This post marks the start of a new series, titled “The East and The West.” In this series we plan to cover some of the differences in our angling styles.
During conversations and our time fishing together, it became clear that we have different approaches to the same situations. This isn’t unique to us, as all anglers will have differences in their logic and approach. From the gear we use, to the way we present the fly - our experiences and personalities contribute to how we tackle a given situation.
Much of our individual fishing style is developed, in part, by the waters we most prefer to fish. In this post, we will explore the differences in our preferred waters in hopes to give our readers some shared perspective, and to set a foundation for other topics that we plan to cover in this series. In addition, we hope that by sharing a bit about the waters that we fish, some of our readers will be able to identify with ideas and tactics that may be more relatable to their own waters - regardless of where in the world they are fishing.
Before we get into the differences of our waters, and how our styles developed, we wanted to cover a few things that our practices have in common.
We both fish high-gradient, freestone streams (or rivers) for wild trout and char.
I think it goes without saying, but we both choose to fish tenkara rods in these waters.
Lastly, we both fish flies that fall in with the more traditional kebari used in tenkara.
While there are some other aspects of our fishing practices that are shared, or very similar, these are three of the main consistencies that play a role in our styles. With that being said, let’s look at the waters we learned and like to fish on!
Waters in the East
In the Northeastern part of Pennsylvania, you’ll find the Pocono Mountains. While Pennsylvania is known in the fly fishing world for its limestone streams, you would be more likely to find Amanda fishing a small freestone stream higher up in the mountains.
The headwaters are where she spent most of her time fishing while living in PA. These were small, tight creeks. “Maybe about ten feet across, but some spots you could jump over,” says Amanda as she describes the relatively shallow (think knee high), overgrown tributaries she would chase brook trout on. These brook trout were the species that filled out these streams, and the species that has inspired Amanda to set the goal of catching one in each state on the east coast that they’re native to.
When asked about the amount of foliage that surrounds the creek, Amanda’s reply was “Everywhere!” With low tree canopies above the streams, and a whole mess of rhododendrons lining the banks, stealth and accurate casting were key to Amanda’s success on the water. Luckily, the waters tend to be clear of any major obstructions beneath the surface.
Due to the dense vegetation surrounding the creeks, Amanda moves through the water as she works her way around the stream. This offers her better spots to cast from and to reach her targeted lies where a fish may be holding.
Waters in the West
Stretching over 400 miles from the North to the South, the Sierra Nevada mountains cover a large portion of California. In the Northern half, tucked away in the foothills, is where Martin learned to fish with a tenkara rod. The creeks and rivers where he spends his afternoons fishing are mostly all freestone waterways, with a small handful of spring-fed creeks mixed in. But, for the sake of this article, we’re focusing on the main river.
“My favorite river to fish ranges from about ten feet across, to about forty feet in some sections,” Martin says. As to the depth of the river, it remains fairly shallow (again, think knee-high) in most areas, but there are a few sections where the runs get fairly deep - “probably about chest height.” The majority of the fish population in this river is made up of rainbow trout, with a very slim chance of catching a brown trout.
The banks on the side of the river are considerably much more open, with the occasional willow or evergreen disrupting your normal casting stroke. Below the surface, you’re more likely to get hung up in some rocks if fishing too deep. There are washed down logs in some areas, but they’re easy to avoid.
As far as movement along the river goes, there are plenty of boulders and rocky banks that offer a safer way to traverse the river. That’s not to say that wading isn’t an option, but for the most part, Martin chooses to work his way along the rocks as he moves from spot to spot.
So much of our individual angling practices are shaped by our experiences on the water. With so much variance in sizes of rivers and streams we fish, along with the characteristics of those waters, we develop different skills and needs regarding gear. This post serves as a starting point for us to build upon and start exploring those differences in skills and gear, which you can look forward to coming up in this series.