Three Main Trout Senses

An angler should therefore become familiar with the three main senses a trout uses. These are:

Smell:

Trout have amazing powers of smell. For humans, trying to understand smell underwater is rather difficult since we can't do it. However, trout have no difficulty smelling underwater, so it is worth an anglers time to make sure that they aren't introducing foreign smells into a trout stream (which can warn a trout to a lurking danger such as a fisherman.)

When fly fishing for trout, do your best to avoid any artificial smells that are completely foreign to a trout stream. Avoiding these smells, though, of often easier said than done, as the sources of these smells can come from many sources. Fly line cleaners, fly floatants, epoxies and glue can all contribute alien smells to a trout stream. Other things such as aftershave, deodorant and even the smell of your clothing can all tip off a trout that an angler is near.

Obviously, you can't get rid of all foreign smells you may introduce into a trout stream. However, there are a number of easy things a fisherman can do to reduce the likelihood of a trout getting wise due to smell. When using fly line cleaners and fly floatants, use the newer ones that are designed to "mask" the chemical smell. The cleaners and floatants are usually the same price as other "non-masking" chemicals, but can go a long way towards reducing the likelihood of a trout becoming alert to the fisherman due to smell.

Also, before hitting a challenging trout stream, it never hurts to leave the cologne and other fancy deodorants back in the hotel room. On a challenging trout stream, an angler needs every edge they can get, and avoiding strange smells to finicky trout is a good way to do this.

Remember, trout have very powerful senses of smell. It is only logical that they will use this sense to identify flies presented their way to determine whether or not is something that is good to eat. A funny smelling fly, due to either chemical floatants or inadvertently smelling like Old Spice, is a good way to send a trout away from your fly and onto more "naturally" smelling food.

Sight:

Sight is of crucial important to trout, which is not surprising. After all, it's the sense that they use when determining whether or not to eat something that comes their way. Trout, in particular, have excellent close-range vision although they lack in long-range vision. This close range vision by the trout is why so many imitation flies may fail to grab the interest of a trout ? the trout can easily determine if given time if the fly looks like something it is accustomed too.

A trout sees the world through what is known as the "trout's window". This window is a cone shaped view that extends up from the eye at an ever-increasing diameter. Thus, the deeper the trout is, the more the trout can see.

A trout will only eat something that passes within this cone of vision since this is where they can see it and inspect it. Due to their other excellent senses, trout may very well be aware of something on the water that is outside of this cone of vision. But a trout consider eating it if it sees the fly in their cone of vision.

This knowledge leads to one strategy all anglers should use when fishing to rising trout. When fly fishing to a rising trout, it is very important to drop the fly not where the rise was but upstream of where the rise was. By presenting a fly upstream from the rise, the fly will float down the river naturally, not just suddenly appearing in the trout's cone of vision, which is likely to seem suspicious to a cunning trout.

Trout also have the ability to determine color, including subtle shades of color. This is why the same fly in two different colors can produce remarkably different results when fishing, the trout may simply be eating one color insect and avoiding others.

Lastly, trout also have the ability to see the profile of a fly. Of all the characteristics of a fly, this is perhaps the most important. A fly that does not have the same profile as seen from underwater compared to what they are accustomed to eating, is not likely to be very successful. For this reason, it is always important to make sure that your flies float properly, especially when dry fly fishing.

Moreover, even if your dry fly is a spitting imitation of the real thing, it is not likely to draw strikes if your fly floats awkwardly (or partially sinks).

This is a good reason to avoid the real cheap flies you may see - the colors of these cheap flies may look right, but the profile is likely to be wrong when on the water.

Sound:

Trout have an acute sense of hearing that is well worth understanding. Trout have two sound receptors. The first one runs along the length of the fish's body. This receptor picks up frequency vibrations ? such as the banging of rocks or oars against a boat. A second receptor, located inside the trout's ear, is used to detect the movement of aquatic insects which the trout eats. This receptor is extremely acute, allowing the trout to hear sound frequencies well outside the human hearing range. This hearing receptor of the trout is what allows the fish to find food even in very murky water.

Because trout have such acute senses of hearing, anglers need to keep several things in mind when fishing for trout.

First, trout can't hear human voices outside of the water. Thus, having a loud conversation about something along the bank of a river will not spook the trout.

Second, trout are acutely aware of vibrations and sound that occur in the river. Banging oars on the side of a boat is a wonderful way to alert the trout to your presence, thus spooking them. Likewise, great care should be taken when wading. Wading loudly, either caused or by the splashing of the water or the movement of rocks beneath the angler's feet, is easily heard by a trout ? especially in slower moving water. In fast water, these vibrations tend to get drowned out by the current and rapids. But in slower water, such as runs or spring creeks, it is crucial that an angler take care when wading.

Third, trout are easily able to hear things that fall into a river, especially in slower water. A nearby trout can readily hear a grasshopper or other bug that falls into the river. Because of this, care must be taken in casting to prevent the fly line from making a splash in the water or from having the fly itself strike the river at full force. A gently dropping fly is far more likely to attract the attention of a trout than one that gets slammed into the river due to a bad cast or too heavy of a fly or fly line.

About The Author

Brett Fogle is the publisher of Fly Fishing Secrets, an insiders guide to flyfishing tips and techniques of the pros. To sign up for free flyfishing tips and other articles, please visit www.fly-fishing-secrets.com.

brett@macarthurwatergardens.com

---

Selecting the Right Tackle

One of the most important things to consider when fly... Read More

Finding Trophy Bass

Have you ever noticed some people have all the luck... Read More

Orlando Florida Fishing - Redfish Capital of the World

When visitors think of Orlando and Central Florida, they imagine... Read More

Chumming and Plankton Fish Catching Tips

In night fishing 95% of success is determined before your... Read More

Join The Vespa Fishing Team

High fuel prices got you down?Imagine how most of us... Read More

General Overview About Trout Senses

When fly fishing for trout, it is of crucial importance... Read More

Fishing Equipment Tips

Cheap SinkersSpark plugs make excellent disposable sinkers. Need some cheap... Read More

Online Fishing Forums Change the Way Anglers Fish For Information and Photos

As the landscape of the World Wide Web changes at... Read More

Fishing for Salmon? Do You Know the Different Salmon Species?

Did you know that there are five species of Pacific... Read More

Reviving Billfish

Last summer we had an unfortunate incident with a swordfish... Read More

The Challenge of Brown Trout Fishing

Brown trout fishing can prove very challenging. This is due... Read More

Night Boat Fishing Checklist

Boat Fishing At Night ChecklistHere is an easy checklist of... Read More

Fly Fishing for Saltwater Salmon with Surface Flies

One of the greatest thrills in Pacific Northwest fly fishing... Read More

Do you Know How to Take the Perfect Picture of Your Fish?

Nothing is better than to snap a photo of your... Read More

Surf Fishing The Outer Banks of North Carolina

My first experience surf fishing was with my father on... Read More

Fishing Fall Bass - Early Fall Fishing for Bass in the Northwest as the Seasons Change

You have just rolled out of bed, poured you coffee... Read More

Fishing The Henrys Fork.... First Test

All the books written on fly fishing all mention the... Read More

Lake Trout On The Fly

The name Lake Trout lends a slight misnomer to the... Read More

Understanding the Effects Moonlight on Swordfishing

In order to better understand why swordfish concentrate their feeding... Read More

How to Fish Spring Trout Streams

Fishing spring creeks isn't easy. Don't expect large quantities of... Read More

Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass

Like all bass fishing, bass fly fishing has exploded in... Read More

The Major Benefit Of Night Fishing

Number One Benefit to Night FishingI think the best thing... Read More

Choosing The Fishing Trip Destination Thats Right For Your Group

Try doing a web search on the words "fishing lodge"... Read More

Lucky Hat

Do you have a lucky hat?It was a beautiful warm... Read More

The Value of Observation

The beginner must learn to look with eyes that see.... Read More

Fancy Catching Something Slightly Different? How About an Angler Fish?

The true Angler Fish lives in both shallow and deep... Read More

A Technique To Catch Trophy Size Bass

There is a craze going on that produces big bass,... Read More

Introducing The Two Guys With Flys

Just when you thought you had seen it all. Just... Read More

A New World Record Bass

Many people go to Florida to fish for that trophy... Read More

Fort Lauderdale Swordfishing - The Perfect Fix for the Experienced Angler

If you are looking to do battle with the toughest... Read More

Eel And Eelskin Lures

Eel and eelskin lures are used mostly in saltwater to... Read More

How To Choose the Right Fly Line Weight

Written on the rod blank or handle is a code... Read More

The Joys of Trout Fishing

The thrill of trout fishing! It is the best, isn't... Read More