Most rainbows and cuttbows entering the river are a reflective chrome with a vague hint of pink or red to their bodies, making it nearly impossible to see them in the dark, deep green runs where they reside. Dream Stream browns and cutthroats share the bright coloration of the same fish located elsewhere in the state. But this is not a big advantage to anglers because the trout blend in with the multicolored river bottom. Most of the color on their bodies is on the lower sides and belly, making them hard to notice looking down at a 45-degree angle toward the fish.

Because the fish blend in with the bottom, you need to train your eyes to decipher silhouettes and any movement of the trout. Once you have spotted the shape and shadowed outline of a trout’s body in the water, the next step is to watch for movement, which determines if the silhouette is actually a fish. Look for sideways movements, tail or fin flashes, and upward or downward motion to determine if what you are seeing is a fish or just another piece of structure on the river bottom.

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Landon Mayer is a guide and author of How to Catch the Biggest Trout of Your Life (Wild River Press, Spring 2007). He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This article originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of Fly Fisherman.

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