What Are You Wading For?

What do you think about when you are wading?

If it is only where your next step will be you are missing a lot of information.

Positioning - make sure you wade to areas that allow for the best drifts without having to work too hard mending your line.  Fish close to far - working away from you both across and up stream.  This will keep you from over-lining fish.  Always fish a productive area from both sides if possible.  Several runs that I fish often produce more bites from one side on one day, the other side on other days.

Water Reading - pay attention to the way the current feels on your legs.  Specifically how much push you feel.  If I stand in an area that has swift water pushing my thighs but I feel little resistance from the knees down, I know this is good holding water.  If you hang your fly on an obstruction, take note.  That same pain in the rear log may be home to a hog.  

Direction - avoid the path of least resistance.  I have used this analogy many times but if you watch fisherman wade a stretch of river and plot their path on a map it would look like a hurricane prediction map.  Most folks are going to take a similar route.  Be aware of this and take the extra steps to get to those productive areas that are less pressured.

Safety - above all know your limitations.  Only take risks if someone else is with you and alert them first that you are working an area that is difficult so they keep an eye out.  
Be super cautious the further you get from a vehicle and medical care and in inclement weather.

 Fish On! - Big T