Trout And Structure (7 of 12)
Video Transcript:
When you're looking for trout in stillwaters, there's two types of
structure to consider, submergent and emergent structures.
Emergent structure would be things like sunken branches, emergent vegetation, lily pads, beaver lodges. These are areas that are going to attract bait fish, aquatic nymphs, and other invertebrates. Examples of submergent structure include weed beds, sunken islands, humps, depressions, troughs, areas of transition, any irregularity that's going to attract and hold trout. These are the areas we want to look for, search out, and explore with our flies.
A lake's character lies beneath the water's surface. Although a lake's structure is not visible at first glance as it is on moving water, it is still there if you know what to look for. You can use the surrounding topography as a guide to what lies beneath. A shallow shoreline would indicate shoals and weed beds. A steep sided shoreline suggests a quick drop into deep water. Underwater contour or bathymetric maps are available from many locations via the Internet. These can be studies prior to arrival to obtain a mental picture of a lake's structure.
Once on the lake, sounders are invaluable tools for locating subtle structure nuances not visible on larger scale bathymetric maps.
Emergent structure would be things like sunken branches, emergent vegetation, lily pads, beaver lodges. These are areas that are going to attract bait fish, aquatic nymphs, and other invertebrates. Examples of submergent structure include weed beds, sunken islands, humps, depressions, troughs, areas of transition, any irregularity that's going to attract and hold trout. These are the areas we want to look for, search out, and explore with our flies.
A lake's character lies beneath the water's surface. Although a lake's structure is not visible at first glance as it is on moving water, it is still there if you know what to look for. You can use the surrounding topography as a guide to what lies beneath. A shallow shoreline would indicate shoals and weed beds. A steep sided shoreline suggests a quick drop into deep water. Underwater contour or bathymetric maps are available from many locations via the Internet. These can be studies prior to arrival to obtain a mental picture of a lake's structure.
Once on the lake, sounders are invaluable tools for locating subtle structure nuances not visible on larger scale bathymetric maps.
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