Fly fishing and water plants
Monday, 29 June 2015 | Simon
Judging your waters in fly fishing also involves observing aquatic plant life. Check out the kinds of underwater plants present, rather than surface ones like lilies or border plants. A good sign of a water being alkaline is an abundance of underwater plants with large leaves. But if you observe only small slender plants, the water is more likely to be acidic.
Large underwater plants – for example Potamogeton praelongus – mean plenty of food and cover for fish. Not only that, but these plants produce oxygen as well. In clear waters you will see streams of bubbles rising from thick mats of plants on a lake bed. An anchor may pull up mats of plants which will contain plenty of insect life. Exceedingly clear lakes allow oxygen at greater depths, so because plants will be found at bottom in deep water, you can expect trout to range down there as well.
To recap what we said before, there are many factors you should take into account before you even start fishing. There is an art to judging waters. If you take a look at previous blogs on the subject take note of the few basic tips we offer on considerations such as water depth and clarity, acidity or alkalinity, and plant life. Developing your observational skills in this matter alone can only help improve your fly fishing skills.