And I know I described more about fishing an area well and moving on vs going fast, but I do cover alot of water, even wading slow (I think). I approach an area and have already looked to the next ones I can see and know I’d take 2-3 cast here, then stealthily move to the next that I might give 3-5 cast, etc (bite dependent).

Some of my fishing buddies are fly fisherman drifting nymphs while I’m casting and retrieving jerkbaits (single hook, mind you). But I also outpace the spin fishers by quite a bit – so yeah, I’m the fast guy in the group. While distance isn’t my goal, admittedly I’m insatiably curious about what might be upstream that I’ve never reached before.

Love it

I’m also a spin fisherman who uses small jerkbaits more than anything which contributes to the speed thing, but I’m also a “vest guy” so hopefully y’all won’t kick me out of the club.

I’ve got fishing partners who will sit in a hole forever not getting bites, but don’t leave because they are moving fish – heck, some days I move fish every cast or so but if I can’t covert that to fish in net, I move on. I’ve sent them your articles on the topic…..

Anyway, thanks for the great content on this site.

For me, there’s no doubt that covering more water leads to more trout. It’s all in what you want to do.

That’s good too.

I think I will start using that approach more this year.

When I look back after days fishing here it is always noticeable that the best fish came from the best lies. If I start covering more water and only hitting the best lies hopefully I can run into more big fish.

I’m the fast guy. I was taught by a WW2 vet. He grew up where he and I fished. Igrew up there as well. Mostly he was right.98%. You could learn the holding positions of the huge fish and deal with them on a following visit if you chose to pursue the individual fish.
Maybe a visit to target them. The giants took a huge effort. I gave them names if I chose to pursue them. Latin names or Greek names. Absolute beasts. You might catch one fish on such a trip or more likely, nothing.

I think it is easier to move fast when you know the river well. Obvious prime lies are easy to spot and cherry pick but sometimes I miss the subtle buckets when moving fast (and when fishing slow!). I think moving fast is a good way to learn a river and make mental notes for future trips. I find watching out for where you spook fish from is invaluable for adjusting that day and for future trips.