Mike Connor wrote:
Doubtless, but not as challenging or rewarding. It's just too easy to catch anglers!
TL
MC
Its only easy with an 18ft rod with a unique patented action. I have been trying to develop one of these over many years and finally settled on a design that embraced a robust accurate response. Stealth was a pervcieved requirement so I also patented a un-paralleled patented anti-glare matt coating formula, field trials however proved this un-necessary as most anglers had shown strong characteristics of poor peripheral vision. I offered my patented antiglare formula to many leading rod manufacturers who sadly declined to use it. One response I received from a high end manufacturer was quite alarming, " Unfortunately, our market research has shown that matt finished rods sell very poorly, many customers saying they looked horrible and cheap looking and that they would not be seen dead carrying such a rod. Matt fisnished rods are not an image our company wishes to embrace in these difficult recessionary times".
My initial trials in angler spotting brought to light some interesting ground rules that every angler spotter should embrace. I had initially decided that the best approach would be to get to the river early, find a pool that is heavily fished , climb a tree and wait for the prey,,,i mean angler to arrive. This seemed quite a logical thing to do. Unforunately , up a tree is the last place you wan't to be. Sitting in a tree with a angler casting in front of you is more dangerous than standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen square or shouting god bless Ossama Bin Laden in the middle of New York. Such climbing of course is a good way to replenish your supply of fly hooks, there are usually a few fresh ones to be found. Not all trees take flies so a bit of observation is required to find the better ones. So rule number one is avoid trees close to the river, your health depends on this.
Camoflage clothing also seemed logical but it is also inadvisable. The first occasion I wore such clothing , I hid in some long grass, my face caked in mud. The prey left the river and walked in my direction, stopped in front of me and proceed to urinate over the back of my jacket. This was very distressing indeed and I tossed the jacket in the bin afterwards and it took half a dozen large whiskeys to settle my nerves.
So heres the best advice I can give. Wear bright UV clothing, the UV is important as you do not want to scare the trout and influence in any way the likely success of the angler. The smaller trout may spot your UV clothing but this is unavoidable and not a major problem for your research. Approach the other angler from behind , keeping at least 40 yards away. Sun glasses and a pair of binoculars are a must, firstly they allow you to see the entire pool and secondly in the rare event that the angler becomes aware of your presence he will assume you to be a looney bird watcher and will ignore you completely.
A good digital camera and an attachable a wide angled lens are also a good idea , as they say a picture is often better than a thousand words. Even better still a good camcorder that can record the sounds emanating from the angler. Any recordings should of course be edited to bleep out the regular profanities.
The last and vital piece of equipment is a rubber dog bone, most pet shops sell these. The purpose of this is that you will need something to bite on as your whole body convulses in regular fits of laughter. If you enjoy the laugher aspect of this sport then you can enhance your prospects by standing as close as is safe to the angler , preferably 20 yards upstream and close to where his flies are landing. Reverse up-stream keeping pace with the anglera nd vitally for maximum effect, at no point should you converse with the angler and at all times be prepared to run away.
None of these ideas are set in stone and you may find different approaches also work. Your approach should be based on the result you wish to achieve and also on the behavioural characteristics of each angler.
I am currently working on a book on this subject and any one that cares to pre-order at $ 75 a copy, you will receive a signed copy and a free state of the art 18ft Angler Spotting Fly rod with my Patented Unprecedented Modulus tapered fluid presentation. For an additonal $30 you will receive a pocket sized referenece manual for in the field operations and a free Angler Spotting rubber bone (patent pending).
I will also be running a number of workshops and guided trips , details will be on my website
http://WWW.anglerpottingsportfornerds.com
