Trout Tip, # 1
Fish don’t have eyelids to protect their eyes from the
bright sun and the larger the fish the larger the pupil.
When The Sun Goes High the Trout Go Low
Ten years ago when we lived in a northern Wisconsin lake home, my wife and I looked forward the visit of our nieces and nephews. And of course when they came they wanted a boat ride on the chain of lakes where we lived. For the boat ride I insisted everyone wear a life jacket, and a cap plus sunglasses for protection from the sun. After the boat ride the kids wanted to fish for pan fish. However, when it came to fishing our clear water lakes I had to inform them what time of day to fish. I started the conversation with the statement, “Well you know Lane, and Chance, fish don’t wear sunglasses.”
Lane laughed and said, “Of course not, Uncle Jay. How could they keep sunglasses on?” They don’t have ears!”
“Okay, so they can’t wear sunglasses to protect their eyes. You have sunglasses and eyelids to protect your eyes from the sun. But fish don’t have eyelids.”
Lane’s brother, Chance, looked at me and said, “I didn’t know that Uncle Jay. The bright sun must really bother the fish!”
“So, Chance, when do you think we should go fishing, now in the middle of the day when the sun is brighter? Or should we wait until this evening.”
“Let’s wait until this evening”….
The system of fishing late in the day always worked for pan fish. And the relatives usually wanted to get up early the next day to fish again in low light conditions.
I believe most trout anglers understand the necessity to fish in low light conditions. But what they haven’t comprehended is the fact that the sun is highest in the sky from April 21 to August 21, two months either side of the longest day of the year, June 21. Instead, most anglers associate the hot weather of June through August with the high sun.
It is the high sun that forces trout to take cover and stay deep in the pool….
On those days of the high sun, April 21 to August 21, if you want to find success fishing trout you have three choices:
- fish early in the morning,
- fish late in the evening, or,
- fish when the sky is overcast.
The best choice, I have found, is number three. Cloud cover allows fish to come out from hiding, rise off the bottom and search for food. And the cloud cover will allow you to sleep a little later and still have fishing success.
From: SPRING CREEK TREASURE Wisconsin’s 100 Best Trout Streams, pgs. 87 - 90. |
