Polaroid for trout
Some Polaroiding facts:
Polaroid sunglasses reduce the effects of glare on the water surface providing a better view of objects within.
The best polaroiding time for trout fishing in Tasmania is approximately between10am and 2pm.
The best position to be in when polaroiding is to work a line between the direction of sunlight from behind and the direction of the wind from behind. Try to find a happy medium.
Polaroid glasses are treated to enhance contrast and this is probably where spending a few more dollars on a pair of quality polaroid sunglasses will pay larger dividends when you go trout fishing.
Polaroid sunglasses also protect your eyes while fishing from wayward flies, hard to see or low hanging twigs and branches as you stalk through the undergrowth.
Some polaroids come with photochromic lenses, ,which mean they adjust according to light conditions.
Sight Fishing. How to polaroid for trout
Sigh Fishing! Polaroiding for trout is the core of the Tasmanian trout fishing experience. Seeing clearly through the glare into the world of the trout is an amazing experience.
Trout show up well against light coloured backgrounds, like sand, but sometimes they blend into their surroundings very well indeed.
There are a few things you can look for to help you decipher rocks, sticks, weed, and shadows from a trout, and with practice, you’ll be casting to more fish than sticks in no time.
If you see a suspicious looking object, like a rock, a branch or swaying weed, it is often well worth taking the time to look closer or longer, or even from a different angle. you could try crouching down as this gives you a different line of sight through the refracting light in the water. Look out for things such as:
Window. Lean, step, or move sideways – with polaroiding you carry a window of visibility with you.
Movement. Is it moving? Look closely, maybe only the tail is moving very slightly.
White. You may notice a flash of the white of its mouth as it opens.
Flash. Many times the sun will catch the side of a trout as it turns.
Colour. Upon looking very closely, it may become noticeable to you that there is a different hue of colour in a particular spot.
Shadow. Over lighter backgrounds like sand and light coloured week, in very good light, shadows show up very well. In mediocre light, a hint of a moving shadow may well be the trigger that brings your attention to the possibility of a moving fish.
Clarity. Remember to take into account, that in the varying degrees of water clarity, fish will become harder to see the more discouloured the water gets.
The ideal polaroiding conditions are clear skies, good light, middle of the day, clear water, light, sandy bottoms, sun over your shoulder, wind over your shoulder. it’s not too much to ask for really!
Well, lucky for us, days like this do occur in Tassie, more often in the settled weather months of March and April.
When conditions are not as ideal as we’d like, we put some of the above mentioned techniques into practice.
Some days are simply not suited to productive polaroiding, and on those occasions, i.e. overcast, we still sight fish, only now we are looking for the insect hatches, rising fish and trout tailing in the shallow weedy margins.
Bring your polaroids along. For our clients that don’t have them, we do supply them on our guided tours.