Reading the water part.3

Main Current Runs

Runs are similar to riffles but are deeper and less turbulent. For the most part, I have found that fishing the "open" water or "runs" of a river or stream will lead to smaller fish, although it is still important to explore the possibilities. Some of my larger, main river trout have come on dry flies on these runs.
When fishing in the main section of the river, fishing some kind of structure is very important. This is where you look for any fallen trees or submerged logs. Also, don’t overlook any kind of shade line caused by the over hanging trees. A sharp contrast between shade and sun can mean a world of difference in the "security" a trout feels while treading water mid-stream.
Fishing with a good pair of polarized glasses is very important to me for this particular reason. Trout will set up shop under these holding points always facing into the current waiting for an easy meal. Casting ahead to these points and allowing your offering to sweep past the fish will usually entice the fish to strike. If fishing a rocky terrain area and you find a lot of submerged rocks or boulders, fish will hold either directly in front or behind these rocks.
Pools. Pools are slow in current and have silt; sand or fine gravel to their bottoms and will also appear smooth on a calm day. In slow moving streams or rivers, pools are generally wide while the runs are narrow. This is typical of Long Island's streams. In faster moving streams, it may be difficult to identify the different sections of a river, but a well-trained eye will help. You can be sure the fish know how to tell the difference!
This is where a majority of the larger fish in a river or stream congregates. There is safety from predators in this deeper water as well as a slight decrease in current velocity. This makes for a reduced effort to the fish to hold steady while offering an easy meal ticket in comfort and safety.
Pools are divided into three sections. A shallow head entrance, the deep pool itself and the tail section of a pool. The water level decreases as it again builds in velocity, becoming a riffle as it enters the main river or steam section. You'll find fish staggered in these pools between the head and tail water of any given pool.
Here you'll find fish at all three locations of this pool. Head, deep middle and tail end. On bright sunny days, look for the larger fish to be tight to cover and shade. The trophies I have culled from here have been at the tail end of the pool because of the extreme denseness of the shrubbery, combined with the tail sweep of the riverbank. This makes for easy access to food while providing all the comforts of home.