Podcast: The Spooky Trout — What Scares Fish and How to Avoid Spooking Them — S5, Ep3

by | Oct 16, 2022 | 4 comments

 The Troutbitten Podcast is available everywhere that you listen to your podcasts.

** Note **  The Podcast Player, along with links to your favorite players is below.

Success on the water starts with finding fish and not spooking them. No one ever caught a scared trout. All the tactics, the flies and the habits of river trout that we focus on mean nothing if the fish are on high alert and out of the mood to eat.

Don’t spook the fish. Achieving that is different from season to season. It’s different in various water types. And acceptable distances from the trout change even with the angles by which you approach them.

Being cautious, being aware and being attentive pays dividends. So reconsider your strategy. Maybe think first about your impact on the river before ever considering your first fly choice. Be a hunter. That might be the best advice we can give.

My friends join me for a great discussion about what it takes to avoid spooking trout.

We Cover the Following
  • Do trout eat when they are scared?
  • What do trout do when they are spooked?
  • What spooks trout?
  • How tolerant are trout of our presence?
  • How close can you get?
  • How do you know a trout is spooked?
  • Stealth tips
Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Spooky Trout
READ: Troutbitten | The Order of Everything
READ: Troutbitten | The Advantages of Working Upstream
READ: Troutbitten | Are You Spooking Trout?
READ: Troutbitten | The Spooky Trout: Find Their Blind Spot

Now, on to the podcast  . . .

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podcast.troutbitten.com

Next Time

Season Five of the Troubitten Podcast continues next week with episode four. So look for that one in your Troutbitten Podcast feed.

Fish hard, friends.

 

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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com

 

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Domenick Swentosky

Central Pennsylvania

Hi. I’m a father of two young boys, a husband, author, fly fishing guide and a musician. I fish for wild brown trout in the cool limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania year round. This is my home, and I love it. Friends. Family. And the river.

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4 Comments

  1. Great podcast as usual. Little was said about spooking trout while hooking, fighting and landing the first hook up in a spot other than working from C to B to A water. Everything we try to avoid can happen during these times that will decrease our chances for a second fish there yet we cast for more and often successfully. Perhaps these seconds are stockers but if a trout spooking up stream spooks the next trout or pod, why do we catch the second fish in the hole? How much of what you do to land your fish has the next one in mind?

    Reply
    • Austin had a lot to say about that about 2/3 of the way through. And I said I call it the Paul Revere effect.

      “How much of what you do to land your fish has the next one in mind?”

      That’s very much dependent on water conditions. With low and clear water, it matters a great deal.

      Cheers.
      Dom

      Reply
  2. Loved this episode, gang. Packed full of good reminders. One thing I’d like to comment on is something that was alluded to in the pod: before stepping one foot into the water with all the considerations you’ve listed, it is often prudent to cover the zone from the shore. Here in Oregon on the Deschutes I’ve lost count of the number of folks I’ve seen walk through fish in order to get to the “prime” lie. Heck, I’ve done it many times myself! If I’m truly doing my due diligence, I’ll cycle through dry, dry dropper, tight line close, tight line a little further before I wet my boots. Not always easy to be that thorough and patient though….

    Anyway, keep up the killer work and keep these pods coming!

    Anyway

    Reply

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Domenick Swentosky

Central Pennsylvania

Hi. I’m a father of two young boys, a husband, author, fly fishing guide and a musician. I fish for wild brown trout in the cool limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania year round. This is my home, and I love it. Friends. Family. And the river.

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