Fly Fishing - A Military Guide on How to Find Fish

By Nick Sawyer

"Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted."

In the Army everyone has what is known as the 'Mark One Eyeball'. A small number of soldiers and officers consider themselves to have a 'Mark Two Eyeball'. These are the trained observers. Besides observation, there are other military skills which are of use to the fisherman. Camouflage and concealment are taught to every soldier in the Army along with the need for surprise and deception - both principles of war. The best deception plan is always one the enemy is expecting to see, fly fishing is about deceiving a fish by presenting an artificial where and when the fish is expecting to see the real thing.

It is always amazing how often fishermen fail to spot the huge number of clearly discernible fish in a stretch of water. Seeing fish is not an inherited skill, it has to be learnt. I was lucky. My childhood was spent with my grandfather and father giving me a hard time every time they pointed to a fish I couldn't see. I tried lying but got even more grief when I couldn't say how big or what species the fish was. Needless to say I soon learnt to spot them. With hindsight, and the benefits of military training, I now realise that seeing fish is simply a case of self discipline and patience. It is very easy to throw a quick glance over the water without really looking. To search water for fish, we have to remember that we are looking through the river surface at a volume of water with a number of layers, each with quite different optical properties. In light of the decline in fly life abundance on chalk streams, good observation skills are more relevant than ever. Looking for rising fish is simply not an efficient observation method if there is no fly, or the fish aren't surface feeding.

The military teaches observation techniques by splitting the observation area up into blocks and looking at each of these in turn. The 'looking' is done by slowly sweeping with the eyes from right to left and then up and down in each block. This method ensures that every part of the observation area is checked. An area more likely to be harbouring the enemy is given extra attention, but nowhere is omitted. It is tedious, but it works. The river should be examined in 5 metre lengths. Each length is split into 9 blocks. Left, centre, right and near, middle, far. Each block has 3 layers of water; bottom, sub-surface and surface. For every 5 metres of river there are 27 'bits' of water that have to be checked. I think you will agree, self discipline and patience are a must. It should take at least 2 or 3 minutes to check every 5 metres of river. Don't stop the process just because you spot a fish. That specimen wild trout may be in block 27 and you will never know because the half pound grayling in block 3 has grabbed your attention. Analyse all 27 blocks then decide which of the fish you are going to catch. You will be amazed at how many fish are present and even more amazed at how many are just a few feet away where even the most out-of-practice fisherman will be able to cast with ease.

There are other tricks which can be used to enhance these observation techniques. Light refracts in different ways from each layer of water. Perhaps the surface is warmer than the bottom of the river, or the ripples on the surface may be disturbing the rays. Changing the level of the eyes can work wonders. Fish that are clearly visible from eyes only a couple of feet above the water can become invisible when the fisherman stands normally - or vice versa. While using the 'block' observation technique, try slowly bending down and then returning to a standing position. You will become instantly aware when you are at the right level for observing a certain block.

I remember sitting down on the bank of my local river, the Avon, to eat my sandwiches during July of a high water year. I had selected a quiet shady spot under a tree where I had just caught a brace of trout and half a dozen grayling. I thought there was nothing left under the tree worth fishing for so it was as good a place as any for lunch. The surface of the water was smooth and lifeless with not a fly or fish to be seen, even a plump green caterpillar which fell into the water was safe. As I sat with my back to a small tree and munched a pork pie it became readily apparent from this new eye level that the pool under the tree was far from empty. About 2 feet out from the bank was a rather bloated pike of about 5 pounds that I had completely missed while standing up.

Polaroids can greatly assist observation but they can be something of a mixed blessing. They undoubtedly make it easier to see into the water under certain conditions but they can turn even the most experienced fisherman into a lazy observer. The fisherman must have the self discipline to continue using the correct observation techniques even when using polaroids.

Reconnaissance assets on the modern battlefield are a sparse asset. To counter this shortage, surveillance and reconnaissance units spend more time looking in areas where they expect to find the enemy. These areas are determined by a procedure known as 'Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace'. The fisherman should also spend more time looking in places where he expects to find fish and also in places where he can do something about it if he spots one. Trout and grayling are both creatures of habit and are often found in similar places. For trout, check under banks, behind a mass of weed, in a run between two clumps of ranunculus or beneath an overhanging tree. For grayling it is the deep pool or slower moving water. These are the areas that should be given extra attention.

Fish in the open are easy to spot but often the whole fish is not visible, or it is very well camouflaged. In these situations the properties that allow an observer to discern an object from its surroundings can be remembered by the phrase: shape, shadow, shine, silhouette and movement. Often a trout will 'materialise' after the observer has identified a fin or a tail, or seen a silver flash or the whiteness of an opening mouth.

Of course it all gets more difficult when the need to be covert is taken into account. There is absolutely no point in being able to see fish if they have also detected your presence. The advantage is definitely with the fish. It can see you, your shadow and your rod, hear you and the noise of your tackle on or in the water, and can also feel the vibrations you are making by walking up the bank. Where shape, shadow, shine silhouette and movement were used to detect fish, the masking of these signatures is essential to prevent fish from spotting the fisherman.

Like all good military skills, there are Standard Operating Procedures that can be applied to finding catchable fish. They do not remove the need for skilful casting and fishing techniques, but they should help all fishermen find more fish. The Standard Operating Procedures for finding fish are simple:

1. Approach fishing area covertly.
2. Carry out block observation technique on first 5 metre stretch. Vary eye level where necessary and wear polaroids if available.
3. Identify those blocks more likely to be harbouring fish and observe these areas in detail.
4. Decide which of the many fish observed is the target fish.
5. Land target fish and select another, or move covertly on to the next 5 metre stretch.

The author, Nick Sawyer, is the grandson of the late Frank Sawyer MBE - inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph. Nick runs a small hobby business that sells nymphs and flies made in the original manner devised by Frank Sawyer. Please visit http://www.SawyerNymphs.com for nymphs, flies, fishing books and traditional fishery management products.

If you are unsure which fly you should use, try out free Sawyer Nymphs Fly Selector Google Gadget at http://www.WhichDryFly.co.uk.

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