The Spooky Trout -- What Scares Fish and How to Avoid Spooking Them Artwork

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Life on the water. Troutbitten is a deep dive into fly fishing for wild trout in wild places. Author and guide, Domenick Swentosky, shares stories, tips, tactics and conversations with friends about fly fishing through the woods and water. Explore more. Fish hard. And discover fly fishing at Troutbitten.com — an extensive resource with 1500+ articles about trout, friends, family and the river.

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The Spooky Trout -- What Scares Fish and How to Avoid Spooking Them

October 16, 2022 • Domenick Swentosky • Season 5 • Episode 3

Success on the water starts with finding fish and not spooking them. No one ever caught a scared trout. All the tactics, the flies and the habits of river trout that we focus on mean nothing if the fish are on high alert and out of the mood to eat.

Don’t spook the fish. Achieving that is different from season to season. It’s different in various water types. And acceptable distances from the trout change even with the angles by which you approach them.

Being cautious, being aware and being attentive pays dividends. So reconsider your strategy. Maybe think first about your impact on the river before ever considering your first fly choice. Be a hunter. That might be the best advice we can give.

My friends join me for a great discussion about what it takes to avoid spooking trout.

We Cover the Following

Do trout eat when they are scared?
What do trout do when they are spooked?
What spooks trout?
How tolerant are trout of our presence?
How close can you get?
How do you know a trout is spooked?
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