Watching fish…..

Took an hour to go watch fish….no, I didn’t take a rod along….
I’ve found I can learn more by not fishing……
High clouds had diffused the sun to soft portrait light with no shadow
A glassy area of water 20ft. x 30ft. was illuminated by reflected sky.
With the knowledge that If I can’t see them, they can’t see me, I crept close.
Less than six feet from fish, I took a seat, and uncapped a beverage.
With these conditions I can see every bug on the water.
Hundreds of looking like pepper specks drift out of riffles into feeding range.
No one had bothered these fish recently, so they were relaxed and natural acting.
Each fish had a “station” to feed from, the biggest fish having the best spot of course…
As I watched, several of these specks get together into the midge clump.
Sometimes they drift together, then flying on the surface as a unit, leaving a small wake.
Since these copulating clumps have more caloric value, they cause fish to rise.
They are random, but energetic rises, audible from my close position.
After half an hour, I know about how many fish are here, and where the biggest feed.
Knowing where they are, and what they are eating is the half the battle.
The rest of the game is learning how to serve them the preferred fare without spooking…
If you want to improve…… to think like them……..Go watch fish.