Reading the Rocks
Remember that all fish require three things for survival. The first is of
course, food. The fish also has a rule of never expending more energy to obtain
the food then the energy received from the food itself. The fish will always
find a safe place to "wait" for the food to come to the fish. They will
position themselves in a shallow depression along the bottom of the water column
where the down-stream current is less. In this area the fish will expend very
little energy in order to hold its location. The second survival technique is
to find a comfortable temperature range in the water column. This will
determine whether or not the fish will be in the shallows or be located in the
deeper, cooler water. The third survival must for the fish is to find a place
that will not only provide the food and comfort but also allow for the
protection of cover, in case of safety or danger.
Most areas of the water column don't provide all three survival needs and this fact gives the
knowledgeable angler an edge. The areas that the fish will seek out are called
lies. Prime Lies are the areas that provide all the fishes needs. Feeding Lies
are the areas that a fish only goes to feed and then quickly retreats to a safer
location. Safe Lies are the places that fish go to for protection, which are
almost always under something. When you look at a rock, always be thinking like
the fish. If you want to take up a Feeding Lie, take a position to either side
of the rock. If you want a Safe Lie, then go to the right side of the rock,
which is next to the banking area where there are some over hanging vegetation,
as well as, an undercut embankment for protection. In this Safe Lie, you will
also benefit from any creature that falls from the overhanging vegetation. A
Prime Lie would be to either side of the rock and just wait for the currents to
bring the meal to you. That leaves the best Lie for the biggest fish. The
area just in front of the rock provides the best position for feeding. In this
area, a fish can receive food from three directions and expend the least amount
of energy obtaining its food. Because of the currents force, an area just in
front of the rock has been scooped out, creating a pocket. This pocket allows a
fish to settle below the stronger currents and take advantage of covering more
water than any other Lie.
Your mission is to cast to the side of the rock and allow the imitation to drift, drag free past the fishes Lie. Your cast should not be too long because, you don't want to interfere with the Prime Lie in front of the rock. Once you cover this area, then try the Feeding Lie just behind the rock. After you have fished the sides then aim for the big fish, which will be just in front of the rock. Reminder, the best rocks are the ones that are real close to the banking. Another note of interest is that the Feeding Lie just behind the rock is real important during low light conditions.