Lessons from Underwater

“I’m holding in the current with other trout, watching bugs float by. One is drifting right at my head. I turn for a closer look and am foul hooked. I swim to the surface and spit the regulator out of my mouth. ‘Dang it, Bruce, you snagged me again.'” Kirk Deter grabs a mask and tank and goes deep with the trout at the Bridge Hole at Boxwood Gulch Ranch in Shawnee, Colorado, learning plenty of stuff that can’t be gleaned from above the surface. Among the less obvious lessons:
— Tippet size doesn’t seem to make that much difference; if in doubt, go big.
— Even the best anglers miss more than 50 percent of takes when nymph fishing; if you think a trout has eaten your nymph, it probably has.
— Trout are most likely to eat nymphs that approach them at nose level; with nymphs, weight can be as important as pattern.
Tons of other good insight here on trout behavior and tips on adjusting your fishing style. In Field & Stream. (First picked up by TroutUnderground.com.)