews different top-rated fly fishers from different parts of the world. Listeners from around the world can listen to the show live at their website at AskAboutFlyFishing.com or by phone. Those who missed the show can listen to the podcast which is uploaded to the website 24 hours after the live show ends
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