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how deep is to deep?

2K views 12 replies 13 participants last post by  sean 
#1 ·
Curious. How deep do you wade? I was following a guy last night and noticed he was wading deep enough that he may have had bubbles getting up his whoopsa daisy. I thought he was wading in water capable of holding steelhead. Well, I know he was. Kinda upset me being I was following this guy and figured he was limiting my water a bit. Nothing serious. Just a bit annoyed. Any comments?
 
#2 ·
Kerry,

I rarely wade any deeper than my crotch, and most of the time, I am between my calves and mid-thighs. I don't want to be stepping on fish and I found that wading up to your belly button or armpits only makes it very difficult to cast long.

I do know what you mean about those folks who contantly walk up to the river and proceed to wade out to their belly button or armpits, usually standing right where you know fish have been known to lie.
 
#4 ·
A short story...

A few years ago on the Bulkley we were floating down the river and came up on a run that we call Horses Hoof. Our friends had just fished it and were floating just down stream a head of us. We floated right over their foot prints were they had waded down the run while fishing. Their prints were about 40' from shore in thigh deep water. Suddenly Darell started laughing his head off and pointed, 5 steelhead all lined up about half the distance toward shore.

To be honest, I fished the run two days before and waded down through the same spot they did. The run is wide and it slowly drops off and we catch quit a few fish way out. But I will never fish it agian with someone fishing tight.

Brian is correct...in alot of water, if you are past your knees you are to far out. I will add that you are probably casting to far as well.

KerryS, wouldn't it be cool if you could follow the guy that was waded out to his chest through wading ankle deep and making 30' casts and hook up and then the fish goes ape sh*t and heads right for the guy and then does a huge jump and while mid air beats the dude senseless with 5 or 6 mega tail thumps, hits the water and comes back at him for another round and kfajlkajs alkdsjfkal;jsdlkfj; jkajd;lajgl;adsfa////...................................................................................................................................................................................What happened? Where am I? Where is my drink?

Greg
 
#5 ·
Re: to deep

Brian Simonseth said:
If your past your knees your to deep!:devil:
Fish will travel in a foot of water!:tsk_tsk:
That says about it all for me. 'hydrolics' (sp?) don't care ... they just want a stupid wader ... Been at 'places I didn't want to be' three times, stupid lucky twice, the third time if folks hadn't been there I'd be pushing flowers.
:tsk_tsk:
 
#6 ·
Deep wading is sometimes necessary when fishing the Spey. There are two pools on Wester Elerchies where the current goes down the far side of the river. Once you have fished the neck of the pool you have to wade waist deep to keep the fly working other wise it comes round out of the current and dies in the dead water. Near the top of the pool the dead water is a back water.(flows upstream) If you attempt to fish it from the bank you und up with the tip of the line fishing and the main part just sitting there in a big curve.
 
#7 ·
Malcolm,
On the Dee they often refer to people wading too deep as having the Spey disease :D
Very often you do see people wading far too deeply, right over potential holding water, ruining their own chances and spoiling things for those following. But as Malcolm mentioned, in some pools due to the configuration of the current deep wading is required. It just takes a little common sense and a bit of experience to judge when deep wading is required.
Malcolm was one of the pools you were refering to Delagyle ;)
 
#8 ·
Canadians

Several years ago fishing in one of the popular canadian river a local asked me. Why do you guys from the States wade so deep? To me it all depends on the drift I am fishing. Many times I will go through a run twice. Once short and once farther out. I also think shorter casts and line control are more important than where you wade. Jerry
 
#10 ·
have to say it depends... and willie's example is something i find just enough on some of my waters... the other is a quick drop off right near the bank, and tight brush behind you that prevents a bank fishing scenario to cover any appreciable water.. see that on the deschutes and john day from time to time (as opposed to those lovely sand/gravel bar dominated holes of the western washington type). some of the water i fish, i'm not 5' off the bank, but already up to my waist... just what it is... the other are the holes coming around a bend. a big chunk of the inside bend can be absolute frog water, no movement... fish may hold there, but sure as hell hard to swing through water that isn't moving, have to follow that seem down, and that may put you out 20-30' or more beyond the bank. found that yesterday...
Rule #1 - learn what kind of water the fish are/will hold in -
Rule #2 - DON'T WADE THROUGH IT!!
will admit, my rookie YEARS, took a while to learn #1.....:rolleyes:
 
#12 ·
Morning or evening - wade as little as possible. You'd be amazed at where the steelhead lie during off times. I've taken a strong flashlight and beamed fish right up against the shore rocks at night while camping riverside, and had summer fish in the teens slam surface flies in 20" of water along the cobbles at dawn and dusk.

All other times wade to the point where your fly covers the best lies most effectively. Sometimes you know exactly where that is, other times you are guessing - but if you believe you know what it best, then I think you're entitled during your pass through the pool. That's different than defaulting to deep wading without knowing, in which case you look like an ass anyway ;)

Runs that I know well I don't give it a second thought before positioning where I need to. Runs I don't well I just have to have confidence in what the vibe tells me, please forgive me if I've waded deep in front of you but I do so believing I am covering the water correctly and welcome you to do the same behind me :devil: ;)
 
#13 ·
I will always remember a spot Juro told me about it and not to wade at all. Of course first thing I do is step into 20 inches of water and spook a summer-run. Needless to say I never wade deep unless I see someone wading deep in front of me and then I have no choice.

-sean
 
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