Guest Post: Mike Warren of Trout Buddy Driftless Guides

Our "buddy" Mike Warren shares a few tips for staying undetected when stalking spooky fish.

Over the last few years of guiding I've come to notice how many novice or occasional Tenkara or Western fly fishers spook fish without even knowing it. This Spring with little rain and sunny days our Driftless water is super clean and clear particularly until both in water and bank vegetation takes hold. I've seen myself do it way to much and I fish a lot! The three culprits seem to be:

1) Wade Wake - the pushing of water upstream as we walk that creates a small but very obvious ripple or wake is a dead giveaway of something being "off" in the fishes mind.

2) Noise - no fish don't have ears but they sense vibration and that's what voices, foot steps and the snapping of twigs are. Today, for example, I stumbled on a small branch while watching a hole as I approached. "SNAP" and all I saw was fish scattering I every direction.

3) Shadows - my favorite times to fish for about two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset - when shadows are the longest. But also when high creek banks can create shade in the creek. But, as we walk the stream during those hours our shadows can be long create little light interruptions that tend to put fish on guard.

So - what to do?

1) When wading walk slow and when you think you are wading slow - go slower. Watch in front of you for the small waves you are creating. Be patient and the fish will be waiting. Wade to the stream edge and it will reduce the wake...

2) Watching where we step when approaching holes super "stealthy" and lowering voices when fishing with others are always great keys to added success. Also - be mindful of not ripping a pick up when you miss a cast by a foot - that action is a dead giveaway.

3) Just be aware of shadows and your profile when walking the bank. Lowering your profile and not making rapid movements will always give you an advantage. Remember the line from Bull Durham "I'm announcing my presence with authority" - don't do that!

All sounds really elementary and obvious BUT when we are caught in the moment seeing that rising fish or out with fiends and having a conversation we all tend to neglect the basics of being STEALTHY!

- Mike Warren, Trout Buddy Driftless Guides