“FISH WHERE THEY ARE”

Written By - - 06/8/2007

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You have to fish where the fish are, said Harvey. 

If you notice, my line is in the water and as I understand it, fish live in the water and not in the woods, I replied somewhat exasperated.

 I wasn\'t sure you knew that, said Harvey. \"Whenever I looked, your fly was in a tree.\" 

\"Very funny, Harvey P., very funny.\" 

I didn\'t think it was very funny at all. I had been fishing for an hour and had caught one trout while Harvey caught ten. 

Harvey Phineas Farkle was the local fishing maven and, from my first year of high school until I left, he was my fly fishing mentor. 

\"Where do you go when you want to buy food?\" asked Harvey. 

\"Dairy Queen.\" 

\"How about a grocery store\" 

\"That too,\" I replied. 

\"So do trout,\" said Harvey. 

The old boy is losing it, I thought. 

He continued, \" But their grocery store is the current that brings food to them. See that line of foam that goes sometimes from one side of the stream to the other?\" 

\"Yeah\" 

\"Well that\'s the main current and carries all the goodies that trout eat. Think of it as a stream within a stream. Fish where the foam is, especially where it runs under overhangs and against the bank. The current undercuts the bank and like overhangs, an undercut bank provides protection from predators.\" 

Harvey continued,\" Trout also like shade, so that\'s another reason to fish the undercuts and overhangs, trout will seek out the tiniest bit of shade, so when your fishing around rocks, fish the shady side, that\'s where they\'ll be.\"

 Following Harvey P\'s advice, I had the best trout- fishing day ever. As we were driving home, I asked if there was anything else I ought to know about trout fishing.

 \"Oh yes,\" replied Harvey. \"Ooooooh yes.\"